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Hebrews 1:6-14
6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God’s angels worship him.”
7 Of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels winds,
and his ministers a flame of fire.”
8 But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
10 And,
“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
and the heavens are the work of your hands;
11 they will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment,
12 like a robe you will roll them up,
like a garment they will be changed.
But you are the same,
and your years will have no end.”
13 And to which of the angels has he ever said,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?
14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
I love Christmas and all the celebrations and traditions that go with remembering the birth of Jesus. One of my favorite moments is when we open presents on Christmas morning. It always brings a smile to my face to see the smiles on the faces of my family as they tear away the wrapping paper to get at their gifts. There is one Christmas morning that I will never forget. It was when my kids were little. My daughter was about two years old. She had just removed the wrapping paper from the present when I asked her, “What is it?” She held it up to me and I said with great enthusiasm, “You got a box!” She smiled and took great delight in the box she was given, never thinking to open the box. My wife of course quickly chided me and helped our daughter open the box to see the great gift that was inside.
In this passage, the author is emphasizing that Jesus the Messiah is superior to the law and the angels. You see the pressure that Jewish Christians faced was to keep the focus of their attention on the law and the angels rather than on Jesus. In other words, to just be delighted with the box rather than open the box and enjoy the present inside, the very present that the box points and wrapping points to and anticipates us to receive and enjoy.
There are three things that the author says here which make it plain that Jesus is superior to the angels.
Verses 8-9 quote Psalm 45.6-7 and speak of the Son’s sovereign authority and kingdom where evil and wickedness are no more.
Verses 10-12 quote Psalm 102.25-27 focusing on the eternal nature of Jesus' reign which has no end. This is in contrast to the created order which changes and is perishable and will one day be rolled up like a worn-out garment.
Verses 13-14 are quoted from Psalm 110.1 which speaks of the Messiah’s sovereign rule and the utter defeat of everything that is opposed to God’s justice and salvation.
And at the end of the passage, the point is made that nothing like this is ever said about the angels. Just Jesus the Messiah.
As N.T. Wright notes in his commentary on this passage, Once you see who the son really is, and the role he was always intended to play in God’s plan, you won’t want to go back to anything or anyone else.
But we often do, don’t we? Too often we get distracted by the box or the wrapping paper and forget the incredible present inside. We often get sidetracked by thoughts about the angels or let our attention get focused on buildings, traditions, programs, music, or worship styles, and in doing so, we forget what they all point to—Jesus the Messiah.
Take a moment to think about the things that distract and sidetrack your view of Jesus. Then reorientate your heart and mind on Christ alone and the abundant life He calls you to in a relationship with Him.
God bless you and know that I am praying for you constantly.
Scott
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