Angels have been popular for many centuries. They have been the subject of many great works of art found in museums. People sometimes call their loved one “angel”. And they’ve even been characters on several well-known TV shows. We read about them throughout the Bible. Angels are held in very high esteem by Christians and non-believers alike. As we look into our Scripture passage today from the Book of Hebrews, we will read how Jesus, the Son of God, is greater than any angel ever was.
Frequently we read in the Bible how God brought messages to mankind through angels. Throughout the Old Testament people were warned to heed the warnings and messages that the angels brought from God, with disobedience being judged (vs. 1-4). The writer of Hebrews warns us now that we should not neglect the message that Jesus brings. God has no greater messenger than His Son. He has no more important message than the Gospel of Jesus. Just as Jesus is greater than angels, so Jesus’s message is more important than theirs. If the Old Testament messages, delivered by angels, brought judgment if disobeyed, how much more for that message given by Jesus. No one will escape God’s punishment if they are indifferent to the salvation offered by His Son.
Our author warns us to watch out that we don’t drift away from the truths we have been taught in God’s Word (vs. 1). Have you ever been out on a lake in a small boat, perhaps doing some fishing? You find a good spot and want to stay right there where the fish are biting. In order to do so, you need to drop an anchor or the boat will slowly drift away. Drifting happens slowly, not like a speedboat. Drifting in our relationship with God is hardly noticeable at first. It happens gradually. We need to be careful to avoid drifting. Connecting with God regularly through reading our Bibles and prayer is like an anchor to help us avoid drifting away.
As we read on in our passage, we see how Jesus is the Captain of our Salvation (vs. 10). All good ship captains will go down with their ship when there is a disaster, or at the very least, they will make sure all of the passengers and crew are safe before they board a rescue vessel. Jesus is the Captain of our Salvation, who sacrificed Himself for us. He led the way through death and hell, to bring all who trust in Him safely on to heaven.
The concept of a suffering Savior is a stumbling block to the Jews. Through what Jesus suffered, He became the Captain of our Salvation. There are several reasons why it was necessary for Jesus to suffer. First was so He could identify with humanity (vs. 10-13). Then it was necessary so that He could destroy the power of death (vs. 14-15). Lastly, it was so Jesus could be our Great High Priest (vs. 17-18). Through suffering, Jesus completed what was necessary for our salvation.
In addition to being our Captain, Jesus is also our Big Brother (vs. 11). When we become saved, we then have the same Father as Jesus, and we become His brothers and sisters. Just like any good big brother should be, Jesus teaches us, leads the way, and protects us. When Jesus came to earth, He chose to share the experiences of those He came to save. Throughout His whole life, nothing was missing from His experiences except sin. Jesus knows what it is like to be tempted. He understands. Because He conquered sin, Jesus can help us when we’re tempted.
Lastly, we read that Jesus is our Great High Priest (vs. 17). In the Old Testament, the high priest was the mediator between God and man. He would offer sacrifices and pray for forgiveness of the people’s sins. Jesus Christ is now our High Priest. He paid the penalty for our sins by His death, once and for all. The consequences of sin is death, eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23). In order to pay the penalty that sin requires, Jesus died on the cross, God’s perfect sacrifice and atonement.
As we see in our Scripture today, Jesus is superior to the angels. No angel became the Captain of our Salvation. No angel became our Brother, suffering all that we suffer in order to be our sacrifice. And no angel is our Great High Priest. Jesus became all of that for us, so that if we call upon Him, we can be with Him in heaven for eternity. That’s better than an angel!
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