Hebrews 1:4-14 Jesus Much Better than Angels, Part 1 Ron Owen 8/30/26

Let's look at Hebrews chapter 1.

Hebrews 1 · chapter mention

Verse 1 says, God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets.

Now listen.

Listen to this awesome verse.

Has in these last days spoken to us.

Who are we that he would speak to us?

By his son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds.

God has come to communicate with you while you yawn through the scripture reading, while you sleep through the prayer service, while you ignore through the sermon, God has come to speak to you, not through the preacher this morning, through his son.

Hasn't he last days spoken to us by a son whom he has appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds, who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power.

This is Jesus, folks.

If you believe it, if you believe the word of God, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high.

That is all about that.

Here's a God that creates all the world.

And yet what he's purpose is to do is to sit at the right hand of God, interceding for you and me, and to purge your sins, first of all, and to intercede for you and me.

Having become, verse 4, so much better than the and this is our text verses from here down.

Having become so much better than the angels as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they?

For to which of the angels did he ever say, You are my son, today I've begotten you?

The answer is none.

And again he says, I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.

What angel did he say that to?

None of them.

But when he again brings the firstborn into the world, he says, Let all the angels of God worship him.

And of the angels he says, Who makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire?

But to the Son he says, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom.

You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness.

Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with all the oil of gladness more than your companions.

By the way, that phrase up there, your throne, O God.

The word there in the Old Testament, it's quoting.

I'll get to it, but I just I gotta say it now.

I'm, you know, me.

You got cookies for, you know, you got cake for uh what do they call that?

Dessert.

Sometimes when you pass by, you gotta get a little bit before dinner, you know.

That's the way it is.

I just can't help it.

The word there, he says, your throne, talking to Jesus, oh God.

That is the covenant name of God Yahweh.

It's the tetragromaton.

Uh, it's just four letters in the Hebrew, and it is the personal name of God Yahweh.

That's who Jesus is.

You say, Brother Ron, explain that.

You first.

Verse 10, and you, Lord, in the beginning, laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands.

They will perish, though, but you will remain.

They will all grow old like a garment, like a cloak.

You will fold them up, and they will be changed, but you are the same, and your years will not fail.

But to which of the angels has he ever said, Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool?

None of them.

Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?

Today we start a series because I'm not going to feel I'm just going to do the first point.

Introduction to the first point.

Jesus, much better than the angels.

So much better, is what the Bible says.

And just like you and I, when we want to emphasize something, we'll say that that soup was good.

It was so good.

Y'all, anybody do that?

That's the same way here in the Greek.

It is emphasizing that he's not just better, he is so much better.

There is no comparison between Jesus and anything else.

And in particular here, the angels.

Hebrews 1, verse 4, it says, having become so much better than the angels.

Hebrews 1:4

This word better is used 13 times in the book of Hebrews.

And in the book of Hebrews, what he is trying to prove and show is that this Jesus, whom they have accepted, is better than anything else.

He's better than Judaism.

That's the main thing he's trying to show them.

In other words, Christianity is better than Judaism.

Why?

Because it is Christianity.

It is of Christ.

And this word better is used 13 times in the book of Hebrews.

That's the theme of the book.

Jesus is better.

Y'all ought to all shout right there.

I mean, that's that's I need to learn.

I'm gonna get a sign.

We're gonna start putting up here.

Shout here.

Say amen here.

Hallelujah here.

Go home now.

No, anyway.

That's shouting ground.

That Jesus is better.

Now, here in verse 4, we have that he's better, so much better than the angels.

In chapter 6, verse 9, he speaks of better things.

In other words, the things that Jesus brings are better things.

No angel could save.

Melchizedek couldn't be our priest, the priests couldn't be our priest, the lambs couldn't do.

Moses was a great leader, but he wouldn't do.

Only Jesus speaks of better things.

Amen.

Don't get me to preaching.

Better person than Abraham, chapter 7, verse 7.

Chapter 7, verse 19.

It speaks, Jesus speaks and brings a better hope.

In chapter 7, verse 22.

Jesus brings a better covenant.

And 8, 6.

Jesus brings a better covenant and a better promise.

Better promises.

Chapter 9, verse 23, better sacrifices.

The lambs and goats and bulls that were sacrificed, the millions of them that were sacrificed in the Old Testament were great pictures of who Jesus is because not one of them helped in forgiving sins.

There's only one blood that forgives sin.

And that's the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.

I'm full of preach this morning.

I said I'd be short, but may not.

I just may preach till tonight.

Better possession.

In chapter 10, verse 34.

Better possession.

One of my favorite verses in all the Bible.

I can't read this section.

I can't wait till we get to chapter 11.

