O Come, Let Us Adore Him - Part Three
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Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem!
Come and behold him, born the King of angels.
Refrain:
O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!
PRAY
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
Contextual Notes
Contextual Notes
The book of Hebrews is considered by many to be an a sermonic epistle. The writer is writer to an unknown congregation of believers made up of Jewish converts to Christianity. It is clear from the context that the believers were facing severe pressure to abandon pursuing Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ and go back to law-obedience under the Old Covenant.
32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.
Therefore, the writer of Hebrews seeks to show how Jesus and his work is the the fulfillment of the Old Covenant and is superior to all the significant elements of the Mosaic Covenant.
Chapters 3, 6 and 10 contain some of the strongest passages about falling away from the faith. They are so strong that many conclude one can lose their salvation. It is important we take these warnings serious. If one begins with Christ, but does not continue he is lost. Those who truly know Christ will persevere in the faith. They will continue.
The message is plain, Jesus is better. Don’t stop following him. Keep going with Christ. The writer begins the letter with some of the most excellent words in all of Scripture.
We adore Jesus as the final revelation of God
We adore Jesus as the final revelation of God
Long ago, at many times and in many ways God spoke to our fathers by the prophets
At many times - Various times, in many portions, in bits and pieces, Abraham received some, Moses some, David some, Isaiah some, etc…
In many ways - Various ways, in many manners; internal suggestions, audible voices, visions and dreams
It is amazing that God was willing to communicate with man at all. Man had rebelled against God and covered their ears to the voice of God, but God desires to be known and for man to know the truth. Therefore, he chose to communicate to man. This is amazing, but what is more amazing is the next phrase.
But in these last days - Now at the end of the ages
He has spoken to us by his Son - God has communicated to the world and specifically his people in his Son. This could be literally translated - spoken to us in Son. The Son of God incarnated is the final, communication of God from God.
God hath spoken by His prophets,Spoken his unchanging Word;
Brightness of the Father’s glory,With the Father ever one;
Spoken by the Word Incarnate,God of God ere time began,
Light of Light, to earth descending,Man, revealing God to man.
5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
We adore Jesus as the owner of everything
We adore Jesus as the owner of everything
Whom he appointed heir of all things - God has placed Jesus as the one who is the inheritor of all things. He is the rightful heir of everything.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.
Through whom he created the world - He is the heir and owner because he is the co-creator.
6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
We adore Jesus as the image of God
We adore Jesus as the image of God
He is the radiance of the glory of God - Jesus is the brightness of God. The Nicene Creed calls him the light of light, God of god.
4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
And the exact imprint of his nature - Jesus is the impression or stamp of God’s character.
We adore Jesus as the sustainer of the world
We adore Jesus as the sustainer of the world
And he upholds the universe by the word of his power -
Jesus maintains, supports and undergirds the created world. He does so effortlessly with his authoritative word.
17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Jesus is actively upholding all things in the created order from the small microscopic being to the largest burning star.
We adore Jesus as our great High Priest
We adore Jesus as our great High Priest
After making purification for sins - Jesus as the great high priest offered himself in order to cleanse his people from their sins.
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high - As high priest, he sat down because he completed by his one offering redemption for his people.
11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.
We adore Jesus as the ruler of all things
We adore Jesus as the ruler of all things
At the right hand of the Majesty on high - He is seated at the right hand of authority.
1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” 2 The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! 3 Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. 4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”
Having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs - Jesus’ rank and name is more excellent than that of the angels. He is more excellent in all his attributes, majesty, and perfections.
9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Practical Application
Practical Application
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.
11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; 38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” 39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!