BiblicalMastery Buddy's bible blog

Lesson 2

Greater Than All of These

Hebrews 1:1-14

September 20, 2015

 

In my lifetime I have literally known hundreds of people who have left the church. Many of those have never gotten involved in a body of believers anywhere else. It makes me sad that each of them have made this world a greater priority than knowing what it means to serve the Lord somewhere. The fact is that a person cannot or wants to give his or her life to something that has no meaning to them. Not everyone who leaves a particular church does so because he is not a follower of Christ. There may be some very legitimate reasons that keep them from staying where they are. I have said many times there are at least six reasons for a person to stop attending a certain church. They are:

• The church is teaching false doctrine and refuses to change.
• A person moves to a new location that makes it difficult to commute.
• A person dies.
• A person becomes incapacitated and is physically unable to attend.
• A person is called to become part of a brand new ministry opportunity.
• There are irreconcilable divisions in the church.

 

Someone may come up with some others but these are a good start. You notice I left out what the recipients of the letter faced. None of the above included persecution and uncertainty of their future.

 

Personally, I have a left a church where I believed I could no longer worship because of the strife that was taking place between a pastor and the congregation. Knowing the pastor I felt I was caught in the middle of two warring factions and so I left. Things have not always gone perfectly in churches I have attended but that was the only time that I have followed through when times have gotten tough. Leaving a body should never be taken lightly. I do not understand at the inclination of people to leave because of something they do not like, rather than finding a solution. There have been times when I have been ready to pack up and leave but God has not released me to do so.

 

Considering all that has occurred over the last two thousand years it amazing that the church has lasted as long as it has. We can be thankful for those who have gone before us that did not give up and turn away from Christ. There are statistics that say biblical illiteracy is at an all time high. Not understanding what it means to be committed and obedient is two of the leading causes of church hopping. God never called us to an easy task. It takes a lot of work to stay where each of us is and serve. It is much easier to keep moving from church to church so that you will never be require to participate in any ministry. I know of a person who only stays one year at any one church. I have told him that he is not helping any church to grow but he does not utilize the gifts God has given him or builds any kind of relationship. He just tells me that he is restless and is looking for something he has not found yet.

 

The Messianic Jews who were the recipients of this letter were looking for greener grass by returning to the comfort and familiarity of Judaism. The writer explained that the grass was not greener and then proceeded to provide the answers they were seeking before making a decision that would bring them sorrow in the future. We too can find peace where God has placed us by living according to His word and not seeking our own way.

 

There is one thing that cannot be overlooked. No matter where we might find ourselves Christ is still at the center of who we are. We must never turn our backs on the Son of God and be swept away by emotion or any false doctrine and leave His church.

 

Hebrews 1:1

The writer begins the book with a little refresher course on how the Bible had come together. It was the very teaching that the priests who had become Christians had in the Old Testament. God had given different men parts of His revelation to mankind. Although they received the complete picture of what was to come, they were not told either the name of the Messiah or when he would come. See 1 Peter 1:10-11. Paul in other places called what they had received a mystery. Not only was it written by different men but was written in places like Egypt, the wilderness, Judea, Israel, Assyria and Babylon by men like Moses, Jeremiah, Daniel, Isaiah and many others. Each of them was given a piece of the story but never the time when it would all come together.

 

1. How did our Bible come together?
2. What was the primary source for the priests to understand what God was doing?
3. Why did God reveal the gospel in individual portions and in many places? (He gave the people what they needed to have faith that the anointed one was coming.)
4. Why did Paul call the gospel a mystery? (Because it’s meaning was hidden for thousands of years.)
5. How do you view the Old Testament?

 

Hebrews 1:2

Finally, the culmination of all of the prophecies was made complete in Jesus. Paul said in Galatians “But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son.” (Gal. 4:4) The full revelation of what God was doing was given in His Son. Jesus was the One who was to receive all of what God had, the whole of creation. He was to receive from the Father the universe that He created.

 

1. What does the words last days mean to you? (The time when the prophecies pointing to the coming of Jesus found their fulfillment.)
2. What did Paul mean by fullness of time? (Everything in society was ready for the Savior to come.)
3. Why did God send Jesus? (To take back from satan what was rightfully His.)
4. How did God accomplish that task? (By making Jesus the heir, the rightful recipient of all that belonged to God.)
5. What right did Jesus have to receive all of creation? (He created it and was taking back what belonged to God.)

 

Hebrews 1:3a

The writer begins to build his case for the supremacy of Christ by naming certain attributes Jesus possessed. He wrote about Him that He:

• Was the radiance of God’s glory. Jesus shown forth the very presence of God.
• Was the exact representation of God’s nature. This thought came from the use of a seal that produced an exact image of that seal.
• By his words maintains the entire universe. Without the continuing attention to what is taking place all of God’s creation would fall apart.

 

1. What do you think of when you hear the words the radiance of God’s glory? (Jesus showing what God is like.)
2. What does the word glory mean to you? (The awesome presence of God manifested to man.)
3. What are some examples of something that is the exact image of another object?
4. What does that mean to you in regard to what the writer of Hebrews said?
5. How different is the description of what the writer said about Christ maintaining the world than what you observe taking place all around you?
6. What then does the statement really mean? (Our planet is only a tiny speck in all of the universe. If God would were to remove His hand one second the whole of His creation would collapse into nothingness.)

