Grace Fellowship 10/8/06 The Magnificence of Jesus Christ Heb 1:1-3
Several weeks ago, the final message I preached from Exodus covered the last six chapters of that book. Today we begin looking at the text of the book of Hebrews. I hope to cover three verses today. That is one of the more glaring differences we see between preaching Old Testament narrative, and New Testament doctrine. I actually thought I would be able to cover more ground than three verses until I began to meditate upon, and consider what the writer of Hebrews is saying about the man, Jesus Christ.
Also, and I'm sure I will remind you of this often in spite of the fact that it should be obvious, we must constantly bear in mind that Hebrews is written to Jews of various persuasions when it comes to their perception of the Lord Jesus. Some are disciples. Some are curious, but not yet convinced of the truth of the Gospel. Others do not believe. But in these three opening verses, the writer pulls no punches. He begins this letter by skipping over any tactful, introductory remarks which would gradually lead up to the topic of the person of Christ, even though he doesn't mention Jesus by name until chapter 2, verse 9. On the contrary, he starts his presentation full speed ahead by saying some of the most Christ-exalting words found anywhere in the entire Bible.
Let's read the text together, Hebrews 1:1-3.
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (Hebrews 1:1-3, NKJV).
I once had a person actually say to me that Evangelicals make too much of Christ to the neglect of other things and persons in the Bible. According to what you and I just read, none of us have ever made the Lord Jesus out to be more than He is. While Evangelicals may rightly make much of Christ, He is obviously deserving of far more than we are able to express, and far more than many even attempt to express.
These three verses immediately set the stage for the rest of the book. In reading my commentary on Hebrews by F.F. Bruce, he gives an outline of the book that begins at point 1 with this heading: "The Finality of Christianity." That is what this book is about. Jesus Christ is the final word. God has revealed Himself to the highest degree in the Person of Christ. Therefore Christianity is the supreme religion.
That opinion is what many evangelicals find distasteful today. Too many Christians are too hesitant to speak of Christianity in superlative terms. They cannot bring themselves to think that all other religions are inferior. Apparently they feel it would be prideful or arrogant to do so. But the thoughtful believer understands this is never the case. Christianity truly is superlative to all other religions. But it is superior in spite of Christians. Christianity is superior because of the superiority of Jesus Christ.
The first half of the very first sentence does our hearts good. "God spoke in times past by the prophets." The author is speaking of the Old Testament scriptures. Thankfully, he did not have to convince his audience that they possessed the direct, special revelation of God. That is a fact that is not assumed today by people in general, or even by many who call themselves Christians. But the starting place for any meaningful, profitable conversation about God is with the understanding that God has spoken. We are not in spiritual darkness, without access to God's self-revelation. “Deity is not speechless.” God has spoken and we have a record of what He has said in the Bible.
The writer then goes on to say that God has spoken in various ways and at various times. He spoke in the Garden to Adam. He spoke to Noah in the midst of a godless world. He spoke to Abraham and to kings and prophets through the millennia. He has spoken through a burning bush to Moses, and with a still, small voice to Elijah. God has spoken through a donkey to Balaam, as well as through angels. The people to whom this book was written understood all of this. God has spoken in the past and we have the record of it..
But in these last days, God has spoken again in a manner that is qualitatively superior to all previous revelation. He has not sent messengers or prophets or angels to speak to Israel. Instead, He has spoken through His Son.
There is a superiority in this that the Jews understood. For God to speak through prophets was immensely kind and gracious. It was understood that when a true prophet spoke, it was the equivalent of God Himself speaking. But now, God has spoken through His Son, someone equal to Himself.
This is exactly the scenario Jesus referred to in Matthew 21:33-46.
"Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. "Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. "And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. "Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. "Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, `They will respect my son.' "But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, `This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.' "So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. (Matthew 21:33-39, NKJV).
Jesus is obviously speaking of the prophets that have come to Israel over the centuries whom the Jews have universally rejected. Now the Son of God has come to them. But notice the reaction of the workers in the vineyard. They notice that the Owner has sent His Son, but they refer to Him as “the heir.” Because He is the Son, He is the future owner of the vineyard. This is how families retained ownership of their estates for generations, and potentially for hundreds of years.
