An Angel…or Jesus?

I don’t think I ever watched a full episode of the nine-year CBS television series Touched by an Angel.

I haven’t missed it. But I do remember seeing snippets of the show. It seems the good angels always show up at just the right time, and do just the right thing.

If someone were to ask me who is better, Jesus or an angel, the question would be an obvious moot point. But for those who accept a vague spirituality, or who just have an exaggerated view of angels, that question is a challenging one that they must get right.

This is why the section in Hebrews 1.4-14 was written. In the first century, those who were God-fearing Jews had a very high view of angelic beings. Some of them also had not yet committed to being followers of Jesus, and were essentially riding the fence on that decision. It was into this context that the writer says emphatically: Jesus is superior to angels. But why, specifically?

The writer of Hebrews simply makes basic points about the claims of Jesus. And he wisely uses texts from the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) to prove a few points. Take a look at Hebrews 1.4-14, and note these important distinctions.

Jesus Christ is better than angels because He is the Son of God. (vv. 4-5)

In verses 4-5, when he quotes from the Psalms and 2 Samuel, he is saying that Jesus automatically has a higher rank simply because He is the Son of God. It’s a very basic, but important argument. Look at how God the Father is blessed by and pleased with His Son:

…and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in a physical appearance like a dove. And a voice came from heaven:
“You are My beloved Son.
I take delight in You!”
(Luke 3.22, HCSB)

Jesus Christ is better than angels because He is the object of worship. (v. 6)

Next the writer again quotes older Scriptures and points out that even the celestial beings are to worship Jesus, showing that He is better and more important than they are. Paul writes that one day every single creature will worship Jesus:

For this reason God highly exalted Him
and gave Him the name
that is above every name,
(10) so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow—
of those who are in heaven and on earth
and under the earth—
(11) and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
(Philippians 2.9-11, HCSB)

Jesus Christ is better than angels because He is the Ruler of creation. (vv. 7-12)

Then the writer describes the distinction between Jesus and the angels as vast due to His remarkable power over all creation. He rules it with a “scepter of justice.” He has been anointed as the one who established the earth and heavens. Again, note how Paul reiterates this:

For everything was created by Him,
in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created through Him and for Him.
(17) He is before all things,
and by Him all things hold together.
(Colossians 1.16-17, HCSB)

Jesus Christ is better than angels because He is the King of glory. (vv. 13-14)

Simply put, verses 13-14 declare that Jesus is better because He deserves the glory, since the angels work to point people to Jesus and His saving gospel. He is the King of Glory:

Lift up your heads, you gates!
Rise up, ancient doors!
Then the King of glory will come in.
(10) Who is He, this King of glory?
The Lord of Hosts,
He is the King of glory.
(Psalm 24.9-10, HCSB)

I know Someone who showed up at just the right time and did just the right thing, once and for all.

Jesus. And He’s better than all the angels.

The Greatest of All, Part 2

Last time we began by talking about being the greatest, or at least knowing the greatest. And we looked at the biblical book of Hebrews, since its main theme is that Jesus truly is the greatest, and it was written as an encouragement and warning to keep trusting and progressing in Jesus.

In short, Jesus is better. He’s the best. He’s the greatest of all. So trust in Him.

It all begins with an amazing intro that essentially summarizes the book.

Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways. (2) In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son. God has appointed Him heir of all things and made the universe through Him. (3) The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. (Hebrews 1.1-3, HCSB)

The writer of Hebrews says that although God spoke to humanity at different times and in various ways, in these last days He has spoken to us by a Son.

God spoke to us in a Son. His unique, amazing Son.

He really is the Greatest. Let’s look briefly at why Jesus is supreme over all, according to these first verses in Hebrews.

