The Superiority of Christ

Transcription

1 Hebrews Lesson 2 Home Study Questions The Superiority of Christ Hebrews 1:5 2:9 The prologue of Hebrews (1:1-4) ends with the firm assertion that Jesus Christ is superior to all previous agents of God. Now, without interruption, read Hebrews 1:5 2:9 and observe how both messenger and message of that which is past is overshadowed by the work and glory of Jesus Christ. Your study this week will enable you to see, as did the Hebrew Christians, the adequacy of the Savior. Please take time to read the entire Scripture passage before you begin the questions. Questions marked For further study or For deeper thought are optional. Those marked For personal thought need not be answered aloud in your Core Group. Record the verses where you find your answers. Day One Write God s Word for the week: Hebrews 1:1-2. In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. Hebrews 1:5-7 The Question 1. The author of Hebrews quotes from Psalm 2. What does that tell you about how the early church viewed the Old Testament? 2. From Acts 13:32-37, what facts are given that are not present in Hebrews 1:5-7?

2 10 Hebrews Lesson 2 Home Study Questions 3. From the following Scripture passages, how did God use angels in Old Testament history? a. Genesis 19:1-17 b. Exodus 23:20-23 c. Daniel 8: What is the relationship between the angels and Christ (Hebrews 1:6)? Day Two Write God s Word for the week: Hebrews 1:1-2. Hebrews 1:8-12 The Argument Set Forth 5. List the characteristics and works of Christ that you find in these verses. 6. a. For deeper thought: Hebrews 1:11-12 makes a comparison. Tell how you would explain these verses to someone unfamiliar with Scripture, being sure to include the main point. (See Psalm 102:12, for the origin of this quote.)

3 Home Study Questions Hebrews Lesson 2 11 b. Write a few descriptive words to express what this knowledge reveals about Jesus Christ. (For example, He is majestic). Day Three Write God s Word for the week: Hebrews 1:1-2. Hebrews 1:13 2:4 The Argument s Conclusion 7. What is one of the tasks of angels, according to 1:14?? 8. a. Chapter 1 does not discredit angels; it does exalt the Son. On the basis of this, what significant truth is implied in Hebrews 2:1-3? b. Suggest how the truth of Hebrews 2:1 can be applied throughout your study of Hebrews. 9. Why is it important that this the gospel of salvation was confirmed to us by those who heard Him (2:3)? (See also 1 John 1:1-3a.) 10. What are some of the signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit (2:4) that used by God to validate His provided salvation? (See Acts 5:12-16; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11.)

4 12 Hebrews Lesson 2 Home Study Questions Day Four Write God s Word for the week: Hebrews 1:1-2. Hebrews 2:5-8a A Testimony About the World to Come 11. Read Genesis 1: Record the facts that support the view of man s worth and his dominion over all created things. a. worth (1:26-27) b. dominion (1:28) 12. a. From Hebrews 2:6b-8a, list those phrases that refer to Jesus specifically and to mankind in general. b. What does this tell you about your significance in God s eyes?

5 Home Study Questions Hebrews Lesson 2 13 Day Five Write God s Word for the week: Hebrews 1:1-2. Hebrews 2:8b-9 We See Jesus 13. Jesus was a humble servant during His ministry on earth. How do the following passages describe Him at the time when God will make everything subject to Him (2:8)? a. Daniel 7:13-14 b. Revelation 19: In Hebrews 1:4, Jesus is said to be superior to the angels, while in Hebrews 2:9, He is a little lower than the angels. Although these verses seem to contradict each other, what is the truth in each statement?

6 14 Hebrews Lesson 2 Home Study Questions Apply What You Have Learned Just as Jesus, while on earth, did not display the full magnitude of His glory, His followers will receive more glory in the life to come: If we are children, then we are heirs heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed (Romans 8:17-19). We are promised that the body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:42-44). We have a rewarding eternal existence to look forward to because He suffered death (Hebrews 2:9) for us. Day Six: Class Notes