This particular vineyard was quite desirable, but the possibility of these vinedressers ever having it for themselves is zero. Because they are evil men, they steal the profits from the vineyard, but they cannot own the vineyard. So when they see that the King has sent His Heir to receive the proceeds, they decide to kill him in the hope that when the Owner dies, and He has no Heir, they will retain ownership over the vineyard for themselves.
The very next phrase in our text in Hebrews 1:2 is in reference to the Son of God, “…whom He has appointed heir of all things….” Many Jews would have instantly recognized this statement as coming from Psalm 2:7-8.
"I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, `You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. (Psalms 2:7-8, NKJV).
Therefore, God has sent His Son, His equal, the Heir of heaven and earth, to speak to Israel. In two short verses, the writer of this letter has declared Jesus Christ to be equal with God, God’s appointed heir over the entire universe (since everything that belongs to the Father belongs to the Son), and that Christ has come to speak for God, as God.
But additionally, He has done this “in these last days.” In the mind of the Jewish reader this is a reference to the fulfillment of all the hopes and anticipations of previous centuries and ages which are found in the Old Testament scriptures. The promised final days are upon the people of God. Their Messiah has come. In times past prophets spoke of a future day, but in these last days, Jesus Christ is the final word.
What is a Jew supposed to think of all this? The main point is that the Old Testament was an introduction to this Man, Jesus Christ. Now that He has come, “old things have passed away, behold all things have become new” (2 Cor 5:17). The coming of the Son of God has made all the types and figures of the prophets instantly obsolete. Christianity is therefore spiritually superior to Judaism.
But we’re not done speaking of Jesus Christ yet. The next phrase, in verse 2 is “… through whom also He made the worlds.” The word translated “worlds” literally means “eons” or “ages,” epochs, or dispensations of time. What is the significance of this? Jesus Christ has not only created the physical universe, but He is sovereign over time itself. All of space, all of time, all of history is subject to Him. He rules over millennia and minutes. Jesus created time.
For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. (Colossians 1:16, NKJV).
Who is this Jesus? How is it possible that we could make too much of Him? He is a superior Prophet because has come to speak not only for God, but as God. He owns the universe because He is the heir of everything. What He says, and the revelation He brings is the culmination of all revelation. He is the capstone of God's disclosure of Himself. If these things are true, how should men respond? Then the writer continues:
Verse 3.
Who being the brightness of His glory, …
Equal in gloriousness, and manifesting that glory to men; All the glory of Deity is seen in the man, Jesus Christ
And the express image of His person, …
An exact, perfect representation of God: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father….” John 14:9.
And upholding all things by the word of His power, …
Jesus is not only omnipotent to create, but also to sustain and maintain the whole universe. Bruce says, "He upholds the universe not like Atlas supporting a dead weight on his shoulders, but as One who carries all things forward on their appointed course."
When He had by Himself purged our sins, …
Some translations use the phrase "made purification of sins." No need of purgatory because Christ has already purged His people of their sins. The One who upholds the entire universe by the word of His power, also cleanses the sinner who believes from all unrighteousness by the power of His blood.
Sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high….
Jesus Christ completed His task as Savior and was exalted by God the Father to the place of highest honor, entirely equal with the Father. There is no literal throne, and there is no literal, physical hand of God. This statement is a figure of speech known as a periphrasis. "A style of writing that involves indirect ways of saying things."
How can we accurately express what the writer of Hebrews is trying to communicate here? How can we fully comprehend that all the things he has said in these three short verses are true of the human being, Jesus Christ? He has come to men as God's superior Prophet, His superior Priest, and His superior King as He takes His rightful place in Heaven.
What should our response be? What should be the response of the Jews who read this text?
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. (Hebrews 2:1, NKJV).
These are not the words of some deranged, psychotic religious kook. This is a reasonable, logical, biblically-based presentation of the long-awaited, promised, magnificent Messiah. Hear ye Him.