Summary
The first chapter of the Hebrews portrays Jesus as the only Son of God, giving him a superior and absolute essence. He surpasses not only the angels who are his servants but also the prophets and is also a great priest. His sacrifice, in contrast to the previous ones, is permanent and absolute. Jesus participated in the creation and existed before him; he is eternal and will rule his kingdom forever. Everything created on earth and in heaven is temporary, while Jesus, as the embodiment of God’s will, is immortal and perfect. He is also unaffected by change and will bring his enemies down at his feet. Thus, the first chapter in Hebrews proves the supremacy and deity of Christ.
Jesus is Superior Over the Angels and Prophets
Jesus is superior to the angels, and he is superior to the prophets as well. In the Bible, one can find that “being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they” (Bible, Hebrews 1.4). John Pillips emphasize that some angelic names such as Michael or Gabriel are directly referred to God (Phillips 23). However, none of the angelic names can compare with the name Son given by God to Jesus. Jesus appears to be superior over the angels since he is not only mighty as them but almighty. The name of Jesus is unique, which underlines his significance as a bearer of God’s glory. His name denotes that Jesus is superior since he “he hath appointed heir of all things” (Bible, Hebrews 1.2). His name underlines his purpose as the Savior of the entire world, who no angel can become.
Jesus is commanded by God to purge the sins of people on earth. Angels are to serve the Lord and minister his command, as well as to be “heirs of salvation” (Bible, Hebrews 1.14). However, only Jesus can be the Savior and creator of salvation, while the angels help him in this mission. Only Jesus is allowed to be on the right hand of God, which he does not permit to any angel since he is the Lord of all. Charles Ryrie notes that “he is also Lord of creation, Lord of history, Lord of salvation, Lord of the church, Lord of disciples, and Lord of the future” (Ryrie 64). Even if all these objects did not exist, Jesus would still be the Lord. Thus, angels are exclusively servants of Jesus since he is the Lord.
Hebrews constantly accentuates the contrast between Jesus and the angels who worship him. Angels are only messengers of God’s will, whereas Jesus is “being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power” (Bible, Hebrews 1.3). Jesus is a representative of the Father, which is meanwhile the radiance “accommodated to human sight” (Ripley 28). He is a true expression of divine nature, the king seated on the right side of God. Angels are his servants and are obliged to obey his will as a sovereign Lord (Ripley 32). Thus, the angels worship Jesus as the Savior and as the creator of salvation, being the messengers of the will of God. Jesus is superior to them, as he has a unique name and position, and the angels are in his service. Only Jesus is the true expression of the divine glory and the Lord of all.
Jesus’ position as the Son of God also identifies that he is superior to the prophets. Jesus has special meaning to God because he is “not merely a man called by God” (Wiersbe 805). He does not express the will of God and does not transmit it to people; he is the very essence of this will. It is impossible to separate Jesus from the glory of God, just as it is impossible to separate the rays of the sun from the sun itself (Wiersbe 805). Jesus guides the universe through his divine essence to its destiny and purpose. Thus, “he is always a superior Prophet who declares God’s Word” (Wiersbe 805). Moreover, Jesus is unique in his essence; he has a special place; he is one, while prophets are many. Additionally, prophets convey the message fragmentarily, whereas Jesus has full knowledge of God’s will.
The Great High Priest
Jesus is superior to all priests of the Old Testament because of his performance. Jesus is described as the “great high priest,” and his ministry and practice surpass the priests of ancient Israel in importance (Bible, Hebrews 4.14). Each priest must make an offer and a gift in the name of the will of God, but Jesus did the most significant of them all. Earthly priests held their position for life, but like all mortals, they were to die. However, Jesus, “because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood” (Bible, Hebrews 7.24). Jesus is seen as superior to the revered Moses, as he is “worthy of more glory” (The Annotated Paragraph Bible 1408). Jesus is “a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec” (Bible, Hebrews 5.5). Prophets are just servants of Jesus like angels since he is the Son of God, the bearer of his will. He does not obey the rules, his rule is permanent, and his truth is absolute. Jesus will always be superior in relation to the prophets since his reign is not interchangeable. He cannot die and end his priesthood so that he will be permanently above all the prophets.
