Understanding the Supremacy of Christ Over Angels

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he created angels to magnify his son and to satisfy his people in the sun why does the supremacy of Jesus over all things matter in this episode of light and Truth John Piper examines Hebrews 1 to show how the truth of Jesus's Supremacy shapes our worship and Assurance this sermon was originally delivered at Bethlehem Baptist Church on April 14th 1996 [00:00:06]

thinking about angels had ever evidently become really skewed in the churches to whom this book is written something's gone Haywire in the way they think about angels otherwise I cannot account for why verse 4 5 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 on into chapter 2 up through verse 16 again in chapter 12 again in Chapter 13 the issue of angels is on the front burner what is the big deal with angels [00:00:45]

he gave his life to make purification for sin in giving his life according to chapter 2:14 he conquered Satan he conquered death he conquered hell and God therefore raised him triumphant and sat him down on the throne of majesty at his right hand and now verse four says he did that having become as much better than angels as as he has inherited a more excellent Name than they [00:02:48]

now the main point there is real clear Jesus Christ is better than Angels he is better than Angels how better and how much better is what verses 5-4 are all about how is he better how much better is he how should we think about his relationship to Angels now verse four answers that question in a comparison it says he is as much better than angels as he has inherited a more excellent Name than they [00:03:38]

now the point of verse 5 is God never said that to an angel God never said to an angel you are my son today I have enthroned you begotten you installed you as Victor King so he's separating Christ from the angels and saying Christ is unique he is not an angel he never said to an angel what he said to the son you see now how a big Gulf is being created here between Christ and the angels [00:08:11]

now stop and think about this for a moment because this is huge what this verse says is Jesus Is Not An Angel he is worshiped By Angels Jesus Is Not An Angel he is worshiped By Angels now this is scary language because lingering lurking lurking right behind it is a huge question wait a minute I thought you're supposed to worship God and God only [00:09:48]

the vision of Jesus as the Divine Son of God as God is clearer in the book of Hebrews than in any other book of the New Testament except for the writings of John in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God that's even clearer but it's hard to be clearer than verse eight in my judgment so he is establishing here that he is not an angel [00:17:00]

do you have an appropriate sense of reverence and awe and wonder at Jesus Christ is he little or is he big to you do you belittle him through neglecting him or despising him or most commonly no I suppose neglecting is most commonly but second most commonly trivializing him for example when you hear a comedian get everybody laughing like I did this week by saying my brother thought his name was damn it and I thought my name was Jesus Christ [00:17:36]

this chapter is written to create a passion a passion for the supremacy of God the son do you have it do you have it or when you read the Bible do you just flip over pages and head off and love what the world loves and show up on Sunday and do a relig thing and then go off and love what the world loves again and Jesus in your affection remains a millimeter high and there is no trembling there's no reverence there's no awe there's no reveling in his Divine glory and his power to uphold the universe [00:19:59]

he's never said to an angel sit at my right hand until I subdue all your enemies under your feet and then he contrasts in verse 14 well who are the Angels then if he never said to that to an angel what does he say to Angels here's what he says are they not all ministering Spirits sent out to render service for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation what's the contrast here Jesus sitting like a king upon the throne Angels sent to do his bidding in the world [00:21:27]

he created angels number one to worship Jesus and he created angels number two to serve you and now if you'll forgive me some familiar language because I am in a rut he created angels so that Christ would be glorified and you would be satisfied sound familiar it's just there it's everywhere in the Bible he created angels to magnify his son and to satisfy his people in the sun to bring you to the fullness of your salvation in the Sun [00:22:59]

need be encouraged today that God means to do two things he means to exalt his son and serve his people that's my theology in a nutshell because I just see it everywhere in the Bible he means verse six they exist to worship Christ and verse 14 they exist to serve Christians so go out of here this morning with a tremendous sense of assurance [00:24:33]

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