Importance of the Theme
Last session, we began our journey through the book of Hebrews, a treasure trove of deep theological truth ready to be delved into. The key theme of Hebrews is that “Jesus is better”, better than the prophets, angels, and Old Testament saints. To the 1st century Jewish population, the theme “Jesus is Better” is particularly relevant as they grappled with their newfound faith, processing the reality of a Jewish Messiah against the backdrop of the greatness of their Old Testament revelation.
Better Than the Angels
In the Old Testament, only two angels are mentioned by name–Michael and Gabriel–and yet angels were revered with great importance in Jewish tradition. The author of Hebrews quotes extensively from the Old Testament, specifically from the Psalms, to show that while the angels were of great importance, Jesus is far better. In the span of just a few verses, the author unpacks five ways that Jesus is better than the angels:
Hebrews 1:5– Jesus is better than the angels because He is the Son of God. Collectively, the angels were known as the sons of God, but unlike Christ, God never told any individual angels that they are His Son.
Hebrews 1:6– Jesus is better than the angels because the angels were commanded to worship Him.
Hebrews 1:7-8– Jesus is better than the angels because only He is ever addressed as God. The angels were ministers and messengers of God, but not God Himself.
Hebrews 1:10-12– Jesus is better than the angels because He is the Creator, the eternal one from whom the heavens and earth came.
Hebrews 1:13– Jesus is better than the angels because He is the one who sits at the right hand of God.
The Ministry and Call of the Angels
Although Christ is greater than the angels, they still have such an important ministry for Christians to dwell on and praise God for. The angels are ministering spirits, pointing to the grandeur and majesty of God in their unique role. Above all, their greatest command and desire is to worship the LORD Jesus Christ, for He is God. Just as the angels continually worship Christ, so should we as believers. Knowing that Jesus is better than the angels in these ways should fuel our awe and reverence for Him, giving us the desire to praise Him forever! Join us for our next segment, where we look into the fact that Jesus is better than both Moses and Joshua.
This blog post captures the essence of Dr. William Varner’s study series on Hebrews. You may click on the video above to hear more insightful details about the preeminence of Christ in Hebrews. Dr. Varner is the chair of TMU Online Master of Arts in Biblical Studies and professor of Biblical Languages and Bible Exposition for The Master’s University traditional on-campus program.
