Hebrews 1

"Jesus: The Supreme Word of God"

If you would, please take your Bibles and turn to Hebrews chapter 1 and we will begin with verse 1 in just a moment. The focus of our main scripture this morning is on Christ being the supreme Word of God and the final revelation of God through Him.

Introduction:

We live in a world full of voices and information. Voices throwing out so much information that it can sometimes consume us if we are not careful. We have information overload in the palm of our hands. So many voices and things vying for our time and attention. It is no wonder that the church as a whole is losing its voice and relevancy in this world. The church having to compete with so many other things, it makes it hard for the church to keep up. Church websites and social media pages have helped the church compete to a degree. Online services have helped, but there again, creates a whole new problem. People have gotten comfortable staying home and watching online and count it as having gone to church. The lack of relationships. We were created for relationship. We were never made to live this life alone.

God demonstrated that from the very beginning in Genesis 2:18 “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

Social Media and online services are great for shut-ins and to compete with all the voices of the world, however, as far as maintaining healthy relationships with other believers it makes it hard. Like I said earlier, this is not the temple as described in scripture, this is simply a building where the church which is the true believers who are the temple, come together in unity to corporately worship the Lord who is so deserving of our praise and not neglecting the meeting together and fellowship of saints.

Hebrews 10:24–25 “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

We were created to worship together, learn together, grow together, and do life together which is the very definition of discipleship.

With the world and all of its voices doing its best to isolate us by busying our time, It is no wonder churches have started declining and closing shop. The churches seem to be losing the battle. But there is hope.

What if I were to tell you that there is one voice that stands above them all? How about One word that explains everything? Hebrews opens by telling us that voice and One word is the name above all names. It is Jesus.

Lets’ look at our main scripture this morning.

Hebrews 1-2:4

Hebrews 1–2:4 NASB95

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He ever say, “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again, “I will be a Father to Him And He shall be a Son to Me”? And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “And let all the angels of God worship Him.” And of the angels He says, “Who makes His angels winds, And His ministers a flame of fire.” But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness above Your companions.” And, “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the works of Your hands; They will perish, but You remain; And they all will become old like a garment, And like a mantle You will roll them up; Like a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.” But to which of the angels has He ever said, “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Your enemies A footstool for Your feet”? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? Moving on into chapter 2. For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

Let’s pray.

Hebrews 1:1–2a: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son...”

Point 1: God Has Spoken, Finally and Fully in His Son

What are the differences between the Old Testament prophets and Jesus?

Prophets were human beings chosen by God to deliver specific messages. They were sinners and fallible, even if they were divinely inspired.

Jesus was the Son of God, God incarnate—not just a prophet, but the Messiah, fulfilling prophecy. He was sinless and fully divine.

Let me simplify: The prophets were like a candlelight; while Jesus is the sun.

The prophets gave partial messages; Jesus gives the final word.

The reason we do not have modern day prophets is because the Old Testament Prophets prophesied and pointed to Jesus. We don’t need new revelations to know who God is because we now have Jesus.

Point 2: Jesus Is the Radiance and Exact Imprint of God

Look at verse 3: “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature...” He is God incarnate. He was God in the form of man.

The word “Radiance” is like the sunlight to the sun. Jesus is not just reflecting God; He is God shining forth.

Jesus is an “Exact imprint” — He’s not a copy or a shadow. He is the perfect representation of God’s essence. Jesus Christ is God.

Application: If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. He is not a messenger of God. He is God.

Point 3: Jesus Upholds All Things and Purifies Us

Jesus not only created the world but holds it together moment by moment.

John 1:1–3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”

Our main scripture tells us that:

He made purification for sins. This is a clear reference to the cross. Without Jesus dying in our place on the cross and becoming the perfect sacrifice, we would still be held accountable and dead spiritually to our sin.

“He sat down” — His work is complete. No more sacrifices are needed. Jesus served as the ultimate and final sacrifice settling the debt we owed for sin once and for all.