7 Commentary Hebrews Lesson 2 15 Day Seven The Superiority of Christ Hebrews 1:5 2:9 The writer of Hebrews has gone to great lengths to establish the high position of God s Son. In the prologue, Jesus is portrayed as Creator and preserver of the universe and as reconciler and purifier of mankind. He has done all that is necessary to open the way to God. No further sacrifice for sin is needed. The completed work of salvation is accomplished, and the Savior is now available at all times as our Mediator at the right hand of God. Having laid the groundwork, the writer of Hebrews now begins to show clearly that Christ is superior to all who have previously represented God. I. Superior to Angels (Hebrews 1:5-14) The author first argues that Christ is superior to the angels. This passage contains seven quotations from the Old Testament, five of them from the book of Psalms. The rhetorical questions on the distinction between Christ and the angels in 1:5 and 6 call for the answer: God has never so spoken to an angel. Thus, the first quotation, from Psalm 2:7, presents the term My Son with a significance that surpasses possible fulfillment by any mere human or angel. No angel inherits the name Son (1:4). Israel has been called God s son (Exodus 4:22; Hosea 11:1), and even Solomon was spoken of as God s son in 2 Samuel 7:14. But unlike Psalm 2, none of these usages sets one individual apart in a unique way. The point is clear: Jesus Christ is Son in a way that no other being is. Jews and Christians find in Psalm 2 a deeper Messianic representation. Because He is God, only the Son assumes a position of authority at the throne of God (Hebrews 1:3). Scholars differ on the meaning of today (1: 5). Does it refer to Christ s co-existence with the Father before time began, to the Incarnation, or to His exaltation after the Resurrection? Because the psalm is commonly regarded as Messianic and the writer is quoting it to point out Christ s superiority, he puts no particular emphasis on today. The author of Hebrews most likely viewed it simply as attesting to the eternal aspect of the Sonship of Jesus Christ. The quotation in 1:5, I will be His Father, and He will be My Son, echoes 2 Samuel 7:14, 16, where the Lord declared that the seed of David would reign on David s throne forever. Similarily, God said to Jesus at His baptism, You are My Son, whom I love (Luke 3:22), and at the Transfiguration of Jesus, This is My Son, whom I have chosen (Luke 9:35). Also included is the message of an angel to Mary announcing the impending birth of Jesus, He will be called the Son of the Most High (Luke 1:32-33). Neither man nor angel can hear from God these words He spoke to Jesus: You are My Son. The Son in His deity, one in essence with the Father the Son through whom and for whom

8 16 Hebrews Lesson 2 Commentary all things were created (Colossians 1:16) became the incarnate Savior who cleansed all mankind of sin and now rules at His Father s side. The third quotation, Let all God s angels worship Him (Hebrews 1:6), comes from the song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32), which was often used in temple services and local synagogues. The Jews considered the last verse of the song, found in the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls, to be Messianic. The two previous quotations have marked Jesus as the Son of God. Hebrews 1:6 speaks of Him as One who is worshiped by angels. The author boldly maintains that it is right for these heavenly beings to worship the Son. The word firstborn qualifies Son and is a frequently used New Testament title for Jesus (Luke 2:7; Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15, 18). It does not imply first-created, but prior and unique. It presents the pre-existing, eternal Son the Source of all that is created. The song of Moses originally addressed worship to Jehovah. Having established the deity of Jesus, our author transfers this homage to the Son. Worship belongs to God to the Father and to the Son. The next quotation (Hebrews 1:7) is from Psalm 104:4 and relates to the place of angels in the divine administration of the universe. As high as their place may be, it is inferior to the supreme place accorded the Son. He makes His angels winds, His servants flames of fire, can be interpreted to mean that natural elements do God s bidding wind and fire speed forth on His errands. Another view suggests that His angels, who are His servants, are as swift as the wind and as powerful as flames of fire. Although this view puts angels in a special place above that of man, they are still far below the place of the Son. The fifth quotation (Hebrews 1:8-9) is from Psalm 45:6-7, which celebrates a royal wedding. Donald A. Haquer, author of Hebrews in the Good News commentary series, says of these words to the bridegroom, So glorious are the words spoken to him that their ultimate fulfillment can only be in the Messianic King, the Son of David, the Son now at the right hand of the Father. The Davidic Messiah was traditionally ascribed to in this psalm, and underlies the author s present use of its verses. To the Hebrews, a prince of the house of David was the regent of Israel s God. He belonged to a dynasty to which God had made special promises. These promises were only partially realized in David s successors, and their complete fulfillment was anticipated in the Advent of the Son of David, the Messiah. The prologue of Hebrews establishes the essence and being of the Son. The sovereignty and eternality of the Messiah are stressed in Hebrews 1:8. Unlike other kings of Israel, the Son occupies the throne for ever and ever ; the words Your throne indicate that the Son is an eternal king. Unlike earthly kings ruling kingdoms that rise only to fall, God s Anointed One is the ruler of a kingdom that has no end. Then, as if to describe the nature of this superior One who is addressed as God, the following thought is added: Righteousness will be the scepter of Your kingdom (1:8). This is no ordinary kingdom, it is one ruled by righteousness. The next verse underscores the nature of this great king s

