God had spoken often in the past through his prophets but in the last days (of the Mosaic era) he had spoken by a Son.v.1Hebrews 1:1XWaiting for response He had made this Son the heir of all things and through him “had constituted the ages”.v.2Hebrews 1:2XWaiting for response Jesus is not God, but the Son of God and heir of the promises which God has made, and everything that has happened through the ages (the word “world” is “ages” in the original) has occurred because of God’s purpose in Christ.
The apostle says Jesus is “the express image of God’s person”, just as we might say a son is the spitting image of his father. Jesus, in the days of his flesh, was a manifestation of his Father’s character, and since his resurrection has also been a manifestation of his divine nature, “being the brightness of his glory”.v.3Hebrews 1:3XWaiting for response “When he had by himself purged our sins” he was raised from the dead, made immortal, went to heaven, and “sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high”. v.3Hebrews 1:3XWaiting for response Thus, Jesus was “made so much better than the angels”,v.4Hebrews 1:4XWaiting for response not because he was a God who had existed from eternity, but because “he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they” v.4Hebrews 1:4XWaiting for response by his perfect life of obedience to his Father.
The apostle cites a number of Old Testament scriptures to prove that Jesus is better than the angels. God called Jesus his Son in Psalm 2, making reference to the day he was begotten, Psalm 2:7Psalm 2:7XWaiting for response and also in his promise to David 2 Samuel 7:142 Samuel 7:14XWaiting for response but this has not been said of any angel.v.5Hebrews 1:5XWaiting for response Again, God called upon all his angels to worship Jesus v.6Hebrews 1:6XWaiting for response for the angels are God’s servants, v.7;Hebrews 1:7XWaiting for response Psalm 104:4Psalm 104:4XWaiting for response whereas Jesus is his Son. Sometimes people argue that Jesus is God and equal to the Father because he is worshipped, but the word “worship” means “to make oneself prostrate before another” which, for example, one may do before a king. Thus, the wise men sought the baby “born king of the Jews” that they might worship him. Matthew 2:2Matthew 2:2XWaiting for response
The quotation in verse 6 is from Psalm 97 where the angels themselves are called gods: “Worship him, all ye gods”. Psalm 97:7Psalm 97:7XWaiting for response The word “gods” in the original Hebrew is “elohim”, meaning “mighty ones”, and in this sense Jesus himself, being a mighty one, is called “God”. There are no capital letters in the original text so the translators have used “god” or “God” according to their own ideas, but the meaning is the same: “mighty one”. God himself (i.e. the Father) called Jesus “God” in Psalm 45 which declared beforehand that because Jesus “loved righteousness and hated iniquity” his throne would last for ever and he was anointed above his fellows. vs.8-9;Hebrews 1:8-9XWaiting for response Psalm 45:6-7Psalm 45:6-7XWaiting for response This shows that Jesus’ exaltation above his fellow men was conditional upon him being righteous. God calls him “the man that is my fellow” Zechariah 13:7Zechariah 13:7XWaiting for response and Jesus has other fellows that are men,v.9Hebrews 1:9XWaiting for response and the fact that Jesus is a fellow of both God and men can only be explained by what is written in the gospels - that he was begotten of God’s Spirit and born of Mary.
Jesus is called God, but the Jews accused him of making himself equal with God and he said "how could it be blasphemous to be the son of God, when the people of Israel are called gods [in Scripture]?" John 10:33-36John 10:33-36XWaiting for response Psalm 82:6.Psalm 82:6XWaiting for response Just as Jesus says that the people of Israel are called gods, also Jesus can be called God without actually being God. Jesus is a manifestation of God, just as the angels are - he is not actually God.
The political heavens and earth v.10Hebrews 1:10XWaiting for response are in the power of Christ but in the end they will vanish away, while Jesus will remain for ever vs.11-12.Hebrews 1:11-12XWaiting for response He will create new political heavens and earth when he returns but in the meantime he sits at God’s right hand v.13Hebrews 1:13XWaiting for response where he will remain until the time comes for all enemies to be put under his feet. This was never said to angels who are the servants of God sent forth to serve the heirs of salvation,v.14Hebrews 1:14XWaiting for response i.e. they work unseen for the benefit of the disciples of Christ who will in due course live and reign with him in his kingdom, and be equal to the angels Luke 20:36.Luke 20:36XWaiting for response
In the first two chapters, the apostle shows that Jesus is superior to the angels. Jesus is the Son of God but also the son of man, and both these aspects of Jesus are brought out in this letter.