The Superiority of Christ

Passage

Hebrews 1:1–2 NASB95

1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son…

Intro

Context

The Book of Hebrews

THEME: “The Preeminence of Jesus Christ”

He is superior to and preeminent over everyone and everything

And proves the merits of Christ and the New Covenant, in contrast to the Old

To understand Hebrews, important to understand Leviticus…

Author

Is unknown

Paul, Apollos, Barnabas, Clement of Rome

Origen said: “No one knows” … ironic, given that the book was written to exalt Christ, not a man

However, what we CAN know, is that it WAS written by an inspired believer… to a suffering/persecuted group of Jewish Christians

Written by the Holy Spirit

Date

MUST lie between 30-70AD

30AD being the earliest supposed date of the resurrection

70AD being the fall of Jerusalem, which internal evidence shows hasn’t yet taken place

Hebrews 5:12 NASB95

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

The letter was KNOWN by Clement of Rome by 96AD

Also appears that those who had initially taught them had died… one evidence:

Hebrews 13:7 NASB95

Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.

The PROPOSED date, is 64-65AD

Location

Hebrews 13:24 NASB95

Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.

It seems the letter was written FROM Italy… which is the general consensus

But the Greek language also supports the use of the phrase “TO Italy”

Also remember that by this time, the recipients of the letter had been evangelized by the apostles and prophets

Hebrews 2:1–4 NASB95

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.

Lastly, The Audience!

Notably, there’s no reference to Gentiles in the book

No reference to the problems between Jews and Gentiles

But seems to be written to a Jewish community of believers!

Context

These Jews had JUST come out of Judaism

They are now BORN AGAIN, and following Christ Jesus as Lord

… This, naturally led to hostility

Persecution, Ostracism, & Suffering

Judaism was founded by GOD! … would have been incredibly difficult

It was a people, who hadn’t matured in Christ

‘For though by this time you ought to be teachers’ — Heb 5:12

Lacked a full confidence

Were in danger of falling back into the Jewish system

They were confusing the gospel

Many in danger of losing the salvation they obtained

What they needed, was this book…

What we need, is this book

What we need, is to view Christ in the most glorious way

I believe this study will help us see him… see our hope… and quench any doubt we may have concerning Him

Exegesis

Hebrews 1:1 “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,”

1. God is Not Absent From His Creation

There was never a time in Creation where God was absent from His creation

Scripture says: “God spoke, and He STILL speaks!”

He spoke to Adam — He speaks to us through His enduring & powerful word!

Colossians 1:16–17 “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

We hear people say all the time: “Well I’ve never SEEN God” … as if that proves He’s absent

In the Bible there was a man named Thomas, “I WILL not believe Jesus is risen unless I see Him!”

You may not see him now

You may not see air, but you know its there

You may not see the sun behind the roof, but you know it’s there

The Bible is clear… 2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

If God is not absent, that means He is present & involved!

He’s not distant!

He’s not out of reach!

He SPEAKS… and the sound of His voice radiates from His written word

2. God Has Revealed Himself

Like a blind man receiving sight… we have received knowledge of the living God

Throughout the first part of human history… “God spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets”

The fathers are the OT people, our spiritual ancestors… (& if you happen to be Jewish, your LITERAL anscestors)

God spoke to them by the prophets, His messengers. A prophet is one who speaks to men for God

2 Peter 1:21 “for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

Message could have been to:

Reveal Himself

Reveal Righteousness

Reveal Judgement

Verse one says: They did this “In many portions & in many ways”

2 different Greek words to describe HOW God spoke

The first: PORTIONS

Times — ESV

Sundry times — KJV

Different times — CSB

This describes the FREQUENCY of God’s voice!

Whether by Vision / Parable / Symbol / Dream / Angel / Burning Bush… these were collected in our OT!

The second: WAYS

Different ways — CSB

Divers Manners — KJV

Concerning the OT, it refers to Narrative / Poetry / Law / Prophesy

So in many portions and in many ways, God SPOKE!

Yes, He used the personalities and writing of mere men, but EVERY word… is God’s

God HAS revealed Himself!

He did then and He does today through His Son

Before we leave this verse… notice it says “long ago”…

Here’s something you need to know…

TIME, does not disavow truth

Truth is truth, no matter how the story unfolds

You might say, “well Jesus lived 2000 years ago!”

… That overlooks the fact that HE STILL LIVES TODAY

And that God SPEAKS to us through HIM… TODAY!

But you must seek His Word, seek to understand His word, and seek to conform to His word

3. God is a Personal Being

If God is one who speaks, then He is one who desires us to listen

We could never FULLY know God if He didn’t speak to us…

Finite vs Infinite

Our box

But God became a man and entered our “earth” to tell us about Himself, in a more complete and glorious way, than the prophets could EVER do.

Every other religion attempts to “discover” God

Only in Christianity, does God reveal Himself directly, and personally to us

In the OT, God was known as:

Elohim: “The powerful one”

Yahweh: “The existing one”

In the NT, Jesus IS

Yahweh

Speaks as Yahweh

Worshipped as Yahweh

We serve a God, who is superior to every living thing…

Yet willingly, allowed Himself to be crucified, for YOU, and for me.

Love

The love of God, is greater than… what does trump say: “anything we’ve ever seen”

We serve a PERSONAL God

Hebrews 1:2 “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.”

4. God’s Revelation is Complete

Notice the first part of verse 2: “in these last days has spoken to us in His Son”

What are the “last days?”

As Christians we recognize that we are indeed living in the last days

1 John 2:18 “Children, it is the last hour…”

But scripture is clear enough in Hebrews 1:2 “in THESE last days… He HAS spoken” (“Has” being a present active indicative)

But this letter is to JEWISH Christians… what might they remember, when they hear this phrase?

Jeremiah 33:14–16 “‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. ‘In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. ‘In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell in safety; and this is the name by which she will be called: the Lord is our righteousness.’”

Micah 5

Zechariah 9

A Jew hearing this would have MESSIANIC thoughts!

You remember the woman from Samaria?

John 4:25 “The woman *said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.””

Although a Samaritan, an offshoot of Judaism… she KNEW that when the Messiah arrived, He would unfold the last, full and final revelation of God to men… and so it happened

“I who speak to you, am He”

The last days, MUST be, the promised days when Christ has spoken the final revelation of God

SINCE revelation is complete…

We cannot add or take away

We cannot believe the Quaran, the Book of Mormon

We cannot believe the person who claims divine inspiration

The Holy Spirit guy

God, in these last days, has spoken THROUGH… HIS… SON

We have everything we need, to obey the good news of our Lord, Jesus Christ

Conclusion

We learned

God is not absent from His creation

God has revealed Himself

God is a personal being

God’s revelation is complete

But most important, we see Christ, as greater than any human, greater than any prophet

He is preeminent

He is sufficient

He is the embodiment of all the OT truth and more

He is the revelation of God

He is the Lord of these Christian Jews

& He is the Lord of all, who call upon His name

Do you know Him today?

Are you in sin?

Are you apart of His family?

The wages of sin is death… but Jesus paid it all!

Submit your life to Him, come today and confess Him as Lord… repent, and become a Christian by being baptized for the remission of you sins… as we stand and sing