Oakbrook Evangelical Free Church

Sunday, February 14, 2010

6:00 pm

Introduction:
~ Not the easiest passage in the Bible.  Like an iceberg: see what’s above the water but more than what the eyes see.
~ Flesh and blood Christians struggling to overcome past traditions and adjust to the fresh movements of God in a fast changing world. They struggled to hold onto their faith in Christ in a world of growing chaos and powerful pressures from their culture.

For the most part, they were second generation Christians.
They had professed faith in Christ for some time.
But they’ve reached a stage of discouragement and spiritual
lethargy.  Some had given up meeting in corporate worship.
Experiencing opposition to their faith both from friends and family and from the culture around them.

Just starting his thesis that Jesus is better!  Hebrews 1-7
~ He is better than the prophets, 1:1-3
~ He is better than the angels, 1:4-2:18

My friends, do you know who Jesus is?

The Bible speaks a great deal about angels
108 direct references to angels in the OT
165 direct references to angels in the NT

They were created to worship and serve God.

What do you know about the Biblical teaching about angels?
How much do you think angels are involved in your life?

The writer of Hebrews addresses this issue because of common Jewish misconceptions:

Many believed angels surrounded God as his senate or council.
They supposed that angels objected to the created of humankind and that they attacked Moses on his way up Mt. Sinai.

They believed that 200 angels controlled the movement of the stars.

They gave angels such names as: Raphael, Yuriel, Phanuel,

I.          What are angels and what do they do?
1 Corinthians 15:40 “There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another.”

Hebrews 13:2 “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
Angels do not have flesh and blood – they has heavenly bodies.
They may appear in human form.

Matthew 28:3-4 “His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.”
Angels may appear in other forms.

Luke 15:10 “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Angels have intelligence and emotions.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”

Galatians 1:8 “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.“

Angels can and do speak to people.  Paul warns us about being deceived by demons who disguise themselves as angels.  Paul condemns false messengers and warns that if their message does not square with the gospel of the New Testament it is to be rejected.

Mormonism
Joseph Smith claimed the Angel Moroni who revealed the golden plates to him from which he translated the Book of Mormon. Moroni was one of the ancient Nephites in mortal life and the author of one of the books of the Book of Mormon. Golden replicas of Moroni sit atop many LDS temples (virtually all of the newest ones)

Islam:

Matthew 22:28-30 “In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.” But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.”

Angels do not marry and are unable to have children.

Revelation 12:3-4 “a great red dragon…swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.”

Strongly indicates that in Satan’s rebellion against God 1/3 of the angels followed him, that while there is a gap in explanation it seems likely that this is the origin of demons and that the implication is that they do not die and are not annihilated.

Daniel 7:10 “A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.”

Revelation 5:11 “Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,”

Angels were created prior to the Garden of Eden and they number in the gigabits or terabits.  (billions and trillions)

Ephesians 6:10, 12 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might…For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

They are strong and well organized.

1 Peter 1:10-12 “It was revealed to them (the prophets) that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.”

They are participants in the spiritual war going on and also spectators.

II.         5 Ways that JESUS IS BETTER than the Angels (7 Old Testament passages used to show this!)

1.         He is greater than the angels because of his title – Son
Do you see the question?  “To which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my son’?”  Ps 2:7 / 2 Sam 7:14

None!  Only Christ is the Son
Collectively the angels are called “sons of God” Job 1:6; 21; 38:7
But no individual angel is ever call “Son of God”

The Son of God through the Virgin birth!
Luke 1:32, 35 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David…And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.”

The Son of God through his resurrection
Romans 1:3-4 “concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,”

He was always God but He became the Son.  “Son” is the incarnate title of Christ.  Sonship is an analogy to help us understand Christ’s essential relationship and willing submission to the Father for the sake of our redemption.

2.         He is greater than the angels because they are to worship Him.
Hebrews 1:6 “And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.””

Deuteronomy 32:43 LXX  the Song of Moses – referred in 11 books of the NT.

What is your relationship to Jesus?  Do you worship him?

“Firstborn” –  Some will say, “He was born like the rest of us”

prototokos = prototokos = the chief one!
Jesus Christ has the position of the oldest son – heir of all things.
Esau was born first but Jacob has position of prototokos
Genesis 49:3 “Reuben you are my first-born…preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power”

Joseph’s son Mannaseh was born first, but Ephraim, the younger brother was given the rights of the firstborn!
Jesus Christ is the “firstborn” because he was the firstborn from the dead!  Col 1:18

Colossians 1:16, 18 “For by him all (JWs other) things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him….And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.”

