“So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.” (Hebrews 1:4)
It is not surprising that some people want to worship angels or see them or touch them. Apparently, angels are magnificent creatures. When they appear to humans in the Bible, they often start by saying, “Don’t be afraid.” Or sometimes, “Don’t worship me.”
On the night Jesus was born, the shepherds’ sky-rending experience of the angels must have been far more impressive than the experience of looking at a newborn baby in a barn. And that’s the point of this chapter: Experience is not what matters. The Who is more important than the What in any given moment.
Jesus is the Son of God. That’s why he is superior to the angels. He created them, and he rules over them. They worship and serve him. Basing the value of whom we worship based on the impressiveness of that experience in the now is always a deception.
Paul warns us to beware of angel-worshippers or those who care more about experience than truth: “Do not let anyone who delights in . . . the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.” (Colossians 2:18)
Think: What’s the danger of caring more about having big experiences in worship than the God you are worshipping?
Pray: Praise Jesus that he far superior to even the angels.
Do: To prepare for the rest of this week’s study, read ahead through the end of Hebrews 1 and make sure to notice verse 14.