Earlier this week I wrote about angels. Most people like angels, especially Christmas angels. They decorate our Christmas tree, the cards we send, and some people even have them as outdoor Christmas decorations. However, they are not, and should not be the focus of our Christmas celebrations. The author of the Book of Hebrews states right from the beginning of his epistle how the Lord Jesus Christ is better than any angel, even the greatest of the archangels. Let’s take a quick look at this Scripture that emphasizes the supremacy of Jesus Christ and His divine nature.
Throughout the days of the Old Testament Yahweh spoke to His people primarily through the prophets (vs. 1). However, now in these days He speaks to us through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (vs. 2). Jesus is the final and complete revelation of God. Jesus is over and above all things because He created all things. He is God’s Son, the One who will inherit everything. He is the Creator of the universe, of everything. In Christ all things were made, and through Christ all things are sustained and held together. He is truly God. We can trust Him for all things. We can depend on Him.
As the Scripture continues in verse 3 we read that Jesus is the image of the Father (Colossians 1:15). He is the exact representation of God’s nature, and is both supreme and divine, as the Father is. We cannot separate Jesus, the Son of God, from God Himself. In Jesus, the glory of God came to dwell among us, taking on our flesh and becoming one of us. The radiance of God’s glory came for all to see.
We read here that Jesus is superior to the angels. As the author of Hebrews stated, God did not call any of the angels His Son, however as verse 5 states, He did call Jesus His Son, with quotations from Psalm 2:7 and II Samuel 7:14. Angels were created to worship God, not the other way around, and we are to worship Him, too, not worshiping angels nor ourselves (vs. 6). The angels were created to minister to God and to His children (Psalm 104:4). The command for all angels to worship Jesus further emphasizes His divinity and worthiness for worship. However in verses 8-9 we read that to the Lord Jesus, God gave a throne and a scepter of righteousness (Psalm 45:6-7). Jesus is to be worshiped as God.
There are some groups and denominations who believe that Jesus is a created being, and that possibly later He achieved a degree of divinity. That false belief is not supported anywhere in the Bible, and as we read in verse 10 the Lord Jesus was there at the very beginning of creation, and it was He who created the earth and all things (Psalm 102:25-27; Colossians 1:15-17). This creation will eventually wear away, but not the Lord Jesus. He was from eternity past and will remain for all eternity in the future (vs. 11-12).
God the Father sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to earth to be the only true sacrifice for our sins. His sacrificial death and resurrection is the only means of salvation for humanity. He is now exalted at the right hand of God the Father, as the Father has given Jesus all authority and honor, superior to all creation, including the angels. As we read here, His throne is eternal, His nature unchanging, and His rule is in righteousness.
In closing, as we end this week of Christmas, let us be sure to acknowledge and worship Jesus as the supreme revelation of God, and the ruler of all creation. Have you trusted in the Lord Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection for your salvation? If not, do not let another day pass without doing so! Let us all live lives that reflect Jesus’ righteousness and justice.
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