Hebrews Part 1

Intro:

Introduction:

Backstory on Hebrew

Likely written before AD 70 and the destruction of Jerusalem but after Christ’s ascension which is around 30 AD

The author is unknown. Best guesses are Paul, Apollos, Barnabas or Peter but we simply do not know.

The audience of this book is also unknown but based on the writings within the book we can gather information about them.

The audience has a great knowledge of the OT and its writings

They have been faced with persecution and suffering but had not faced martyrdom yet. (Heb 10:32-34, 12:4.)

There are arguments to be made for where the audience was spiritually. And I believe they would fall into one of these two categories:

Hebrew Christians who began to suffer and now question whether or not the gospel of Jesus is worth the cost

Hebrew non-christians who were intellectually convinced of the gospel is believable but not something to commit your life to

In their struggles they are being tempted to return to old ways, specifically, Judaism.

Since Judaism was recognized as a legal religion at the time, leaving Christianity for Judaism promised safety.

But the authors aim: to call them back, to warn them of the danger of falling away, and to point them to the all-sufficient Christ.

The overall theme:

Jesus is greater!

The supremacy, superiority, or pre-eminence of Christ.

He is better than anyone and anything else

And this is the theme we will follow throughout our time in Hebrews.

And Hebrews begins with a sort of summary of the whole epistle in the first 3 verses.

“Church family, in a world where voices are shouting at us from every direction—social media, news headlines, political debates, workplace chatter—it’s easy to lose sight of the one voice we most need to hear: the voice of God, speaking to us through His Son, Jesus Christ.”

Read Hebrews 1:1–3

Hebrews 1:1–3 NIV

1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Prayer

Star Wars - a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away

I. Persevere in the Faith of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1–2)

A. God’s final word is in His Son.

Hebrews opens up with - “In the past” = Just like Genesis and the gospel of John, Hebrews opens up with a chronological reference taking readers back to the beginning of creation.

It’s a remarkable feature of Hebrews, one that is going to set the trajectory for how the book needs to be interpreted.

Because, these introductory verses set the context for how the author of Hebrews will explain the gospel.

He doesn’t say “Hey remember Jesus, his story beginning in Bethlehem and He went on to do some pretty cool things.”

He is drawing the audience back to the very beginning and to the covenants in the OT.

Why is this important?

Because the Holy Spirit, through the author of Hebrews, is placing the story of Christ within the context of God’s entire redemptive plan

A redemptive plan that spans from creation to new creation.

The story of God’s saving work in Jesus Christ begins not just during the age of the Roman Empire but “in the past” or other translations would say “long ago” in the narratives of the Old Testament.

In other words: the account of God’s saving work in Jesus Christ begins at the very beginning of Creation and all that the audience has seen in the OT is pointing to Christ

This is the centrality of Christ

The author goes on to highlight that the incarnation of Christ is not the first time God intervened or spoke to His creation.

The incarnation is undoubtedly unique but God has all the while been active in unfolding the drama of redemption and setting the stage for Christ since the dawn of creation

So, it’s not like Adam and eve sin, the curse enters and God says well I’ll see yall in a few thousand years when I send my Son

No, He actively moves and speaks and works His redemptive plan even when humans fail and don’t hold up their end

It says He “spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways.”

Old Covenant era. God spoke through prophets in many ways: dreams, visions, signs, miracles.

in vs 2 it says “In these last days” = so we are moving/transitioning here to New Covenant era, inaugurated by Jesus.

What does it say? God has spoken to us by His Son.

Jesus is not just a messenger; He is the message. He is the Word made flesh (John 1:14).

Illustration: Imagine your greatest idol, imagine them writing you a letter. imagine them showing up at your house.

God didn’t just send a letter through the prophets—He came Himself in Jesus.

So one of the most important assertions made by the author in these first few verses is that God is a speaking God.

And the Bible regularly affirms this fact.

And so these first few verses should remind us that few things are more important than the notion that God has spoken throughout history and has now given his final revelation in Christ Jesus

This is extreme and amazing grace

We regularly thing of God’s grace in the context of salvation but we must also think about His grace in the context of revelation

If God did not reveal himself to us in his Word, we would have no knowledge of the meaning of the cross and resurrection of Christ, nor would we have any knowledge of the appropriate response to the gospel

In other words, we could not know God without revelation.

Francis Shaeffer “he is there and he is not silent.”

It is nothing but pure grace on God’s part for him to speak to us

We do not deserve his life giving words.

