The Resume of the Son Text: Hebrews 1:5-14
Introduction: A Better Messenger
The book of Hebrews is written to a group of Jewish Christians who were feeling the immense pressure to go back. Back to the Temple, back to the sacrifices, back to the old way of doing things. The writer of Hebrews is having none of it. His argument, from start to finish, is that Jesus is better. He is the better priest, the better sacrifice, the better covenant, and, as we see in our text, He is the better messenger. He is better than the prophets, and He is most certainly better than the angels.
In our modern evangelicalism, we have a very sentimental and frankly anemic view of angels. We think of them as chubby babies on greeting cards or as gentle, ethereal guardians. But to the first-century Jew, angels were terrifying and glorious. They were the mediators of the Old Covenant at Sinai (Gal. 3:19). They were God's enforcers, His heavenly host, beings of immense power and dignity. So for the author of Hebrews to establish the supremacy of Christ, he must first demonstrate that the Son is in a completely different category than the angels. It is not a matter of degree; it is a matter of kind.
The writer here is not making a philosophical argument. He is doing what good biblical theologians always do: he is quoting Scripture. He lays out a chain of seven Old Testament quotations, a string of pearls, to demonstrate from their own Bible who Jesus is. This is a master class in biblical interpretation. He is not proof-texting; he is showing how all the threads of the Old Testament find their ultimate meaning and fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. He is stacking up the divine resume of the Son, and comparing it to the job description of the angels. And the difference is infinite.
The Text
For to which of the angels did He ever say, “YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”? And again, “I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME”? And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.” And of the angels He says, “WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS, AND HIS MINISTERS FLAMING FIRE.” But of the Son He says, “YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE SCEPTER OF UPRIGHTNESS IS THE SCEPTER OF YOUR KINGDOM. YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS.” And, “YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING FOUNDED THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; THEY WILL PERISH, BUT YOU REMAIN; AND THEY ALL WILL WEAR OUT LIKE A GARMENT, AND LIKE A MANTLE YOU WILL ROLL THEM UP; LIKE A GARMENT THEY WILL ALSO BE CHANGED. BUT YOU ARE THE SAME, AND YOUR YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN END.” But to which of the angels has He ever said, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES AS A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET”? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?
(Hebrews 1:5-14 LSB)
The Son's Unique Status (v. 5-6)
The argument begins with two rhetorical questions that demand a negative answer.
"For to which of the angels did He ever say, 'YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU'? And again, 'I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME'?" (Hebrews 1:5)
The first quote is from Psalm 2:7. In its original context, this was a royal psalm celebrating the coronation of David's heir. But the New Testament makes it abundantly clear that this finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ. When did God say this to Jesus? The Apostle Paul tells us explicitly that "Today I have begotten you" refers to the resurrection (Acts 13:33). The resurrection was Christ's coronation. It was the public declaration by the Father that this man, Jesus, is the world's true King. He is the begotten Son, not in the sense of being created, but in the sense of being installed in His royal office. No angel was ever given this status. They are servants in the court; He is the King on the throne.
The second quote is from 2 Samuel 7:14, part of the Davidic covenant. God promises David a son who will build a house for His name and whose throne will be established forever. While this had a partial fulfillment in Solomon, the author of Hebrews applies it directly to Christ. Jesus is the ultimate Son of David, the one who builds the true temple, the church, and whose kingdom will have no end. The relationship described is one of intimate, covenantal sonship. God is His Father, and He is God's Son. This is family language, not employee language. It establishes a unique relationship that no created being, angelic or otherwise, can ever share.
Then, the writer drives the point home in verse 6.
"And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, 'AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.'" (Hebrews 1:6)
This quote, likely from Deuteronomy 32:43 in the Septuagint or Psalm 97:7, turns the tables entirely. Not only are angels not sons in the way Christ is, they are commanded to be His worshipers. The word "firstborn" here does not mean first created, but rather preeminent in rank and honor, the heir of all things (Col. 1:15, 18). When the Son entered the world at His incarnation, and especially when He was vindicated at His resurrection and ascension, the angels were not to greet Him as a peer. They were to fall on their faces and worship Him as their Lord and Creator. This establishes an infinite qualitative distinction. You do not worship a fellow creature. You worship God. Therefore, the Son is God.
The Son's Nature vs. The Angels' Function (v. 7-9)
Next, the author contrasts what the Scripture says about angels with what it says about the Son.
"And of the angels He says, 'WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS, AND HIS MINISTERS FLAMING FIRE.'" (Hebrews 1:7)
This is a quotation from Psalm 104:4. Notice the key word: "makes." Angels are created things. They are part of the machinery of the universe, not the one running the machine. They are powerful, yes, like wind and fire, but they are instrumental. They are servants, messengers, ministers. Their very nature is to be sent, to be used by God for His purposes. They are functionaries.
