Jesus: Superior to Angels

I encourage all of you to read Hebrews 1:4-14. It's a tad long for a blog post, so I haven't included the passage up front. You can read it here.

Angels, as depicted in Scripture, are not like Clarence in It's a Wonderful Life - meek and wrinkly; rather, their physical appearance most often is consistent with their purpose. They are God's messengers, empowered by God to speak his words and to perform his acts. They are God's warriors and, at times, those who bring God's judgment upon the earth (e.g. Sodom). They are God's servants, acting according to his will.

"Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

Thus, the appearance of an angel is often an occasion for fear. Just ask Zechariah, Mary, the shepherds in the field, or the women at the tomb. These are a different sort of beings - heavenly, powerful, even divine. They are exactly the sort of beings who, when they speak, we will believe unquestioningly because they are obviously otherworldly.

However, in addition to being his divine messengers, warriors, and servants, angels are related to God in a way we often forget: they are God's creations. Angels are creatures, just as we are. They live and move and have their being because God makes it so.

So here's the point: Encountering an angel is a fear-inspiring experience, and believing an angel goes without saying. If God speaks through angels and their words are taken seriously, HOW MUCH MORE should we listen to the Word, Jesus Christ!

Jesus had no earthly appearance like Gabriel that would cause us to be attracted to him, fear him, or revere him (Isaiah 53:2). Yet God never said any of these things to angels:

• "You are my son; today I have begotten you." (Hebrews 1:5)
• "Let all God's angels worship him." (1:6)
• "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever..." (1:8)
• "You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning..." (1:10)
• "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." (1:13)

All of these statements are directed to Christ alone. In his humility, Christ brings God to us in a way that angels could never accomplish. In his suffering, Christ allows us to better understand the self-sacrificial love that pulses within God's heart for humanity. In his death and resurrection, Christ is the God who calls us righteous and invites us to live in his holy presence forever. For these reasons and many more, Christ is now exalted above heaven and earth, seated at God's right hand, wielding the full array of the Ancient of Days' power and authority (Daniel 7).

The Christ we encounter in the Gospels, the Christ of meekness and humility and loving-kindness, is the same Christ who is more fear-inspiring than any being in existence. Chapter 1 of Hebrews, and even the first few verses of chapter 2, remind us that we humans are fickle creatures. We would listen to divinely-appointed messengers, or even non-divinely-appointed messengers, more intently and fearfully than we listen to the Divine himself, Jesus Christ.

May we remember that Christ alone is God's pure and unadulterated Word, far superior to any messenger sent by God (or not sent by God). If we would listen to God's word to us through other means, including angels, how much more should we listen to the Word that is communicated to us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Giving Christ priority over all of the voices that speak to us is the surest way to see God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Conversation(s): How do we give Christ priority? How do we listen to the Word? What does Christ communicate to us that we don't hear much from pastors behind pulpits or fellow believers at Bible studies?