9 Commentary Hebrews Lesson 2 17 rule by stating what has been in His heart: You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness (1:9). Because love governs over all, the subjects of such a kingdom need never fear the corruption of power and authority. Because Christ is indeed this king, God has set You above Your companions by anointing You with the oil of joy (1:9b). His anointing with the oil of joy does not refer to any particular time not to His inauguration as Messiah, nor to when God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38), for Jesus Christ is the Anointed One from eternity to eternity. Here, the joy with which God has blessed Him sets Him above companions. Your companions could hardly refer to the angels, whose inferiority to the Son has already been described. More likely this refers to the many sons (Hebrews 2:10), whom the firstborn Son is not ashamed to call His brothers (2:11). Compare these verses with Isaiah 61:1-3, where the Messiah shares His happiness with His fellows. These associates of the king are also the saints, the followers of Jesus. He is the heir, and they are His joint-heirs (Romans 8:17). Joy is great for all because of their companionship with Him. Think about how Psalm 45, quoted in Hebrews 1:8-9, links Christ s love for righteousness and hatred of evil with His unsurpassed joy. Our joy comes from Him. He has promised that those who obey Him will remain in His love. As a result, His joy is in us and is complete (John 15:11). This is very different from happiness that arises from circumstances. This joy is rooted in our unchanging Lord, while circumstances are subject to change. Christian joy is also rooted in righteousness, which comes from Him. Jesus said, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled (Matthew 5:6). As our longing for righteousness increases, our taste for evil diminishes. What is the result of such filling and emptying? Joy! The sixth and longest in this chain of Old Testament quotations begins in Hebrews 1:10. Quoting from Psalm 102:25-27, these verses present the psalmist sorely oppressed and pouring out his grief before Jehovah. Both he and his city, Zion, have experienced God s judgment, but he prays for mercy and restoration. He is conscious of the brevity of life, which contrasts sharply with the eternal existence of God. Heaven and earth must pass away, but God, who created them and existed before them, will remain unchanged when they are gone. The writer takes these words from the Old Testament reference to God and applies them to Christ. What is true of one is true of the other. We have seen in Hebrews 1:2 that God s Son was the agent in Creation. Verse 10 reminds us, In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens. What was created can, like a garment, be altered, worn out, or discarded; but God does not change; He remains forever. The author proves the superiority of the Lord Jesus Christ by declaring Him to have been active In the beginning, pointing to His pre-existence as God the Son. The deliberate use of the present tense in Hebrews 1:11, You remain, contrasts

10 18 Hebrews Lesson 2 Commentary the permanence of the Son with the passing nature of created things. Do not miss the deliberate blows by which the author secures the pegs of his argument: If Jesus is to be followed, He must be indisputably superior to any other being. The final quotation, from Psalm 110:1, reveals the superiority of the Son by showing that what is said of Him is not applicable to angels (Hebrews 1:13). The language of the oracle, Sit at My right hand (Psalm 110:1), has already been introduced in Hebrews 1:3, where the Son of God sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. The emphasis now shifts back to the king s enthronement and suggests victory over all His enemies. Psalm 110 was probably composed against the background of a particular event in Hebrew history, such as the installation of Solomon as king, but the New Testament writer appeals to its Messianic value. In fact, Jesus applied those words to Himself when He told the judges at His trial that they henceforth would see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One (Mark 14:62). The picture of God making Messiah s enemies into a footstool means He renders them completely powerless. This concept of total triumph cannot be applied to an angel. We note that angels such as Gabriel stand in God s presence in deference to His majesty (Luke 1:19); none sits in a place of victory and honor at God s right hand. We are awestruck when we realize that God means for angels to serve not only Him, but to serve in the interest of those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14). The word salvation in verse 14 is a comprehensive term that incorporates all we have already received in Christ as well as final deliverance when Christ returns. The angels delight to do service for Christ s saints, but only the Son can save. By beginning and ending this series of quotations with the same introductory question (1:5, 13), the author brings us full circle to the correct answer: To no angel did God so speak. Think about our service to God. As angels are called to serve (1:14), so, too, are we. Surely our service for God should be joyful! A major part of our obedience and service to Him is in serving one another. This is radically different from the self-serving world system. (Read Mark 10:42-44.) The world cannot see angels, but it can see us as we serve. Our sacrificial service can contribute nothing to our salvation. But if others see how different we are, they will ask why. Then we can tell them about the One who came to save. II. A Warning (Hebrews 2:1-4) The facts in chapter 1 about the greatness of the Son merge into a warning in chapter 2. The word therefore connects what has just been said to what follows: We are responsible to pay attention to so great a message of salvation. Angels communicated Old Testament Law, but God s final revelation was given through His Son, making it far more important. The Law required serious attention to obedience because every trespass