Additionally, Jesus participated in the creation and is presented during it, which identifies his superior position in relation to any other creature. The Son of God is the one “by whom also he [God] made the worlds” (Bible, Hebrews 1.2). Since Jesus is Lord, he participated in the creation of the earth and heaven. Everything built was created by God through his Son Jesus. It is noted that “Lord, in the beginning, hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands” (Bible, Hebrews 1.10). Thus, Jesus is the main creature through whom the divine will is embodied. Additionally, Jesus is permanent, and this assumption contrasts with the temporality of the created world (Schreiner 73). Unlike the world, which has its end, Jesus is eternal and existed before and after creation.
The Sacrifice Offered by Jesus is Superior
Jesus’ sacrifice could forever solve the problem of earthly sin, while the Levitical sacrifices could not deal with it permanently. The blood of the Son of God has provided the world with deliverance from sins forever, and there will be no more need for sacrifice. It is noted that “can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect” (Bible, Hebrews 10.1). Only the sacrifice of Issus was able to deliver people from sinfulness once and for all, while the blood of bulls and goats was not sufficient.
Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient even for those who had already died. The Son of God with his blood not only atoned for sins but also destroyed any reminder of sin. While people were forced to repeat the sacrifices, remembering their sinfulness constantly, Jesus solved the problem once and for all. The Son of God sacrifices for the sins of all people who have ever existed by his permanent sacrifice. Thus, it is noted that “their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Bible, Hebrews 10.17). The sacrifice of Jesus was perfect and permanent, while all the other priests performed their rituals from time to time, which did not bring results. Only the Son of God was able to eliminate the sins of mankind forever and atone for them in the past, present, and future. Thus, the sacrifice of Jesus was the last, and all the sins of people were forgiven.
Jesus Will Reign With the Father for Ever and Ever
Jesus is shown as a king who loves the loves of righteousness and hates iniquity. The reign of Jesus is eternal since “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom” (Bible, Hebrews 1.8). His reign is built on righteousness and is so. He is not just a servant of this kingdom, but its creator, so as himself, his reign will be eternal. Jesus is the embodiment of Divine will and surpasses all messengers of God, which makes him superior to all. He is a king and a priest, and a prophet, which is in one person. The combination of all qualities gives him the right to rule forever since he is eternal and almighty.
Jesus’ Immutability as Part of His Attributes
Jesus is eternal, and even if the earth is old, he will never change his essence. Everything in the world is temporary, except for the Son of God, for whom there is no space and time that would limit his existence. Other creatures “shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail” (Bible, Hebrews 1.12). Even the angels are servants to his absolute and superior essence. Time has no power over Jesus; he will exist forever and rule forever with his reign.
Jesus is Waiting for His Enemies to be Made His Footstool
Since God and his will love righteousness and hate iniquity, God’s eternal reign will ultimately destroy evil. It is necessary to follow the will of God through the incarnation of Jesus “until I make thine enemies thy footstool” (Bible, Hebrews 1.13). Only by serving his will, it is possible to eradicate evil and defeat the enemies of Jesus. While he is omnipotent, he still needs messengers of his will in the form of angels and prophets since they will be the heirs of salvation. Worshipped by angels, he will fulfill his will and atone for sins, continuing to reign forever as a creator. Thus, the last lines of the first chapter assert that Jesus is not only the embodiment of the will of God but also the deity himself since he possesses all the attributes of God.
Works Cited
The Annotated Paragraph Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments, According to the Authorized Version, Arranged in Paragraphs and Parallelisms. Religious Tract Society, 1867.
Phillips, John. Exploring Hebrews: An Expository Commentary. Kregel Publications, 2002.
Ripley, Henry. The Epistle to the Hebrews, with Explanatory Notes. Gould and Lincoln, 1868.
Ryrie, Charles. So Great Salvation: What It Means to Believe in Jesus Christ. Moody Publishers, 1997.
Schreiner, Thomas. Commentary on Hebrews. B&H Publishing Group, 2015.
The Bible: Authorized King James Version. Edited by Robert Carroll and Stephen Prickett, Oxford University Press, 2008.
Wiersbe, Warren. The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament. David C Cook, 2003.