1. Jesus Christ is superior over all because He is the perfect messenger. (vv. 1-2)

In the first two verses the Holy Spirit inspired writer tells us that God the Father spoke in God the Son. So we see all three members of the Trinity at work here. And we are told that although the Father spoke to and through the forefathers and prophets, He has now ultimately and finally spoken in a Son. He sent the perfect messenger. Jesus perfectly fulfills and replaces the work of the forefathers and prophets since among things He is infinitely more personal and authoritative, being Himself the divine Son of God. Jesus, the perfect messenger, actually said that He only said what the Father wanted Him to say:

“For I have not spoken on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a command as to what I should say and what I should speak. I know that His command is eternal life. So the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.” (John 12.49-50, HCSB)

2. Jesus Christ is superior over all because He is the perfect message. (vv. 2-3)

In addition to being the perfect messenger, Jesus is Himself the perfect message. No other supposed religious leader can even try to make this claim. Jesus is the perfect messenger of the gospel—the good news. But not only that, Jesus is Himself the good news. He is the perfect messenger and message: He Himself is the Word of God, and He came here to reveal Himself to us. John’s Gospel describes Him this way:

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning. …
The Word became flesh
and took up residence among us.
We observed His glory,
the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father,
full of grace and truth.
(John 1.1-2, 14, HCSB)

3. Jesus Christ is superior over all because He is the perfect model. (v. 3)

Here is yet another reason is the greatest: since He is a Son, Jesus is the best example for us to see what God the Father is like. The writer of Hebrews says He is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature….” If you want to see and know God, then look no further than Jesus, since He is the perfect model for us. Jesus is God, who took on skin and bones, so He gives perfect clarity for us to understand God. Notice how clearly the Apostle Paul describes Him in Colossians:

He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.
(Colossians 1.15, HCSB)

4. Jesus Christ is superior over all because He is the perfect mediator. (vv. 3-4)

Even though in Jesus, the Son, we have the perfect messenger, message and model, we still cannot be with God unless He makes us clean. We need purification from sins, and verse 4 says that Jesus, our perfect mediator, does just that. He bridges the gap between God and us. He died in our place. He was raised for our justification. He brings us to God. Look at these amazing truths:

But Jesus has now obtained a superior ministry, and to that degree He is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been legally enacted on better promises. (Hebrews 8.6, HCSB)

For there is one God
and one mediator between God and humanity,
Christ Jesus, Himself human,
who gave Himself—a ransom for all,
a testimony at the proper time.
(1 Timothy 2.5-6, HCSB)

Since He is the perfect messenger, message, model, and mediator, Jesus Christ really is the Greatest.

The Greatest of All, Part 1

At times, you just have to wonder what our obsession is with being the greatest. The greatest at anything, really. As a child of the 1970s, I remember famed boxer Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Clay) being referred to as The Greatest. He is quoted as saying: “I knew I had him in the first round. Almighty God was with me. I want everyone to bear witness, I am the greatest! I'm the greatest thing that ever lived.” He later acknowledged he wasn’t the greatest thing, “just the greatest boxer.”

Still, we like to dream about being really good at something, and perhaps becoming the greatest. If we can’t be the greatest, maybe we can know the greatest. So we tend to worship the stars in Hollywood. Or the very best athletes. Or top government leaders.

In the Scriptures there are many ways that God is set apart as truly the greatest of all. And when it comes to people who have walked the face of the earth, one Man stands out above all else. He has first place in everything. He is Jesus. Look at how the Apostle Paul describes Him in the letter known as Colossians.

…He is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
so that He might come to have
first place in everything.
(19) For God was pleased to have
all His fullness dwell in Him,
(20) and through Him to reconcile
everything to Himself
by making peace
through the blood of His cross—
whether things on earth or things in heaven.
(Colossians 1.18-20, HCSB)

That idea is all over the Bible, and it certainly is on display in the letter to the Hebrews. This book of the Bible is rich in helping readers to see the connection between the Hebrew Scriptures, otherwise known as the Old Testament of the Bible, and the New Testament. Originally addressed primarily to Jews who had joined the Christian faith community, the letter offers gracious warnings regarding falling away from faith in Jesus alone, by pointing out how much better Jesus is than anyone or anything.