And he talks about all the martyrs and all of the persecution and the death that was brought upon people who believe in God and believe in Jesus.

And he says in chapter 11, verse 16, they seek a better country.

A better country.

This world is not my home.

I'm just passing through.

My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.

And angels beckon me from heaven's open door.

And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

Amen.

Better country.

Chapter 11, verse 35, better resurrection.

And chapter 11, 40, and chapter 12, 24, better things.

Again, better things.

Jesus is better.

And Jesus is mine.

That ought to make us fall on our knees or shout and jump on our feet.

It ought to move us.

Although some of the descriptions of Jesus in our text might at first glance seem to diminish his power and glory and his deity.

For instance, verse 4 says that he has become much better than the angels.

And some liberals that say, see, he became, he had, he was created.

That's not what it means at all.

I'll explain it here in just a second.

Verse 5 says, Today I have begotten you.

They've taken that in John 3.16.

See, he had a beginning.

He's begotten.

It just means he comes from the same nature.

And also it might have reference to his begotten in a body.

Jesus has always been.

He's eternal.

But his physical body didn't happen until he was conceived of the Holy Ghost in the Virgin Mary.

Woo.

Today I've begotten you.

And verse 6 calls him the firstborn into the world.

These statements are not diminishing his deity, they are revealing the wonder of his humanity.

Jesus took on humanity so that he could say that he was in all points tempted, like as you and I are, yet he never sinned.

And he fulfilled obedience to God so that he could be the sacrifice for sin.

Because you and I couldn't do it, so we were going to hell.

So what happens?

God loved you so much, he stepped in, sent Jesus, his only begotten Son, the only one of his nature.

He is God.

Jesus is God.

He is part of the Trinity Godhead.

And he said, Jesus, the only way we're saving them is for you to die in their place and give them your righteousness if you fulfill the law, which is silly to say, he was going to.

That's how your sins are forgiven.

That's how you're going to heaven, not on the basis of your good works, it's on the basis of his good works that he imputes to you.

I tell you what, let's just preach.

Okay, here we go.

These statements are not diminishing his deity.

They are revealing the wonder of his humanity.

He is not only the Son of God, he is also the Son of Man, and we'll get to that in the sermon.

He did not next week.

He did not cease to be God when he became man.

He simply took upon himself humanity without surrendering one ounce of his deity.

And here is the glory of it all.

The Jesus who was born into the world is the very same Jesus who created this world.

The one who entered creation is the one who created it.

And the one who laid in a manger is the one who laid the foundation of the universes.

And the one whose hands were held by the Virgin Mary are the very hands that made the heavens.

The same Jesus who called the first was called the firstborn in the world is the same Jesus of whom the Father says, In the beginning, you, Lord Yahweh, laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands.

Who do you think God was talking to in Genesis 1 when he said, or Genesis, yeah, in the first of Genesis, when he said, Let us make man in our image.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, or earth was out form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters.

Who was he talking to?

He was talking to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Let us make man in our image.

Matter of fact, the word God there in Genesis 1:1 is a plural word.

Genesis 1:1

You say, is God not one?

He is one.

Jesus does not think anything different than the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit doesn't think anything different than the Father.

They are united in thought, united in word, united in deed, united in character, united in deity, united in uh uh attributes.

Jesus is eternal.

God the Father is eternal.

The Spirit is eternal.

God is Almighty.

Therefore, Jesus is Almighty, and the Holy Spirit is almighty.

You understand that?

No.

We just know that's what God told us.

And that's the God, Matthew, that wanted to come and talk to you and bring you into his family.

Amen.

Brother Dennis, this is the God that wanted to call you son and citizen of heaven.

Can you imagine?

Because, I know, let me tell you, I picked two of our best members right there, didn't I?

I mean, two good guys.

Well, God wants me to be his child, too.

Who's the worst one among you?

Who is it?

Somebody admitted it.

There it is, brother Fred.

Freddie.

Look at the father like son.

We're all chief of sinners, aren't we?

I want to tell you the chasm between us and God is bigger than any chasm that has ever been created, made, or been.

Sinful man and a holy God.

You don't understand.

We don't understand how far from God we were.

But my friend, you didn't span the gap.

God came to us.

He is the Son of Man, but He is still the eternal Son of God.

He humbled himself to enter this world.

He created, but his humiliation never diminished his glory.

MacArthur, and some of y'all have your MacArthur Bible.

You can read this with me because it's a note on this verse, on this phrase, having become, he says, the Greek verb used here refers to a change of state, not a change of existence.

The Son in his divine essence has eternally existed, but for a while he made him, he was made lower than the angels.

Chapter 2, verse 9 of Hebrews.

And afterwards was exalted to an infinitely.

There you go.

That's what it is.

I could not get that in my head.

He has infinite highest position by virtue of what he had accomplished in his redemptive work.

Isn't that awesome?

That's what he is.

Jesus came into the world in flesh and he held back his divine attributes that he might even die to save sinners.

But remember, he could have called 10,000 angels.

But he didn't.

He, who being in the form of God, did not think it robbery to be equal to God, but made himself of no reputation.

He took upon himself the form of a slave, and coming in the likeness of men, and being found in the appearance as a man, he humbled himself.

As a matter of fact, he humbled himself so much he became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

But he was still God the saint all the time.

He was a dynamo that could at any moment let loose.

First point, and the only one we're going to talk about today, because he is the Son of God.

He is the nature of God.

The Son of God.

And I'm going to use the scriptures as our main points here today.

Number one, as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

He has inherited, God has given him, he's obtained it by what, by the way, this kind of has some foreshadowings of what he would do.

He obeyed Christ God perfectly, he paid for the sins, he died willingly, and he lived a perfect life.

He fulfilled the law.

He didn't do away with it, he fulfilled it.

He did what was required.

And by that, as Philippians tells us, well, I didn't get into that, but the Bible says, therefore God has exalted him and at his name every knee will bow and every tongue will confess.

But he's been given a more excellent name.

Now I read that.

So what name is it?

Now he's already called him.

He calls him Yahweh.

He calls him divine.

He calls him God.

And anything that has to do with God, you can call Jesus.

If you've seen me, he said you've seen the Father.

Before Abraham was, I am.

I mean, it's Jesus is it.

Listen, people think, well, Jesus, well, he's not God, but he's a good person, a good teacher.

No, my friend, I want to tell you, either he's he's uh either he's a liar or he's a lunatic or he's Lord.

He can't be all three.

He's Lord.

But if he if he's not Lord, he was lying.

He's lied about himself to us.

He's not worthy to be followed.

And if he thinks he's God and he's not God, he's a lunatic.

Or else everything he says is true, and that's what I believe.

How about you?

His name is Son.

That's what it means here.

Son.

That's the name he's talking about.

That's the title.

Number two, verse five says, But to which of the angels did he ever say, You are my son, today I have begotten you.

None of them.

And again he says, I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.

He didn't say that to anybody, but to Jesus.

Now, this is a quotation of Old Testament.

One of the greatest psalms in all the Bible is Psalm chapter 2.

Psalms 2 · chapter mention

It's a prophetic, messianic psalm.

But some people would like to say, well, that's talking about David, that's talking about Solomon, and it may be in some instances and ways, because there are many psalms that do that.

Matter of fact, even Samuel speaks of David, but prophetically he's also speaking of the seed of David, which is Christ.

Okay?

But Psalm 2, verse 7 is what he's quoting here.

Psalms 2:7

The rest of the Psalm, though, Psalm uh 2, verse uh Psalm 2 is awesome.

So I'm gonna read the whole thing.

Okay?

So get ready.

Put your seatbelts on.

Listen to this.

I'm not gonna read all of it, but from seven to the end.

I will declare the decree, the psalmist said.

The Lord has said to me, You are my son, today I have begotten you.

Ask of me, this is the father to the son, ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession.

You shall break them with a rod of iron, you shall dash them with pieces like a potter's vessel.

Now, therefore, be wise, O kings.

Be instructed, you judges of the earth.

In other words, here's God, here's what he thinks of his son.

Now, here is the application for you pipsqueak kings and princes of the earth.

Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.

Are you doing that today?

This is for you and me too.

Are you serving the Lord trembling?

Do you have a fear of God that makes you walk tenderly?

Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.

Verse 12, kiss the sun.

That means an homage.

To kiss, we would say, to kiss the ring.

Kiss the sun, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way when his wrath is kindled but a little.

Blessed all those who put their trust in him.

Is that the way you feel this morning?

I want to tell you something.

I think in church it's not just us, but in churches all over the place, we come into church laxadaisical.

I got that word and couldn't get infinitely infinitely.

Laxadaisical and without preparation, and which is just what we do.

We're gonna go and sing a little bit.

Listen to that little fat guy jump around that pulpit.

Go home and take our nap.

You better kiss the son.

You better be, lest he be angry with you and you perish in the way when his wrath is kindled but a little.

Blessed are all those who put their trust in him.

Now I'm gonna talk a little bit about angels and I'm finished.

Turn to Ezekiel 1, or you can follow on the board.

Let's do that.

Because I need I'm gonna get into this.

Y'all ever heard of cherubim?

Okay?

Seraphim.

Well, cherubim, we shorten that, we call them cherub.