And yet still, our bibles sit on the shelves and collect dust

If only we could grasp the amazing grace of revelation through His Word, perhaps we would take it more seriously

Perhaps we wouldn’t try to find every excuse not to be in it but make every excuse to be in it

The fact that God would set the world in motion as supreme, Holy, glorious, and righteous, create man, we would spit in His face and make everything dead and dark, and He would respond with, “let me tell you how to make it right?”

Only an amazing grace does that

So, the author of Hebrews is helping shape some biblical theology for us here.

Reminding us that the overarching plan when reading the OT and the NT in relation to one another is about promise and fulfillment.

The author will meticulously demonstrate in the coming chapters this truth: the NT fulfills the OT.

The climax of God’s redemption is found only in Jesus

II. Who is the Son? And why is he greater? (Hebrews 1:3)

A. appointed heir of all things

The author is using traditional categories of Judaism that the audience would clearly understand.

To be an heir was to be invested with and in everything

The son is given full authority!

To do business with the Son is to do business with the father.

Furthermore, if you are going to know the father, you can only do so through his son

B. Through whom also he made the universe

The Son is not only the fulfillment of the OT and the pinnacle of God’s saving works in history, but he is also the agent of creation.

Jesus is the beginning and the end

He is the Creator and the aim of creation

So follow the lines being connected here because it’s powerful

The God who creates is the God who redeems

So our doctrine of creation and doctrine of redemption are intrinsically connected and you can’t have a proper one without the other

Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory.

“Radiance” (apaugasma) (a pah aug sma) = the break of light, not a dim reflection, but the blazing out of God’s glory.

B. Jesus is the exact imprint of God’s nature.

“Exact imprint” (charaktēr) (ha rahk tare) = stamped image, precise representation.

If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus.

He is not a distortion, not an approximation—He is God the Son.

Being called the great value singer

The Son is not the great value version of the Father

C. Divine attributes and actions.

He sustains all things by the power of his word.

not only the active agent of creation, but he also is active in the preservation of creation

If the Son ever decided according to His will to eliminate creation, than the world would cease to exist.

He has the power to create but also the power to preserve, the power to control the power to bring to an end.

He is that powerful!

He made purification for sins—only God can do that.

This is priestly talk and a recall on the sacrificial system of the OT

The author specifically in chapters 9 and 10 will expound on this but the term is introduced here

He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high—

sign of completed work and supreme authority.

It means He is above all powers and He rules the cosmos.

It also alludes to His work of intercession for us

Application:

If Jesus is truly God in the flesh, He is not just a teacher or helper—He is Lord.

Our only right response is worship, obedience, and joyful submission.

Wrap Up:

consider the wonderfully high Christology that the author has presented in just a few words. Think about what Hebrews shows us about who Christ is in just the first 3 verses … • Son of God • Revelation of God • Fulfillment of God’s Revelation in the Old Testament • Heir of All Things • Agent of Creation • Radiance of God’s Glory • Expression of God’s Nature • Preserver of All Creation • Purifier of God’s People • Mediator for God’s People

Hebrews is not for the theologically faint of heart.

Hebrews is for those whose endurance will be richly rewarded with a remarkable portrait of Christ.

So, Hebrews clearly makes the case: Jesus is greater!

Here in 3 verses and will continue to do so.

Now, you have to wrestle with the question:

Is Jesus greater?

Do you believe this? Why not? What is better than Him?

If you intellectually agree but do not practically live as it is true:

What are the things that you choose over Him?

Everything that we put over Jesus is an idol

Hebrews is clear, Jesus is supreme, He is greater, not by opinion, not by popularity, not by force, but by fact

Jesus is greater than everything and anyone else!

And we may say that and we might even intellectually agree but until our lives reflect that truth we are living a lie.

It is the purpose of the believer to go to war with the enemy, flesh, and world. Over and over and over again until our mind, body, soul, and strength would submit and say that Jesus is greater!

Do you view Jesus this way?

Is He Lord of your life or simply a nice addition to help you feel good and hopefully grant you into heaven one day?

What in your life have you put above Christ?

Let us treasure him, our Creator and Redeemer. He is worthy, for he is supreme over all things.

For the unbeliever: Turn to Christ today—the only Savior, the final Word from God. There is nothing better!

My prayer is that we would all make that decision and we would all view Jesus properly and Hebrews is going to help us do that so come back next week as we continue to talk about this together.

Prayer: