J O H N W. M O O R E
OH, WHAT A SAVIOR!
In Hebrews 1:1, we learn that today God speaks through His Son instead of by the prophets or fathers. The nature of God's Son is vividly portrayed in verses 2 and 3, where the author draws heavily upon Old Testament references and makes application to Jesus. Of particular importance is the use of the royal psalms. Below we see the utter supremacy and marvelous nature of the One Who died for all. He is characterized as follows:
- Heir of all things - As the Son, He is heir and possesses all things. The concept of heirship is a motif that runs throughout Hebrews and is here qualified by the word "all." Christ did not receive the typical two-thirds of the inheritance, but all. By virtue of His Sonship, He is appointed heir, thereby making the nations His inheritance and the ends of the earth His possession. (Psa. 2:8)
- Creator - Through Jesus, God made the universe. The Son existed before the foundation of the earth and was there in the beginning (John 1:1f). More precisely, He made "the ages" (from the word alones), that is He created the universe of space, time and matter. His creative power is in keeping with other New Testament writers. (cf. Col. 1:16; John 1:3; I Cor. 8:6)
- The radiance of God's glory - As a ray is the light of the sun, so is Jesus a reflection of God's glory. Jesus reflects the nature of God. This should remind us of the Lord's response to Philip's desire to see the Father. "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." (John 14:9) Jesus is God in the flesh. He is the conveyance and expression of Deity, much like a word is a vehicle and conveyance of thought. Thus He is the Word (John 1:1).
- Express image of His person - To further expound on the Deity and Sonship of Christ, here the writer uses a word found nowhere else in the New Testament, which emphatically makes the point that the Son bears the very image and nature of God's essence. It is the word charakter, which refers to a distinctive mark corresponding exactly to the stamp or press that produced it. Jesus is indeed distinct and reflects exactly the attributes and Deity.
- Upholds all things - Christ moves or guides the universe along. Through His providence, the universe stays together. By the word of His power (11:3), all things consist (Col. 1:17). He is the constant sustainer of the universe. The Greek perfect tense indicates (in the word "consist") past action with the effects remaining at the time of speaking. Indeed, the effects still remain. As the Greeks would say, there is underlying reason which causes things to be and move and stay together; they called it Logos, we know Him as Jesus. Deity's words spoke the world into existence, and by this means it is maintained.
- Made cleansing for sin - The Son came to earth and He and He alone died for our sins. He achieved what no one else could do. Also, we see a first glimpse here in ceremonial language of what lies ahead in the relationships to be drawn between the Levitical system and the sacrifice of Christ.
- Sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high - Here we have a beautiful allusion to Psalm 110, in which the Son takes this position of prominence. Christ is seen as Supreme and highly exalted, for no one has ever sat at the right hand of God. Being seated is also significant, for it denotes the reward of a job well done. The priests of the Levitical system remained standing because their sacrificial service was continual. Christ offered Himself up once and for all, and then sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on High.
This brief explication is but a shortened version of a prolific story. Volumes could be written which analyze the poignant points of these and their related verses about Christ. But from a study of Hebrews 1:1-3 alone, one should feel compelled to utter the words of the old hymns such as, "O What A Saviour" and "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name." Indeed we serve a mighty and marvelous King.
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