Memory Verse:
In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God.John 1:1 NRSV
Message: Jesus is greater than any message ever sent from
Heaven! Better than ones given by Angels!
Read: Hebrews 1:4-9
Psalm 2:7 / Psalm 97:7/ Psalm 107:4 / Psalm 45:6-7
Psalm 102:25-27 / Psalm 110:1
Philippians 1:9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names
Reflection:
One of my favourite stories as kid was a book called, “Are you My Mother”. In this story, there was a little bird that went on a quest to find its’ mother. My favourite moment in the story was when the baby bird went to ask a crane if it was his mother. After the crane made a huge snorting sound the baby bird declares, “You’re not my mother, you’re a SNORT!” Don’t ask me why, but I loved this moment in the story. I’d wait with anticipation every time. And when the moment came, with great joy I’d shout out that line with the baby bird!
That little story made such an impression on me that in my 50’s I had to pull over on the highway, get out my car, sneak past the locked gate and “NO TRESPASSING” sign so that I could get a picture of me with the crane! It looked just like the one in the book! … Mom look!
The writer of Hebrews wants to leave a lasting impression on us as well. Look at the Psalms listed above… he’s quoting David to make his point about Jesus. Jesus is greater than the angels. The Word that Jesus is and has to share makes him THE WORD ABOVE ALL WORDS. Greater than the Angels or any word of God may have spoken through them throughout human history.
Why is this (Jesus is greater than the angels) important to know?
Tradition explained that it was God’s Angels who gave Moses the Law (Pentateuch).These treasured words of Scripture had God’s stamp of approval on them. And they didn’t just come from human beings. They came from Heaven. Delivered personally by God’s Angels. That meant that these words, the scriptures, carried God’s authority. Kinda like when as a kid you say, “Sorry, my mom says, I can’t come over”. Saying “My Mom said,….” carries with it, authority.
Why does the author of Hebrews want you to know Jesus is greater than the angels? It’s because he wants you to know of all the things that God has said, which words matter most. His point, JESUS IS THE WORD ABOVE ALL WORDS! He’s the ultimate authority on God-Speak and God-Stuff.
In the past people had encountered Angels. Now God is speaking in a totally different way. God is speaking to us loud in clear in Jesus. Hebrews wants us to know without a doubt that while hearing God speak through angels was amazing, encountering Jesus is different and way better! John puts it this way,
No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Fathers heart. He has revealed God to us. John 1:17-18
Comments