Into the world does not = kosmos / = oikoumene = inhabited earth = the place of preeminence in the inhabited world.

As the prototokos Jesus Christ is the most honored, most dignified, the highest One, the most powerful one.  Of all those to be resurrected forever Jesus is the firstborn from the dead!

The Truth – He is to be Worshipped!
Matthew 2:2 “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”“
Matthew 8:2 ” A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”” NIV
Matthew 14:33 ” Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”” NIV
Matthew 28:9 ” Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.” NIV
Matthew 28:17 ” When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.” NIV
John 9:38 ” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.” NIV
John 20:28 ” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”“
Hebrews 1:6 ” And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”

3.         Jesus is greater because he is superior in nature
Angels are his created servants – His ministers, His wind and fire.
But look at one of the most direct statements of Christ’s deity in the whole Bible.
Hebrews 1:8 “But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.”
The Father calls Jesus Christ “God” and says that He is eternal.

Other Views of Jesus
Buddhism
“In Buddhism there is no god as we conceive of God…The followers of Buddhism tend to deify Buddha.  Their idea of God, however, has no such comprehensive attributes as has the Christian God.  This rules out Christ as a deity.”

Cabala (Kabbalah): Cabala is a system of Jewish mystical thought which originated in southern France and Spain in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.  The Cabala doctrine of deity recognizes only two deities – the hidden god, the infinite great Nothing; and the dynamic god of religious experience (Spiritual Counterfeits).

Christian Scientists: Jesus was a mere man who demonstrated the Christ (i.e. divine idea).  It doesn’t matter whether Christ ever existed, and His blood doesn’t cleanse from sin.

Masons “…we tell the sincere Christian that Jesus of Nazareth was but a man like us.” 

Islam: Christ was a prophet of Allah, but was superseded by Muhammad’s teachings and authority.

Jehovah’s Witnesses
Jesus was not Jehovah.  He was the first son that Jehovah God brought forth.  Jesus is a created being, Michael the archangel, the first creation of Jehovah and the “Son of God.”

Mormons: Among the spirit children of Elohim, the firstborn and was and is Jehovah or Jesus Christ.  Jesus is a pre-existent spirit.  Jesus was the child of Adam and Mary, not the Holy Spirit and Mary.  Therefore, Christ was God-man, and man can be just like him.

Scientology: Christ is a man who achieved a ‘state of clear’ but not the higher state of ‘Operating Thetan’.

But what does God call Jesus?  “God”
What does Jesus claim for himself?
Claim: John 5:17, 19 “But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working…. I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” NIV

Response: John 5:18 “For this cause therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath,  but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.”

5:21 “Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.”

5:22 – 23  “the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.  He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent Him.”

5:26  “as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself”

Claim: John 8:58 “Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you,  before Abraham was born, I am.”
Response: John 8:59 “Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the temple.

Claim: John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.”
Response: Jn 10:31 “The Jews took up stones again to stone Him.”

4.         Jesus is greater than angels He is the eternal creator and they are not!, 1:10-12
The timeless endurance of the Son!
Hebrews 13:8 “8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Isaiah 40:28-31 “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

5.         Jesus is greater than the angels because He is destined to be the King and Angels are destined to be servants.  The destiny of angels is to serve forever! They are messengers who are servants of God

Hebrews 1:14 “Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?”

In some way they were mediators of the Old Covenant
Galatians 3:19 “Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.”

Hebrews 2:2 “For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution,”

They were involved in the spiritual battles of God’s people
2 Kings 6:15-17 “When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

They protect from physical danger.
Angels rescued Lot and his family snatching them out of Sodom.
Angels got down in the den with Daniel and stopped the lions from eating him.

Luke 22:42-43 “saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.”

Luke 24:4-8 “While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words,”

They gave comfort by announcing good news

John 20:11-13 “But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.””

They encouraged Mary at the grave of Jesus.

Daniel 9:20-23 “While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, “O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision.”

God heard Daniel in his quiet time and he sent Gabriel to Daniel with a message.

Acts 8:26 “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place.”

An angel prompted Philip to go share the gospel.

Acts 10:3-4 “About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.”

They seem to make it a habit to ease drop on our quiet times.

Acts 12:6-8 “Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.””  Released Pete

Matthew 18:10 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.”

They apparently render service as guardians of children.  But only Jesus is the Son who is God to be worshipped Who has the position of firstborn heir of all things and first to be forever raised from the dead.  Only Jesus is the eternal creator and coming King.

My friends.  Do you know my Jesus?