Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20101103.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Hebrews: The Superiority Of Christ To Errant Religions
Part II: The Superiority Of Christ To The Angels And Created Heavenly Beings, Hebrews 1:4-2:18
C. Christ's Superiority To The Angels And Created Heavenly Beings In His Kingdom's Destiny
(Hebrews 2:5-18)
  1. Introduction
    1. Various groups hold that Jesus is God's messenger, but that His role will be minimized or superseded in God's Kingdom by another created, glorified human in heaven: Islam holds Jesus will be superseded by Muhammad, the Unification Church claims the Reverend Sun Myung Moon will supersede Jesus and the Catholic Church, with its announcement that Mary, Jesus' earthly Mother, has been enthroned as Queen of Heaven, has minimized Jesus' role in holding that "God has placed the whole Church . . . under the domination of Mary'" versus what Ephesians 1:22 claims. (Loraine Boettner, Roman Catholicism, 1978, p. 162 in citing canonized saint, Bishop Alphonse de Liguori, The Glories of Mary, 1931, p. 180-181)
    2. It is thus critical that we view Scripture to see if Jesus or some other created being(s) is God's supreme ruler in His Kingdom that we exalt the right Party or parties, and Hebrews 2:5-18 offers that insight:
  2. Christ's Superiority To The Angels And Created Heavenly Beings In His Kingdom's Destiny.
    1. If the sect that lured the readers of the Epistle to the Hebrews to leave Christianity were like the Qumran community that produced the Dead Sea Scrolls, the author of Hebrews would likely counter that cult's exaltation of the rule of the angel Michael and the angels under him, Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 783.
    2. Thus, the Hebrews 2:5 claim that God has not put in subjection the world to come to the angels would be a strong refutation of that desert Judaistic cult's view of the rulership of God's coming Kingdom, Ibid.
    3. Indeed, the author of Hebrews continued this emphasis in Hebrews 2:6-18 in a way that clarifies that only Jesus Christ will be God's Supreme Ruler over all created beings in the coming Messianic Kingdom:
      1. Citing Psalm 8:4-6, the author of Hebrews in Hebrews 2:6-8a clarified his Hebrews 2:5 claim, noting God created man a little lower than the angels to rule the world with glory and honor, Genesis 1:26-29.
      2. However, due to sin, man lost that world dominion to Satan (Genesis 3:1-19 with 2 Corinthians 4:4 and Ephesians 2:2), so God sent Jesus into the world in human flesh to reverse man's fallen state, saving him by His death on the cross to reinstate man in his rightful dominion, Heb. 2:8b-9a with Gal. 4:4-5.
      3. Thus, Jesus tasted death to bring the Kingdom back to man in dying for every man (Heb. 2:9), so every mortal is a sinner in need of salvation to enter God's Kingdom, be he Muhammad or the Reverend Moon (Rom. 3:23; 5:12) or even Mary, Jesus' earthly mother (Luke 1:46-47; Mark 3:21, 31-32 NIV)!
      4. Jesus then became the Captain (archegos), the "Leader", "Originator" or "Founder", for Whom are all things, and by Whom are all things, to bring many sons of God unto His Kingdom glory, being made perfect for this role as Captain by suffering, Heb rews 2:10; Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 784. Thus, every mortal who attains salvation and enters God's Kingdom will have done so under the leadership and founding of their Captain, Jesus, so He alone is supreme among saved humans!
      5. Jesus is then uniquely united with His Kingdom subjects, the Sanctifier with the sanctified, in a special bond due to His great salvation that He wrought on the cross in their behalf, Hebrews 2:11-13.
      6. Jesus thus partook of flesh and blood that through His death He might destroy Satan who had the power of death over man (Heb. 2:14) and to deliver mortal humans from death and the fear of death to which Satan had held them bondage, Heb. 2:15. That way, man could be restored to rule on the earth.
      7. Christ's incarnation was not thus to save angels that they might rule in the Kingdom, but He was made like His human brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest adequately to represent them in their fallen weaknesses to make reconciliation for them unto God, Hebrews 2:17.
      8. Accordingly, Jesus Himself has suffered, being tempted in the flesh as God in human flesh, thus being made fully able to help His human brethren in their temptations, Hebrews 2:18.
Lesson: Jesus' incarnation was meant to provide salvation so that EVERY human, who is a SINNER, might be saved and released from Satan's bondage to sin and death unto a restored position in God's Kingdom, one where JESUS is then SUPREME over all God's angels and created, saved beings!

Application: May we exalt Jesus ALONE as HEAD of ALL ANGELS and HUMAN BEINGS!