11 Commentary Hebrews Lesson 2 19 of the Law had its just penalty. How much more must we pay attention to the revelation of God given through the Son! The use of we indicates that the writer recognizes his own vulnerability and does not see himself above those to whom he writes. His warning acknowledges that there is in every person a tendency to wander from what he has heard. Drift away (Hebrews 2:1) suggests the image of a boat drifting aimlessly past a landing point before a plunge into destructive rapids. The warning is clear: Christians who have heard and accepted the gospel must hold fast to their profession of faith. There may also be an intended warning to those who have heard the gospel, but have not accepted it. They, too, should not drift away, or leave what they have heard, for man is responsible for the light of truth to which he has been exposed. To hear is not enough. We also must listen. Hearing is perceiving sound; listening involves giving attention that results in action. Drifting reveals a choice against God s great salvation as surely as rebellion does. We are constantly exposed to opinions and actions that can carry us away from the position we ought to maintain. It is evident that the Christians addressed here were at a danger point. Our author stirs up resistance to passivity, an enemy ever ready to distract one from true faith. The message spoken by means of angels was first spoken by God and then given to Moses (Exodus 20:1; Deuteronomy 5:22). The New Testament confirms the Jewish tradition of angels mediating the Law. In Galatians 3:19, where the Law was put into effect through angels by a mediator, Paul cites the Law s inferiority to God s prior promise to Abraham, the promise fulfilled in Jesus. In Acts 7:53, Stephen addresses his accusers as you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it. For the author of Hebrews, the tension is not between the angels and their world order on one hand and Christ and His plan of salvation on the other. It is with showing that what came through angels could not compare in value with what came through the Son. Yet the Law was firm; its justice was carried out. Every breach of the Law was recompensed by an equal payment. The Law, inferior to the gospel of Jesus, was a binding agreement between God and His people. How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? (Hebrews 2:3). This is the answer: We shall not escape. The author warns his readers lest they succumb to subtle pressures that would bring condemnation upon them, not by renouncing the gospel but by removing themselves from its public profession until it no longer influenced them. The community receiving this admonition appears much like the Israelites wandering in the desert tired, and disappointed that more has not come of their following after God. In both cases, the uppermost danger was succumbing to a weariness of faith. The Israelites longed for the old life in Egypt, forgetting that it had been oppressive and brutal, remembering only the abundance of leeks and garlic. Now, these Hebrew Christians were near their own ominous resignation of faith. As we shall see later in the book, they are in danger of releasing their grip on truth. They drift and their confidence crumbles.

12 20 Hebrews Lesson 2 Commentary The author wisely begins his word to them by lifting high the strong image of Christ. He literally shouts out the value of their great salvation lest they let faith slip away. This great salvation of which the author speaks was announced by the Lord (2:3). It had been preached by the prophets, but only in Christ did the promise become the reality. It was accomplished when Jesus appeared in Galilee, preaching the gospel and saying, The time has come, The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news! (Mark 1:15). When Jesus read the words of Isaiah 61 in the synagogue, He declared, Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing (see Luke 4:16-21). Salvation surpasses the message of old, for its value goes beyond the ethical/moral code of the Law. The price paid to attain salvation affirms its value; Jesus suffered and died to become the author of... salvation (2:10). The gift is precious and complete. Neglecting it carries a corresponding consequence. In addition to the confirmation by the apostles ( those who heard Him, Hebrews 2:3), God testified to the validity of our salvation by means of signs, wonders, and mighty works. Mighty works and wonders marked the ministry of Jesus and continued to mark the ministry of His apostles from Pentecost onward (Acts 2:22-43). These signs were associated particularly with the imparting of the Holy Spirit, the ultimate demonstration and seal of the gospel s truth. The writer would never appeal to the evidence of the miraculous signs if they were not matters of common knowledge among Christians of that day. Surely his mentioning them was meant to promote confidence in God s authoritative message. Think about how the writer of Hebrews was warning against neglectful, gradual drifting away from the life of faith, not deliberate, conscious sin. C. S. Lewis has pointed out that small sins can separate us from God just as well as big sins can. In fact, they are far more sinister, for there is less likelihood that we will realize what we are doing. In The Screwtape Letters, Screwtape, a senior official of hell, writes to a junior tempter that the safest road to Hell is the gradual one the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts. Drifting away from God requires only one thing: passive disregard of our great salvation. III. Christ s Humiliation and Exaltation (Hebrews 2:5-9) Having considered the Lord s deity and superiority over angels, we are now directed to think of the humiliation required to make His exaltation possible. Notice the priority of the author as he uses Old Testament Scriptures. There is a place where someone has testified (2:6). The place is Psalm 8; David is the author. But our author s priority is not on David, the author, but on Jesus Christ seen through God s Word of old. The psalmist is overcome with awe as he thinks of the glory and honor God has given to mankind in the scheme of creation. He has made man a little lower than the angels, yet has given