And if I were to ask you, draw me a picture of a cherub, most of y'all would draw a little bitty, fat legged, diaper ridden baby with little wings and a halo.

Let's read what cherubims are.

Ezekiel chapter one, verse five.

Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures.

These are cherubim.

He mentions this later, but trust me.

Four living creatures.

And this was their appearance.

They had the likeness of a man.

Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings.

Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of a calf, of calves' feet.

They sparkled like the color of burnished bronze.

The hands of a man were under their wings and on their four sides, and each of the four had faces and wings.

Their wings touched one another.

The creatures did not turn when they went.

But each one went straight forward.

As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man, each of the face had each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle, thus their uh were their faces, their wings stretched upward, two wings of each one touched one another, and two covered their bodies, and each one went straight forward when they went wherever the spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went.

For as for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of a torches, of torches going back and forth among the living creatures.

The fire was bright, and out of their fire went lightning, and the living creatures ran back and forth in appearance like a flashing lightning.

That's a far cry from fat babies with little wings, isn't it?

That's an angel.

They're powerful, they're strong, they're fast, they're awesome, they're terrifying, they're warriors.

Right now, the angels in heaven are not going through checklists, they are in warfare against the devil right here in this building.

God's angels are warring against the demons that are in this building.

They are trying to get you to ignore what I'm saying, and trying to get you not to believe what I'm preaching, and they're warring.

But my friend, the outcome is the Lord's.

Why?

Because he's better than the angels, he's stronger than the angels.

Listen, if God wants something done, it's gonna happen.

Amen.

But he uses these spirits, angels, although powerful, beautiful, sometimes terrifying, are created spirit beings created to minister and serve and to enact the purposes of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

They are mere servants of Jesus, the Son of God.

Angels cannot create and they cannot save sinners.

They look into what we have and what God has done for us, and they wish they could experience what we experience, the Bible says.

They are finite beings created by the infinite being Jesus Christ.

Jesus is God, therefore he is better than the angels.

And if he's better than angels, he's sure enough better than us.

We will be made better than the angels one day.

But they minister to us, they watch over us.

The idea of uh guardian angels is true.

It's true.

We all have angels that guard us, protects us.

They're warriors.

But I want to tell you something.

Jesus is the warrior.

Now, what should you do?

I tell you what you should do.

You ought to start having daily times with him.

You ought to pray on your face before him and not just go, God, heal my trick knee.

Oh God, I pray that you'd help me to have enough money to pay for that four-wheeler.

Oh God, give me this, give me that, give me this, give me that.

I tell you what you do.

Say, God, don't give me anything but you.

You, give me you, help me to see you and understand you.

It wasn't until Isaiah, who was a great and awesome prophet already, saw the vision of God, of Jesus on his throne up there, that he fell on his face.

He said, Woe is me, for I'm a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.

For my eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts.

And the reason you're not moved by the preaching of the word is not because I'm boring.

It's not because I'm not telling good truth.

It's not because my sentence, I can't say infidonate.

It's not because of that.

It's because your heart is not tuned to him and you have not got a vision of him because of the flesh and sin and whatever it is.

I don't know.

But I want to tell you, do you want to see God as he truly is?

Do you want to see Jesus as he truly is?

Deny yourself, take up your cross, follow him.

Get in the word every day.

Don't wait for Brother Ron to teach you.

You have the Holy Spirit of God that can teach you.

You have a brain, a mind, and the mind of Christ if you know Jesus.

And when you come into this place, Sunday morning, Sunday night, and even Wednesday night, come with a heart of prayer, a heart of fear.

Would it be something?

And it could happen.

It's the way it happened in the Old Testament, it's the way it happened in the New Testament.

Can you imagine Ananias and Sapphira in that church service?

First of all, Ananias, when God came through and struck out at Ananias and killed him on the spot.

Could he do that with us?

Yes, he could.

Yes, he can.

Yes, he can.

And he should.

But he's gracious.

And he's merciful in him, brother Fred.

He's gracious and he's merciful.

So don't come into these services flippant.

I'm guilty of it.

I I'm just because of reading these things and studying these things, you can't help but have an awe at Jesus, who is better than angels.

And here's the thing about it.

He came, as it said earlier, to purge your sin.

To purge your sin and to make you a child of God and to secure you a home in heaven.

My friends, we ought to shout, we ought to sing, we ought to dance, we ought to weep, we ought to weep.

When we come into the presence of God.

Just depending on where your heart is, I guess.

Amen.

Quit singing hymns and these awesome songs like Jesus Our Living Hope.

Uninterested.

And we ought to kiss the sun lest he be angry with us.

Every head bowed, knives closed.