In short, Jesus is better. He’s the best. He’s the greatest of all.

It all begins with an amazing intro that essentially summarizes the book.

Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways. (2) In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son. God has appointed Him heir of all things and made the universe through Him. (3) The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. (Hebrews 1.1-3, HCSB)

The writer of Hebrews says that although God spoke to humanity, and to His people, at different times and in various ways, in these last days He has spoken to us by a Son.

Did you catch that? God spoke to us in a Son. His unique, amazing Son.

In the next post we’ll look briefly at how and why Jesus is supreme over all. He really is the Greatest.

Facing Rejection with Resolve

Rejected. It’s a term we sometimes hear basketball commentators use when a guy driving to the basket gets pushed back, regardless of whether a foul is involved, misses the shot, and sometimes eats a little bit of the floor. And his pride.

But rejection in real life is far more painful.

Maybe a few of you faced a deep rejection recently. Each of us has faced rejection at some point.

• Perhaps it was a boyfriend or girlfriend who left you feeling completely jilted
• It may have been a wife or husband who deserted you and their covenant with you
• Maybe it was an employer who let you go in a company downsizing, and even though you know it wasn’t personal, it sure feels like it

These rejections—or what feels like rejection—are common to almost all of us. We can relate to them. We wonder if God knows what we feel like. But did you know that Jesus faced rejection? Actually, He still faces rejection by millions of people…people He created.

Luke 4.14-30 gives a specific account of Jesus being rejected. We see that Jesus faced what must be among the toughest types of rejection—being scorned by your own folks.

What happened to Jesus could not happen in the same way to us. We’ve never been rejected as the Messiah. But to a degree, many of us experience a type of what happens in this part of Jesus’ story.

• Outsiders accept us sometimes because they know less about us—they don’t know all the details, including our past
• However, insiders, or our closest personal friends and family members, will sometimes not be able to overlook our past, and so they cannot see the potential for good in us

Again, while this is not the same thing that happened to Jesus in Luke chapter 4 (for starters, He had no sinful past to overcome!), the general principle—that those who know you best question you the most—is still at play. They simply knew Him as the town carpenter who lived a respectable, humble life. To them, making a messianic claim would have to be substantiated by action in their midst. They would want proof.

He was almost accepted. But then He told them that soon they would expect a show (or sideshow) of miracles and healings. He was calling them out, showing their true hearts. It points out a few realities:

Present praise is no guarantee of future followers.
National notoriety does not always make a hometown hero.
External excitement is no sign of internal investment.

The fact that Jesus was being praised (v. 15), gaining notoriety (v. 14), and stirring excitement (v. 22) was not enough for people to place a genuine heart faith and trust in Him as the Messiah. His own people, those who knew Him best, ran Him out of town, and even tried to kill Him. Almost unbelievable. But Jesus was able to stay on mission because He was living in the power of the Spirit (v. 14), and He was resolved (see Luke 9.51).

Having lived in Raleigh for several years, I know the region was honored to have two of the American Idol winners hail from the area, and each has received near-hero status. People have gone bonkers for Clay Aiken and Scotty McCreery. After winning these competitions, they received instant celebrity status.

Some folks in Nazareth wanted a rock star like that. But Jesus knew they needed a Savior, a Rescuer.

You need Him, too. And you can live with His resolve.

Bible Reading Encouragement

On Sunday, my wife and I began a Bible reading strategy that I thought might be helpful to you as well. As a pastor, I find it relatively easy to stay on course when studying a paragraph of Scripture for a sermon or working through a Bible book as I teach or write, but consistency in reading outside of specific study is sometimes not easy. I really appreciate when the ease of technology puts together the best of the Internet’s abilities to do something that can actually help you grow in character.

