Dr Tom Hover
March 26, 2023
Hebrews 1:4-14 / Hebrews 2:1-18
THE SUPERIORITY OF CHRIST / The Redemption Cycle
THE SUPERIORITY OF CHRIST
Hebrews 1:4-14
The book of Hebrews sets the stage for our right understanding and perspective of who Jesus is. Namely, that he has ultimate supremacy and authority in all things. In fact, the writer of Hebrews states, “he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” [1] This distinction sets Jesus apart in all ways. A good title for the book of Hebrews is "The Superiority of Christ" because that is its message. Jesus Christ is always Greater than everyone and everything! And Jesus Christ is superior to everything and everyone. Hebrews 1:1-2
It is true that God spoke in a variety of ways in the Old Testament.
· He spoke to Moses by a burning bush (Exodus 3).
· He spoke to Elijah by a still, small voice (1 Kings 19).
· He spoke to Isaiah by a heavenly vision (Isaiah 6).
· He spoke to Hosea by his family crisis (Hosea 1:2).
· He spoke to Amos by a basket of fruit (Amos 8:1).
Yet the idea here is that the prophets spoke to the fathers in various ways; not that God spoke to the prophets in various ways (though that is true also). In these Last Days God Speaks with Jesus Christ: Hebrews 1:2 The Jewish mind revered angels. This awe of angels is seen in John’s temptation to worship one: Revelation 19:10,22:8-9, Colossians 2:18, Galatians 1:8–9, Hebrews 13:1–2 Angels are great but, Christ is “better” (Hebrews 1:4). The word “better” used here is a key word in Hebrews in showing that Christ and Christianity are “better” than Judaism.
In Hebrews there are “better things” (Hebrews 6:9);
“better person” (Hebrews 7:7);
“better hope” (Hebrews 7:19);
“better testament” (Hebrews 7:22);
“better promises” (Hebrews 8:6);
“better sacrifices” (Hebrews 9:23);
“better possession” (Hebrews 10:34);
“better country” (Hebrews 11:16); and
“better resurrection” (Hebrews 11:35).
THIS TEXT LISTS A NUMBER OF WAYS IN WHICH CHRIST IS BETTER/SUPERIOR THAN ANGELS.
1. CHRIST IS SUPERIOR IN REPUTATION Hebrews 1:4
Our Relationship with Jesus Christ: I John 3:1–2
2. CHRIST IS SUPERIOR IN RELATIONSHIP Hebrews 1:5
Our Relationship with Jesus Christ: Romans 8:15
3. CHRIST IS SUPERIOR IN REVERENCE Hebrews 1:6
Our Relationship with Jesus Christ: WE WORSHIP HIM!
ONLY JESUS CAN BE WORSHIPPED! Luke 24:52–53
4. CHRIST IS SUPERIOR IN RULE Hebrews 1:7
Our Relationship with Jesus Christ: II Tim. 2:11–12, Matt. 25:21
5. CHRIST IS SUPERIOR IN ROYALTY Hebrews 1:8
Our Relationship with Jesus Christ: Revelation 5:9–10
6. CHRIST IS SUPERIOR IN RIGHTEOUSNESS Hebrews 1:9
Our Relationship with Jesus Christ: Romans 9:26, 4:4–8
7. CHRIST IS SUPERIOR IN RAISING Hebrews 1:9
Our Relationship with Jesus Christ: Galatians 4:7
8. CHRIST IS SUPERIOR IN RECOGNITION Hebrews 1:10
Our Relationship with Jesus Christ: Mark 9:41
9. CHRIST IS SUPERIOR IN REMAINING Hebrews 1:1
Malachi 3:6 Christ is eternal and immutable.
Our Relationship with Jesus Christ: John 3:36, John 5:24,6:47
10. CHRIST IS SUPERIOR IN REWARD Hebrews 1:13
Christ’s reward for Calvary was exaltation at the right hand of God. The angels were excluded from the reward.
Our Relationship with Jesus Christ: Revelation 22:12, Matthew 5:11–12
11. CHRIST IS SUPERIOR IN RESPONSIBILITY Hebrews 1:14
The angels’ responsibility is that of servants (“ministers”). Angels are mere servants. Not only are they servants of Christ (Hebrews 1:7), but they are also said here to be servants for the redeemed. Psalm 91:11–12 Jesus is Responsible for our sure and forever salvation: John 6:39
Our Relationship with Jesus Christ: I Corinthians 6:2–3
We all stand before Jesus’s Judgement. However, Every child of God We will judge Angels.
PM
The Redemption Cycle
Hebrews 2:1-18
The superiority of Christ over the angels which was begun in the previous chapter continues in this chapter. However, in this chapter the superiority of Christ over the angels is spoken of almost indirectly, for the emphasis in the chapter is upon man’s need of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 2 can be divided into three major parts as follows:
I. Man’s Reprimand Hebrews 2:1–4
The chapter begins with a parenthetical remonstrating or reprimand of man. The reprimand speaks of the poor and careless listening habits of man to the message of Christ.
1. The Specifics of the Reprimand Hebrews 2:1
The exhortation is to give more diligence in listening to the message of Christ.
2. The Support for the Reprimand Hebrews 2:1–4
• The slippage for the support. Hebrews 2:1
• The suffering for the support. Hebrews 2:3
• The superiority for the support. Hebrews 2:3-4
Christ’s message was superior to the angels’ message because He, Himself, was superior and also because His message was associated with so many marvelous Divine manifestations such as “signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost.” The angels’ message did not have this great accompaniment from God.
