Hebrews 1:9: (ESV)

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.

This verse is part of two chapters dedicated to the resurrection and ascension ceremony given for Jesus by the Father as He sat down to become the head and High Priest of the Church. The theme of Hebrews chapters one and two is the superiority of the humanity of Jesus over angels.

 As deity, Jesus has always been superior to angels. But as humanity, He had to earn that right by coming into the world and fulfilling the will of God. Through a life of holiness, resistance to the temptations of Satan, death on the cross, burial, resurrection, ascension to heaven, and seating at the right hand of God, Jesus, as man, was anointed above the level and superiority to angels. Through faith in Jesus and entrance into the new birth, we also have that position with Jesus.

The Source of Jesus’ Joy

Jesus not only has a position of power and authority, He also has received great joy by accomplishing the will of God on earth before going to heaven. He was anointed with the oil of gladness on that day far above the level of authority and gladness of angels. If we can understand the source of joy and gladness Jesus received that day, we can understand how to have great joy added in our own lives.

From One Side to the Other

This verse opens up something that seems to be misunderstood today among believers. Jesus loved righteousness and hated iniquity. He hated iniquity as much as He loved righteousness. He had an equal love-hate relationship with the nature of God and the nature of Satan.

In the early days of Pentecost and holiness preaching, hatred toward iniquity was the message of the day. It turned into legalism because no answers were given to the problem of sin except by “gritting of the teeth” and just not sinning. It was the flesh trying to control the lusts of the flesh. In that day, the answer for not sinning was the same answer for losing weight, sheer will power. God’s power was rarely mentioned and the Word was an unknown power for overcoming sin.

Then a revelation of righteousness hit the body of Christ with the realization, “I do not have to try to be righteous, I am the righteousness of God and have been from the time I was born again.” Although true, it is no excuse for putting up with sin in our daily lives.

There seems to be a love for righteousness today, but also a love for iniquity. Little is taught about what our attitude toward sin should be. Being righteous should make it easier to walk in righteousness. A temptation to sin should not make us give up on God’s grace. Understanding righteousness and a life of sanctification are both possible. As a Christian grows in God’s Word and becomes the disciple God is looking for, an appreciation and love for righteousness should grow daily. Yet, along with the growth of a love for righteousness should also be a hatred of sin and iniquity, the works of Satan.

A Gladness Above Everyone Else

The result in our life will be the same as the result in Jesus’ life. We will have gladness above all our fellows, friends, and family. A daily understanding of righteousness, our position in Christ, and a hatred toward the works of Satan and the lusts of the world will both add up to excessive gladness. Peter calls it, “Joy unspeakable (indescribable) and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8).