 

Hebrews 1:3b

To wrest control away from the devil Jesus was crucified, died, buried and raised to life. By these acts He purified mankind from the sin that had held him captive from the time of Adam. When He had finished His work on earth He returned to heaven to take His rightful place seated at the right hand of His Father. The place at the right hand signified that all authority was given to Him. From that position He will one day return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

 

1. What did it take to release man from the control of the devil?
2. What shows us that He finished the work that God had given Him while here on earth? (He returned to heaven.)
3. What does the picture painted here by the writer say to us about Jesus?
4. What other examples can you give of the idea of the authority given to the person on the right? (One’s right hand man.)
5. Why is it important to know that Jesus has this position with the Father? (From that position of authority Jesus will return to earth to completely defeat the enemy of His people and take them home with Him. See John 14:1-6)

 

Hebrews 1:4

For all of the reasons above Jesus was shown to be in a position much greater than the angels. Which angel was capable of suffering and dying for mankind? Although not mentioned His name was Son of His Father. He was the heir to all that His Father had which the angels could never receive being created beings. There was a danger in regard to what man believed about angels that in different forms exist today. It is the idea that God is so awesome that man must have a go between when trying to talk to God. This is seen in the Mormon religion and in the Catholic religion with their emphasis on Mary and the saints. The writer wanted to make sure that the church was not prey to these false teachings.

 

1. What are the angels not capable of doing?
2. Why was it important to establish the point that Jesus was greater than the angels? (Man had a tendency to give the angels more credit than they deserved.)
3. What examples can you give that show a mistaken understanding of angels?
4. What is the one thing that we should always remember about Jesus? (He is God’s Son.)

 

Hebrews 1:5-6

The writer then gave a number of passages describing the supremacy of Jesus over the angels:

• Psalm 2:7 is the fulfillment of the messianic promise made to David that his descendants would sit on his throne forever. Because of the sinfulness of his descendants that promise was suspended until Christ will come to earth the second time.
• 2 Samuel 7:14 was actually written concerning God’s promise to David about Solomon. The writer appropriated this prophecy to speak of the relationship that God had with His Son Jesus.
• Psalm 97:7 indicates that Christ is supreme because the angels will worship Him. They have worshipped Him at every point in history whether it as coequal with the Father from eternity past, at His birth or when He took up His place of authority beside the Father.

 

1. What are the key points in each of the above verses?
2. Why could Psalm 2:7 not be about the earthly lineage of David?
3. What is the position that Jesus holds to which angels cannot hope to attain?
4. If the angels worship Jesus what should be our attitude toward Him?

 

Hebrews 1:7

Angels are many things including God’s warriors. Psalm 104:4 lays out the primary function of these created beings. He specifically made it clear that it was Christ who sent them out in their role as His messengers. See for example Luke 1 when Gabriel was sent to Mary and had previously appeared to Zacharias. In Daniel there are a number of appearances as they came to answer Daniel’s questions about dreams he had.

 

1. What is the primary task of angels?
2. What are some examples from the Bible can you name when angels appeared to men and women?
3. Why do we no longer need angels to reveal God’s word to us?
4. Why did the writer insert this verse?
5. How did the writer use this verse to compare Christ to the angels? (He was the sender. They were the carriers of His message.)

 

Hebrews 1:8

Psalm 45:6 spoke of the eternal nature of God’s anointed. His righteous kingdom will never disappear. The scepter in all cases throughout history was a sign of power and authority. There is one principle that prevails in His kingdom. It is the righteousness of God Himself.

 

1. What do you think about when you hear the word throne?
2. What has happened to every kingdom that has existed in this world?
3. What are some of the prominent ones that you can mention?
4. What happened to them?
5. Why do you believe they met such a fate?
6. What does this verse say about the kingdom over which Christ reigns?
7. What does that mean for you and me?

 

Hebrews 1:9

This verse ties in with the comparison of why God’s kingdom will last where others have failed. Psalm 45:7 states that Christ loved righteousness and hated sin. For that reason God anointed Him to carry out judgment on the evil of this world.

 

1. What is the characteristic that makes God’s kingdom different from others? (Because it is ruled by One who is righteous in everyway.)
2. What kind of person can love righteousness and hate evil? (One who understands the difference because He is perfect.)
3. What prohibits man from holding that position? (Man at his best is still sinful.)
4. What was Christ anointed to do?

 

Hebrews 1:10-12

Not only was Christ the agent of creation but also is also eternal as God the Son. All that He was created will one day perish as it now it exists. There will be at some point a new heaven and a new earth but not before this one is destroyed. Even though everything physical will change there is one thing that is certain Christ is always the same with no beginning and no end. All of history is spelled out by the writer in the verses he selected to make his points. They are:

• Psalm 125:25-27
• Isaiah 51:6

 

1. What proved in the mind of the writer that Jesus was God?
2. What comparison did he make between the universes’ creator and His creation?
3. What was the one important point he was trying to make about Jesus? (He is eternal.)
4. Why is that fact important to us?

 

Hebrews 1:13-14

The writer makes an important distinction as he concludes his argument for that Christ is greater than the angels. There has not been an angel who has been the task or the power of destroying the enemy of God. Only Christ at the right time came to first defeat the devil and will eventually return again to cast him into the abyss forever thus completely destroying his power over man. See Psalm 110:1 and Joshua 10:24 Again he made very clear that the angels are ministering beings sent to help those who are saved. See Psalm103:20

 

1. What was the writer’s final point in comparing Jesus to the angels?
2. What could Jesus accomplish that they could not?
3. Why was He the only one that could defeat the devil?
4. How does the Old Testament speak of the one who goes against the devil?
5. What is the task of the angels?
6. What conclusion does this discussion help you draw?

 

• Compare Christ to every other person you may admire and determine who deserves your commitment.
• Look at organizations and activities in which you may be involved and see if they are crowding out the Anointed Son of God.
• Be careful that you do not give more credit to the angels than you do the Son in the things that occur in your life.
• Understand that the only one who truly deserves our praise and worship is Jesus Christ.
• As you study this lesson try and understand what God through His Son has done for you.