A Blast From The Past: "A Greater Than Angels"

By Rev. Walter Reynolds

(A re-print from The Free Will Baptist, August 9, 1950)

Two disciples of Christ, Matthew and Luke, dared to record in their Gospels that “A greater than Solomon is here.” Solomon, who was no doubt the richest and wisest man that ever lived; yet Matthew and Luke said that Christ was greater than he. The writer of Hebrews goes even further than that. He says that Jesus is greater than Angels. Then he sets forth his argument or proof in the latter part of chapter one. Knowing that the writer is well acquainted with the Hebrew laws, traditions, and customs it is not surprising to find that he proves the superiority of Jesus over Angels by quotations from Old Testament passages.

He begins by saying that Jesus is greater because of his name, “He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent Name than they.” Jesus was the only begotten Son of God. “For unto which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my Son.” There is not an Angel who could become the Son, not one that could be exalted high enough to be called a Son. Jesus is greater than all the Angelic host of God.

The writer of Hebrews has plenty of Biblical basis for saying that Jesus has “A more excellent name than they (The Angels).” For we find especially in Paul’s writings this fact, that Jesus’ name had been exalted above all names. Here is a passage found in Eph. 1:21: “Far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.” So then the name of Jesus is above all principality, all powers who ever it belongs to, all might no matter how mighty, all dominion no matter how great, in fact, His Name is above all names that have ever been named in this world or the world to come. Then in Phil. 2:9-10 Paul has this to say in regard to the greatness of Jesus’ name, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a Name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.”

You may never bow your knee and confess to Jesus while you live here on the earth but one day for sure you will stand before the judgment bar of God with Jesus as the righteous judge. Then you will bow your knee and confess to the name of Jesus. Oh, but how much different the outcome of the judgment if you would only bow your knee now and confess him as your Lord and Saviour. Luke in Acts 4:12 says, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” For all who do not have salvation and desire it there is none other NAME to turn to than to the name of Jesus. There is no Angel whose name is great enough for yon or me to find forgiveness of our sins. No man that ever lived has a high enough name through which we could receive salvation. “There is no other NAME under heaven.”

Then to the Christian, Paul would say in Col. 3:17, “Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” If we want the things that we do to be worthy of reward at the judgment, whether it be by what we say or the deeds tlrt we do, it must be done in the name of Jesus. So then the writer of Hebrews has established his statement that Jesus has a more excellent name than angels.

Then he proceeds with the proof of Jesus’ greatness by saying that Jesus is greater in position. What is the position of this one who is so great, the one who was with God in the beginning, the one who was laid in a manger some 1900 years ago, and the one who died on calvery for the sins of all mankind? Is not his position that of a Son, was not he a Son in the beginning and has not he always been a Son and will He not always be one? “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?”

What about Angels, what is their position? Certainly it is not that of a Son that are created spiritual beings of a nature exalted far above that of man, and far inferior to that of God. Their duties are “to do Him service in Heaven, and by his appointment to succor and defend men on earth.” Yes, they are to praise and glorify Jehovah the true and living God and protect His saints from all danger and harm that would come from the evil spirits of Satan.

Christ was exalted so high in position above the Angels until the Angels were commanded to worship Him. “When he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, and let all the angels of God worship him.” As the .Angelic host of God announced the birth of the Saviour to the Shepherds even there they worshipped Him. Luke 2:9-15, “And, lo the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them : and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you ; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another. Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass which the Lord hath made known unto us.”

As he continued to set forth his proof of Jesus’ greatness, He points out that he is greater in His title. What could be the title of one whose name was so great, whose position had been so highly exalted until the angels worshipped Him. “But unto the Son he saith thy throne.” Do not kings sit upon thrones? Then we come to the conclusion that Jesus’ title was that of “King of kings and Lord of Lords.” But what is more amazing is the fact that this kingdom is an everlasting, a never ending kingdom. “Thy throne, 0 God, is for ever and ever,” Not only is it an eternal kingdom but it is a kingdom of righteousness, “A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom.” As the righteous king rules and reigns in the hearts of his believing children he sheds abroad to the world righteousness. The King “loved righteousness and hated iniquity,” thus if he rules on the thrones of our hearts we shall take the same position — love righteousness and hate iniquity.

God has not said at any time to any angel, thou art “King of kings and Lord of lords.” Thus Jesus is the one who claims this as His title; Angels are ministering spirits, servants, not Princes or Kings.