Matthew 11:28–30 ““Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.””

Application: We are to rest in the finished work of Christ. He holds our life and our salvation.

Verses 5 -14 shift and make the argument that Christ is God and higher than the angels. Why would the writer need to do this? Commentary’s agree a point to one answer: Listen to what one commentator wrote.

Hebrews: Christ—Perfect Sacrifice, Perfect Priest Background and Setting

Emphases on the Levitical priesthood and on sacrifices, as well as the absence of any reference to the Gentiles, support the conclusion that a community of Hebrews was the recipient of the epistle. Although these Hebrews were primarily converts to Christ, there were probably a number of unbelievers in their midst who were attracted by the message of salvation but had not yet made a full commitment of faith in Christ. (Sounds a lot like the modern day church.) One thing is clear from the contents of the epistle: The community of Hebrews was facing the possibility of intensified persecution (10:32–39; 12:4). As they confronted this possibility, the Hebrews were tempted to cast aside any identification with Christ. They may have considered demoting Christ from God’s Son to a mere angel. Such a precedent had already been set by the Qumran community of messianic Jews living near the Dead Sea. They had dropped out of society, established a religious commune, and included the worship of angels in their brand of reformed Judaism. The Qumran community had even gone so far as to claim that the angel Michael was higher in status than the coming Messiah. These kinds of doctrinal aberrations could explain the emphasis in Hebrews chapter one on the superiority of Christ over the angels.

The generation of Hebrews receiving this epistle had practiced the Levitical sacrifices at the temple in Jerusalem. Jews living in exile had substituted the synagogue for the temple but still felt a deep attraction to the temple worship. Some had the means to make regular pilgrimages to the temple in Jerusalem. The writer of this epistle emphasized the superiority of Christianity over Judaism and the superiority of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice over the repeated and imperfect Levitical sacrifices observed in the temple.

Point 4: Jesus Is Superior to Angels

Hebrews 1:4–14: The writer uses several Old Testament quotes to declare Jesus’ supremacy over angels.

In Jewish thought, angels were exalted beings. But Jesus is higher.

These quotes tell us:

In verse 5, Jesus is the Son. This is a quote directly from God.

In verse 6, Angels worship Him.

In verses 7-9 the angels declare His Majesty.

In fact, verse 8 tells us that Jesus reigns on a throne forever

Verse 10-12 tell us that Jesus is eternal and unchanging

Application: We often exalt the wrong things—spiritual experiences, status, angels, even good things. But only Jesus deserves our worship.

Point 5: What Does This Mean for Us?

We must stay focused and not drift from the true gospel. In fact the beginning of chapter 2 warns us not to drift.

Verse 1: Believers are urged to pay careful attention to what they have heard so they don’t drift away from it.

Verse 2: The message delivered by angels (referring to the Old Covenant) was binding and came with just punishment for disobedience.

Verse 3: Since the New Covenant message of salvation was first declared by the Lord (Jesus), ignoring it would bring even greater consequences.

Verse 4: God confirmed this message through signs, wonders, miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.

The main warning given to us in these 4 verses is that the superiority and seriousness of the gospel message. Believers are to remain firm and attentive to it.

As Hebrews Chapter 1 so vividly points out:

Since Jesus is the ultimate revelation, listen to Him. Obedience which is righteousness.

Since He is the radiance of God, we are to worship Him.

Since He made purification for our sins, we can trust in Him.

Since He reigns forever, we should follow Him. He is the only source to eternal life.

Closing Prayer

Challenge: In a noisy world, where many voices are vying for our time and attention, there is only one true voice that we are to listen to. That One true voice is Jesus.

Ask yourself this morning, in this world with Alexa, Siri, and Google assistant, "Is Jesus my center, my anchor, my final authority?" I pray the answer is a resounding yes.

Let’s stand for prayer