II. Man’s Ruin Hebrews 2:5–9
To show the work which Christ had to do for man (in contrast to what angels do for men which is only “ministering spirits”—Hebrews 1:14), our text shows the ruin of man.
1. The Prospects of Man Hebrews 2:5
2. The Perplexity About Man Hebrews 2:6
3. The Privilege for Man Hebrews 2:6 “The son of man, that thou visitest him?”.
The privilege for man was God visiting man for man’s blessing. The word “visitest” helps us know whom this passage is speaking about. Some think it is speaking about the Son of Man, namely, Jesus Christ. But “That thou visitest him” says this passage is speaking about the “son of man,” namely, humans, for the word translated “visitest” means “to look upon in order to help or to benefit, to look after, to have a care for” (Wuest).Wuest goes on to say, “This clearly indicates that the son of man spoken of here is the human race. God looks upon the human race in order to help or to benefit it. Thus the picture in verse 6–8 is that of the human race in Adam.” The privilege is the Gospel.
God will visit man in Christ to help man.
This refers specifically to the incarnation of Christ and His work on Calvary to provide us a Savior from our sins.
4. The Place of Man Hebrews 2:7
Man is lower than angels in the rank given him by God.
Thus, as we will see shortly, when Christ became incarnate, He humbled Himself and temporally became lower than the angels.
The fact that angels were at one time higher than Christ does not mean we should worship them. Worship Jesus Only!
5. The Praise for Man Hebrews 2:7
Man is the crown of creation. Man has been given glory and honor that animals have not been given.
6. The Promotion of Man Hebrews 2:7
In the creation, mankind was set over “the works of thy hands.” Genesis 1:26
That means that man is more important than animals (as an example, “Ye are of more value than many sparrows”—Luke 12:7).
God gave more rank to man than to animals or to the environment.
7. The Power for Man Hebrews 2:8
“Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet” (Hebrews 2:8).
When God created man, He gave him dominion over the creation so that it would be subject to man. Genesis 1:26
8. The Postponement for Man Hebrews 2:8
“But now we see not yet all things put under him”
III. Man’s Redemption Hebrews 2:10–18
To solve the great ruin problem of man, Jesus Christ had to “redeem us [sinners] from all iniquity” (Titus 2:14). Titus 2:14–15 This work of redemption for mankind really shows the great superiority of Christ to the angels. The angels could not redeem sinners. Angels are limited to being just “ministering spirits” (Hebrews 1:14) for the saints. They have no power whatever to redeem anyone. The major part of Hebrews 2 focuses on the many things involved in this redemption.
1. The Subservience for Redemption Hebrews 2:9
For Christ to redeem sinful man, He had to become humble and take a very low position.
He had to temporarily be “made a little lower than the angels” (Hebrews 2:9) to be able to redeem ruined man.
2. The Splendor for Redemption Hebrews 2:9
It was through our Lord’s sufferings [for redemption] and because of them that He was crowned with glory and honor.
3. The Substitution for Redemption Hebrews 2:9
“He by the grace of God should taste death for every man”. Christ died on Calvary as a substitute for sinful man.
Christ did not die for His sins, for He had none.
4. The Suffering for Redemption Hebrews 2:9-10
The word teaches that for Christ to redeem sinners, it was necessary for Him to suffer on the cross.
5. The Skipper of the Redemption Hebrews 2:10
“The captain of their salvation”. The word translated “captain” means leader, chief, prince.
In the KJV the word is translated “author” in Hebrews 12:2—“Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.”
No angel is ever given this exaltation regarding soul salvation.
6. The Singularity From Redemption Hebrews 2:11
“He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one”.
The Redeemer and the Redeemed are united. Redemption makes us one with Christ. The redeemed are in the same family, have the same Father, so Christ calls those that are redeemed “brethren” :John 20:17
7. The Support in Redemption Hebrews 2:11
“For which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren”. The saints find the source of their sonship in God the Father.
Thus, Jesus calls us His brethren … the Lord Jesus and the saints, have the same God for our Father.
Christ supports the redemption of the believers by His willingness to call them “brethren.”
Would that all believers would live up to their “brethren” status.
8. The Singing in Redemption Hebrews 2:12
Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. Psalm 22:22.
9. The Scripture in Redemption Hebrews 2:13
And again, I will put my trust in Him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given Me.
The two words “again” are in reference to other quotes from the Old Testament. Both quotes come from Isaiah 8.
The Old Testament predicted the work of redemption. That is why Paul could say:I Corinthians 15:3–4
10. The Substance for Redemption Hebrews 2:14
Redemption required that Christ have a body of flesh and blood. “A body hast thou prepared me” (Hebrews 10:5)
makes reference to this need. Christ was, therefore, incarnated in human flesh (not sinful flesh),
so He could be the sacrifice for sin which was necessary for the redemption of sinners.
11. The Serenity From Redemption Hebrews 2:15
Redemption removes the fear of death and the bondage this fear brings upon mankind.
12. The Seed in Redemption Hebrews 2:16
Redemption was not for angels but for mankind.Christ was incarnated as a human (“seed of Abraham”)
not as an angel so He could redeem humans, not angels.
13. The Sacerdotal in Redemption Hebrews 2:17
14. The Satisfaction for Redemption Hebrews 2:17
15. The Succoring After Redemption Hebrews 2:18
Christ does not leave the redeemed after they are redeemed but continues to help them when they are tempted. The word translated “he is able” in our text: A. Pink wrote this: “implies both a fitness and willingness to do a thing. Christ is both competent and ready to undertake for His people”