But what about the Son?
"But of the Son He says, 'YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE SCEPTER OF UPRIGHTNESS IS THE SCEPTER OF YOUR KINGDOM. YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS.'" (Hebrews 1:8-9)
This is a direct quotation from Psalm 45:6-7, a royal wedding psalm. And it is a theological bombshell. The Father addresses the Son directly and calls Him "O God." Let that sink in. This is not some liberal theologian trying to explain away the deity of Christ; this is God the Father declaring the deity of God the Son. Those who try to evade the force of this, like the Jehovah's Witnesses, have to perform exegetical gymnastics that would make a circus performer blush. The plain reading is the only reading: the Son is God.
And He is not just God, He is the eternal King. His throne is "forever and ever." Angels are ministers; He is the monarch. His rule is characterized by perfect justice and righteousness. He loves righteousness and hates lawlessness. This is the foundation of His kingdom. And because of this perfect, righteous character, demonstrated in His obedient life and atoning death, God His Father has anointed Him. He is the Messiah, the Anointed One. He is anointed with the "oil of gladness," a picture of supreme joy and blessing, "above His companions." Who are these companions? In the context of the psalm, it's other kings. In the context of Hebrews, it's everyone. He is exalted above all, sharing a gladness and a station that is uniquely His.
The Son's Eternality and Dominion (v. 10-13)
The writer continues to pile on the evidence, quoting now from Psalm 102.
"And, 'YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING FOUNDED THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; THEY WILL PERISH, BUT YOU REMAIN...BUT YOU ARE THE SAME, AND YOUR YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN END.'" (Hebrews 1:10-12)
In Psalm 102, these words are addressed to Yahweh, to God Himself. The author of Hebrews, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, takes this majestic description of the eternal Creator and applies it directly to Jesus Christ. This is another undeniable affirmation of Christ's full deity. He is the Lord (Yahweh) who founded the earth. The entire created order, the heavens and the earth, are the work of His hands. Angels are part of that created order; He is the Creator.
And this establishes another crucial distinction: the Creator is eternal, while the creation is perishable. The universe is like a garment that will one day wear out. God will roll it up and change it for a new one. But the Son remains. He is immutable. "You are the same." This is the very definition of eternality. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8). He is the unchangeable foundation in a world of decay and change. Angels are part of the decaying order; the Son is the eternal constant.
Finally, the writer poses one last rhetorical question, quoting the great messianic psalm, Psalm 110.
"But to which of the angels has He ever said, 'SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES AS A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET'?" (Hebrews 1:13)
The answer, of course, is none of them. This is the ultimate position of honor and authority. To sit at the right hand of the monarch is to be the co-regent, the one who wields the king's own power. This is where Christ ascended after His resurrection. He is not resting; He is reigning. He is actively ruling from heaven, and He will continue to do so until every last one of His enemies is subdued under His feet. This is not a passive waiting; it is an active conquest through the preaching of the gospel and the power of His Spirit. Angels stand in God's presence; the Son sits. They serve; He rules.
The Angels' True Role (v. 14)
The chapter concludes by summarizing the argument and defining the angels' true place in the new covenant order.
"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14)
After this overwhelming display of the Son's supremacy, the status of angels is put in its proper perspective. They are "ministering spirits." They are servants. And who do they serve? They are sent to serve us, "for the sake of those who will inherit salvation." This is a staggering reversal of the old covenant hierarchy. In the old covenant, it was God, then angels, then man. But in Christ, man has been elevated. In Christ, we are seated in the heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). The angels now serve the heirs of the kingdom. They are our servants, our bodyguards, sent by our Elder Brother, the King, to assist us in our pilgrimage.
So why would anyone want to go back to a system mediated by servants when they have direct access to the Son? Why go back to the shadow when the substance has come? Why would you prefer the messengers when you can know the King Himself?
Conclusion: Worship the King
The argument of this chapter is not academic. It is intensely practical. The identity of Jesus Christ is the central, load-bearing pillar of the Christian faith. If He is anything less than what these verses declare Him to be, eternal God, Creator of all things, and sovereign King, then our faith is in vain. We are still in our sins.
But because He is God the Son, His sacrifice has infinite value, sufficient to atone for all the sins of all His people. Because He is the eternal Creator, He has the power to make us new creations. And because He is the enthroned King, sitting at the right hand of the Father, His victory is assured. He is reigning now, and He will continue to reign until all His enemies, including the last enemy, death, are made a footstool for His feet.
Therefore, we are not to be timid. We are not to be tempted by the fading glories of the old world or the old covenant. We are to fix our eyes on Jesus, the Son who is so much better than the angels. We are to join with those same angels, who are our fellow servants in this great cause, and worship Him. For He alone is worthy.