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HEBREWS

 

THE SUPERIORITY OF THE SON (2)

Hebrews 1:2-3

Victor M. Eskew

 

VI.    THE ANOINTED OF GOD (Heb. 1:3)

 

A.  Purged (2572)  kathariamos

1.    Strong:  washing off, ablution, expiation; also translated as cleansing, +purge, purification

2.    Thayer

a.    A cleansing, purification

b.    A cleansing from the guilt of sins wrought by the expiatory sacrifice of Christ

 

B.   Sins (266)  harmartia

1.    Strong:  sin, also translated as offence

2.    Thayer:

a.    To miss the mark

b.    To err, be mistaken

c.    To miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honor

d.   To wonder from the Law of God, violate the law, sin

 

C.  Comments:

1.    “This is the first mention of the priestly work of Christ, the keynote of the Epistle (Robertson, e-sword).

2.    Note that it was done “by himself.”  “…which indicates that the word of purification was done by Christ personally, and was not something which he caused to be done by some other agent” (Vincent, e-sword).

3.    This purging involved the shedding of Christ’s precious blood (Matt. 26:28).

 

For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

 

4.    This is a work that NO prophet can do.

5.    F. F. Bruce:  “The wisdom which created the worlds and maintains them in their due order may well beget in us a sense of awe; but the grace which has provided a remedy for the defilement of sin by a life freely offered up to God on our behalf calls for a sense of personal indebtedness which the contemplation of divine activity on the cosmic scale could never evoke” (as quoted by Wacaster, 38).

VIII.  THE AUHTORITY OVER ALL (Heb. 1:3)

                  

A.  Sat down (2523)  kathizo

1.    Strong:  to seat down

2.    Thayer:

a.    To make to sit down

b.    To set, appoint, to confer a kingdom on one

 

B.   Right hand (1188)  dexios

1.    Strong:  the right side

2.    Thayer:  the right hand…a place of honor or authority

 

C.  Majesty on high (3172)  megalosune

1.    Strong:  greatness

2.    Thayer:  the majesty of God

 

D.  Comments:

1.    Jesus is pictured as King Messiah at the right hand of God

2.    Christ resumed His original dignity and glory (John 17:5)

 

And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world began.

 

3.    The verb denotes a solemn, formal act, the assumption of a position of dignity and authority.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.  “Thus we have our Lord’s seven-fold qualifications for His exalted position far and above the prophets of old” (Wacaster, 38).

 

B.   Our Lord is eminently qualified to speak.  He is far superior not just to the prophets of old, men commissioned by God to do His work, but to men who have come after professing to be prophets of God:  Joseph Smith, Mohammad, etc.

 

C.  In this text, we see Jesus in all three of his offices:

1.    Prophet:  spoken unto us by His Son

2.    Priest:  purged our sins

3.    King:  sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high

 

 

HEBREWS

 

SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE ANGELS

Hebrews 1:4-14

Victor M. Eskew

 

Being made so much better than the angels…

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.  In Hebrews 1:1-3, it was shown that the revelation of Jesus Christ is better than the revelation of the Old Testament.

 

B.   The OT revelation has been given in three major ways:  prophets, angels, and Moses.

 

C.  Christ is superior to all of them.  In Hebrews 1:4-14, the author shows Christ’s superiority to angels.

1.    Angels had mediated the Old Covenant.

a.    Acts 7:53

 

Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

 

b.    Galatians 3:19

 

Wherefore then serveth the law?  It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hands of a mediator.

 

2.    In this section, the author uses seven (7) Old Testament quotes to make his points.

 

D.  He makes six (6) contrasts in this section:

1.    Angels (messengers) versus the Son (Heb. 1:4-5)

2.    Angels worship the Son versus the Son who is worshipped (Heb. 1:6)

3.    Angels are ministers versus the Son who is King (Heb. 1:7-9)

4.    Angels were created versus the Son who is the Creator (Heb. 1:10)

5.    Angels are immortal versus the Son who is eternal (Heb. 1:11-12)

6.    Angels are ministers versus the Son who is Ruler (Heb. 1:13-14)

 

I.         ANGELS VERSUS THE SON (Heb. 1:4-5)

 

A.  Jesus is a Son.  The angels are only messengers (Heb. 1:4).

Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

 

B.   As a Son, two things belong to Him.

1.    The inheritance of the Father.

2.    A more excellent name.

 

C.  In Hebrews 1:5, the writer sets forth proof from Scripture that Jesus is the Son of God.

 

For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?  And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

 

1.    The first quote is from Psalm 2:7.

2.    The second is found in II Samuel 7:12-14.

3.    The answer to the question is:   God has never said these things to the angels.  They are “sons of God” (Job 1:6; 2:1), but they are not “the Son of God.”

4.    These two things were said by the Father to Jesus Christ.  Both comments affirm that Jesus is the Son of God (See also Matthew 3:17).