As he continues his argument he says that Jesus is greater as seen in His creative activities. The beloved apostle John wrote in John 1:3, “All things were made by him ; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Now the writer of Hebrews confirms this by saying, “And thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands.” Then to show that Jesus was even greater than all the creation, the earth, the heavens, and all the beings that dwell therein. He says, “They shall perish ; . . and they all shall wax old as doth a garment: and as a vesture shall thou fold them up, and they shall be changed.” When you or I buy a new suit of clothes we take the old suit and fold it up and put it away somewhere in a rag box. Why? Because it has lost its usefulness as a suit, it has served its purpose and now it ceases to be of any service, thus it is put away. The same with the creation when it has served its purpose, lost its usefulness and ceased to be of any more service. It has waxed “Old as doth a garment.” God is going to fold it up and put it away to be burned, “but thou (Jesus) remainest . . . but thou art the same, and the years shall not fail.” Though all the creation would perish and pass away Jesus would remain the same. He confirms this in Heb. 13:8 when he says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Jesus is the same now that He was in the beginning with the Father, the same as He was when he was a babe in Bethlehem of Judah, the same as he was when he walked the earth doing good to all men, the same as he was when he died on calvary, laid in a tomb, and rose again victor over death, hell and the grave. He is the never changing Son of God.

Now as he concludes this argument that Jesus is greater than Angels, He does it by saying that He is greater in his mission. What was the mission of Christ? Why did he become incarnate in the flesh? Why did he become a servant? Was it that he might perform miracles, tell parables to the inhabitants of the earth? No, Christ had a mission greater than performing miracles, greater than telling parables. The mission, the purpose, the reason Christ became a servant was that he might die on Calvary, might give his life for many. Every thing else that Jesus did while here on earth was secondary, the one purpose was to die, to give his life a ransom.

Then what about the angels — what is their mission? “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.” The angels minister to us, the children of God. As we read God’s word we see how in times past the angels have ministered to those who have lived before us. It was the angels who delivered Lot from Sodom. God was about to pass judgment upon the wicked city of Sodom but before the judgment was to be passed two angels came and delivered Lot. It was the angels that delivered Daniel from the den of hungry lions. Daniel had been cast into the lion’s den because he had disobeyed the decree of Darius. But Daniel had courage, He had faith, He believed that the God he served was going to deliver him. When the king came to the den the next morning to see if Daniel’s God had delivered him from the lions, here are the words of Daniel himself, “0 king, live forever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lion’s mouths, that they have not hurt me.” Not only these but there are many more the angels delivered. They delivered Jacob from Esau, Peter from Herod and the Jewish Sanhedrins, and the nation of the Israelites successively from the Egyptians, Canaanites, and Assyrians.

It was an angel that conducted Joseph and Mary when the life of the Baby Jesus was endangered by King Herod, to depart into Egypt. It was an angel that conducted Cornelius to Peter when he was seeking the way of salvation and as a result of this Cornelius, along with his family and friends, accepted the Gospel as it was told to them by Peter. It was angels that instructed Abraham, Joshua, Gideon, David, Elijah, Daniel, Zachariah the Prophet, Zachariah the father of John the Baptist, the Virgin Mary, the Apostles, and their fellow disciples.

It was angels that comforted Jacob at the approach of Esau, Daniel in his peculiar sorrows and dangers, Zachariah in the sufferings of his nation, Joseph and Mary in their perplexities, Christ in his agony, Apostles at Jesus death, Paul before his shipwreck, and the church universally by the testimony and instruction given in the Revelation of St. John.

The mission of angels is great but the mission of Christ far surpasses it in glory and results. This is the Christ you and I serve one who is superior to the angels in His name, His position, His title, His creation and His mission.

I wonder if we believe that Christ is as great as we say He is. Can the world- tell that we serve one so great as Christ? We lack faith in Christ, lack true belief in his greatness; thus, the world can see in us just how great we believe Christ to be by how far we are willing to trust and have faith in him.

The hymn writer, Stead, wrote these words: “Jesus, Jesus, How I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er! Jesus, Jesus, Precious Jesus; Oh, for grace to trust Him more.” The last phrase should be our prayer to God — “Oh, for grace to trust Him more,” that we might show to the world the greatness of Jesus.