Of course, with any Bible reading plan, if the only reason you are doing it is to say you’ve done it, or to check off boxes on a reading plan, it won’t change your life. But if you’re sincerely looking for a way to aid you in your reading, keep you on track, and even help to hold you accountable to a real-life person, this can be a super assistant, and may even be beneficial in your Godward progress.

It’s a free tool from YouVersion.com, which offers a series of Bible reading plans. You can simply read any paper and ink Bible and check off the day’s scheduled reading, or you can have the Bible delivered to you in a variety of ways. You can have YouVersion send you a daily email with the first part of your reading embedded, so that you’re encouraged to start there and then click through to the site where you can complete your reading and check off the day’s plan. Or you can simply go to your main login page, where the plan automatically (if you stay signed in) pulls up where you’re supposed to start for the day. If you’re on your smartphone a lot, YouVersion has free apps available (iPhone, Android, others) that will let you read on your mobile device, and then whatever your read on mobile will sync with the full Web version so that you don’t have to keep checking in both places.

The service helps keep you on track, gives the ability to share Scripture on Twitter and Facebook, and it uses real friends, if you wish, to help hold you accountable. If you opt in to accountability, it will send reading progress reports via email to whoever you assign as an accountability partner. So my wife and I will be helping each other in this way. We chose the same reading plan, in part so that we can talk about what we’ve read together.

I look forward to coming back to the blog and posting how this has been a blessing in our walk with God—and even in our marriage.

Getting the Message Out

As I began pastoring our church in 2011, part of our vision for our church was to help us move forward with newer ways to reach people with the same old, wonderful message of the Bible: that God saves us in Jesus Christ.

In September we were able to roll out a newly redesigned website for Fellowship at www.fellowshipfamily.com. I pray that this will be great way for folks in our city to get initial information about who our church is, and why we do what we do. I hope you can stop by the website also, and maybe even our church.

Another small facet of this year’s vision for progress was to bring our sermons online. In the process of working toward this goal, I found that our church had in prior years podcast the sermons, but that it had stopped somewhere along the way. I am happy to announce that it has begun again.

We have once again begun audio podcasting of our Sunday messages. You can listen to them on your computer, tablet, or mobile device, or you can download them to listen later. You may also subscribe to receive all updated sermons as they become available, using iTunes or generic podcasting subscription services.

All of the messages from the current series, Luke's Gospel: Good News for the Nations, are now available. Just go to the Media tab of our website.

We pray these resources will point you to faith in Christ for the first time, or strengthen your faith in Him!

The Church, The Community of Truth

We have finally completed a series of thoughts on 1 Timothy. This trust of guarding the gospel, as the community of truth, is a great and awesome privilege for your church and mine. I pray these notes can be encouraging and challenging.

1. A Loving Command (Introduction)
2. Protecting the Integrity of the Gospel (1 Tim 1.3-4)
3. Promoting the Goal of the Gospel (1 Tim 1.5-7)
4. Proclaiming the Grace of the Gospel (1 Tim 1.8-11)
5. Preserving the Progress of the Gospel (1 Tim 1.18-20)
6. Intense Desire for Ministry (1 Tim 1.12-17)
7. Gospel-Advancing Prayer (1 Tim 2.1-8)
8. Purposeful, Ordered Design (1 Tim 2.8-15)
9. Proven Character for Leadership (1 Tim 3.1-7)
10. Respectable Volunteer Leaders (1 Tim 3.8-13)
11. The Pillar and Pattern of the Truth (1 Tim 3.14-16)
12. Falling Away from Faith (1 Tim 4.1-5)
13. Good Servants of Christ Jesus (1 Tim 4.6-16)
14. Church Life as Family (1 Tim 5.1-16)
15. Maintaining Trustworthy Elders (1 Tim 5.17-25)
16. When God Doesn’t Change My Circumstances (1 Tim 6.1-2)
17. Godliness with Contentment (1 Tim 6.3-10, 17-19)
18. Guarding the Trust (1 Tim 6.11-16, 20-21)