13 Commentary Hebrews Lesson 2 21 him dominion over the earth. The psalmist clearly bases his words on Genesis 1:26, where Adam was to have dominion over every earthly creature. It was intended that man should have all things under his feet (Hebrews 2:8), but at present we do not see everything subject to him. While the whole of creation was made subject to Adam in his state of innocence, because of the Fall and the resulting imperfection of all things, his dominion was impaired. How then do we understand this psalm as our author intends? The writer applies these words to Jesus Christ, the second Adam, the head of the new creation and ruler of the world to come. It is likely that for this reason the title Jesus frequently used for Himself, Son of Man (Daniel 7:13), is the phrase chosen for use in Hebrews 2:6. Christ, as the second Adam, fulfilled the prophetic message of the psalm by being made a little lower than the angels (2:7). His humiliation was accomplished in the Incarnation, when God took on human flesh to identify with us and represent us before the Father. He who has already been spoken of as superior to the angels had to be made a little lower than the angels to open the way of salvation for mankind. Only in this manner could He assume the role as High Priest for man in the presence of God. Grace required that Christ suffer and die. Yet He who was humbled has been received into heaven, crowned with glory and honor. Philippians 2:8-9 spells this out: God decreed that after His work as a servant all would be subject to Him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him (Hebrews 2:8). Rebellion against God characterizes this still-sinful world; His Word is refused and His Holy Spirit ignored. But the day will come when every knee will bow and every tongue confess His lordship (Hebrews 1:3; Philippians 2:9-11). Hence, our Lord, the second Adam, has dominion over all that is created, and this in a way far superior to that of the first Adam. So we are brought gradually to understand that the final glory intended for man is secured through Jesus suffering and death. On his own, fallen man could never experience Psalm 8. But we see Jesus, who in His full authority (Matthew 28:18) opens the way for us. This is the undeserved favor the grace of God, (Hebrews 1:9) that has been extended to man.

14 22 Hebrews Lesson 2 Commentary Personalize this lesson. The author s argument in this text begins with many Old Testament passages proving that Jesus Christ is superior to the angels. It moves to a warning about drifting away from the truth and a reminder that the message of salvation through Jesus Christ is far more important than the message that came through angels. In order to accomplish salvation, the Son of God became, for a little while, lower than the angels. He is now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death for everyone. Giving reverence to angels, who are God s servants, dishonors the Son, for it esteems the servant above the Master. The humility in such an act is false (Colossians 2:18-19). Humanness is not to be denigrated, for the Son became a man, not an angel. He shares our humanity and elevates our value. We need to be careful, therefore, not only to pay close attention to the truth as revealed in Christ, but to reject any teaching that would interpose angels or any other created beings as mediators between God and us. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all men (1 Timothy 2:5). He is the unique Son, a claim no angel could ever make. He alone is worthy of worship. Even the angels worship and sing songs of praise to Him in heaven itself (Revelation 5:11-12). With joy and gratitude, we can join with the angels singing, Worthy is the Lamb. Review: The Superiority of Christ Write God s Word for the week: Hebrews 1: What specific point from the study of this text has helped you most? Why? 16. Did you find any of the comments in the Think about or Personalize sections of the lesson especially meaningful? Please share those that seemed meant for you, and explain why.