As we continue the God’s Image study, I want to examine more than the titles applied to Jesus. I want to follow how the passages describe his receiving honor and authority.
In our earlier post about the Son over the house, we considered his appointed position. Now we will give closer attention to the sequence.
What has he accomplished? What does he receive? Who gives it to him?
These questions belong within our examination of the first commandment because they help us preserve the relationship between the Father and the Son.
“Having Become”
Hebrews describes the Son accomplishing cleansing for sins and then sitting at the right hand of the Majesty on high. It continues:
“having become so much better than the angels”
— Hebrews 1:4, LSB
The verse connects this superiority with an inherited name.
The words describe a position attained. We should not pass over the movement from accomplishment to enthronement, or the language of becoming and inheriting.
At the same time, this statement does not give a complete account of his standing at every earlier moment. We need to follow what the surrounding passages actually tell us.
Lower for a Little While, Then Crowned
Hebrews 2 provides an important comparison. Jesus is described as having been made lower than the angels for a little while, and as crowned with Glory and honor because of his suffering of death. Hebrews 2:9.
The suffering matters to the explanation of the crowning.
We therefore have more than a statement that Jesus holds a position above the angels. We also have a description of humiliation, death, and the honor associated with what he endured.
If I begin with the final position and overlook the path described, I lose part of the passage’s explanation.
The accomplishment and the honor belong together.
“Therefore”—God Exalted Him
Paul gives us a closely related sequence.
In Philippians 2, Jesus humbles himself and becomes obedient to the point of death. The next statement begins:
“Therefore, God also highly exalted Him”
— Philippians 2:9, LSB
Therefore connects the exaltation with what precedes it.
God is the One who exalts. Jesus is the one exalted. The name is bestowed upon him.
Paul then describes the bowing of knees and the confession of Jesus Christ as Lord, concluding:
“to the glory of God the Father.”
— Philippians 2:11, LSB
The passage gives extraordinary honor to Jesus while keeping the Father visible as its giver and the One glorified through it.
For me, honoring Jesus faithfully includes preserving that entire relationship. I cannot detach what he receives from the One who gives it.
Anointed by His God
Hebrews also connects the Son’s love of righteousness and hatred of lawlessness with his anointing. In its quotation from Psalm 45, the Son is addressed as God, while another is identified as his God—the One who anoints him above his companions. Hebrews 1:8–9.
Both statements belong in our reading.
The honor does not erase the relationship. The one addressed has a God, and the anointing comes from that God.
I want to notice the reason given as well: righteousness and opposition to lawlessness matter within this description of the king’s distinction.
Angels Subjected to Him
Peter places Jesus at God’s right hand after his entry into heaven, with angels, authorities, and powers subjected to him. This follows Peter’s reference to Jesus’ resurrection. 1 Peter 3:21–22.
That helps us keep the setting visible.
We are reading about the risen Jesus in his heavenly position. His authority over these powers is explicitly described.
For this comparison, the question is not simply whether Jesus is above angels. It is also when the passage places him there and how it describes the authority he exercises.
Those details must remain part of the explanation.
Why This Matters to the First Commandment
Our study concerns putting no other god before YHWH (יהוה). Understanding the Son’s honor therefore requires care with the relationship through which it is given.
These passages describe Jesus accomplishing, obeying, suffering, receiving, and being exalted. They describe God giving, anointing, and exalting.
I want to honor Jesus in accordance with that testimony.
His exaltation is something to recognize fully. So is the Father’s place in it.
Receiving extraordinary honor does not make the giver disappear from the account.
When I explain who Jesus is, am I preserving what Scripture says about both of them? Have I allowed the verbs—the actions and their sequence—to guide my understanding as carefully as the titles?
Following His Example
Paul’s discussion of Jesus’ humility also addresses our conduct. Before describing the humiliation and exaltation, he calls believers away from selfish ambition and toward concern for one another. Philippians 2:3–5.
That keeps this study personal.
Am I seeking recognition, or learning faithfulness? Do I want the honor of representing God while resisting the obedience that responsibility requires?
Jesus’ instruction concerning love for God and neighbor remains beside these questions. Matthew 22:37–40.
As we examine his received honor, I also want to learn from his humility.
Threads to Follow
Accomplishment and enthronement: Paying attention to the sequence.
Becoming and inheriting: Preserving the actions described in Hebrews.
Suffering and honor: Following the reason given for the crowning.
God’s anointing: Keeping the giver and recipient visible.
Humility in practice: Allowing the comparison to shape our conduct.
The books were opened…
🌿 By Maria Emilia
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