HEBREWS-JESUS IS BETTER: Who Is This Jesus

 Who Is This Jesus Hebrews 1:4-14 Understanding who Jesus is, rightly - helps me follow Him. Even when following isn’t fun. When following doesn’t feel good. And when something else seems as good as Jesus. Knowing who He is keeps me safe. That is what our verses, 4-14 today will show - within 3 versus it’s been established that Jesus is enough for our salvation and security, now we’re on to the next thing, the proof of Jesus deity which when we learn of that, everything else becomes automatic. If Jesus’ is the son of God and the son of man (as He says) then following Him even when the facts look cloudy becomes a no brainer. And these believers in the book of Hebrews today, they’ve started drifting from the grace bought by Christ and so they need more clarity on who Jesus is. And the way that this point is proven is almost as important as the point, itself the author of the book of Hebrews will pit the Bible against itself in order to bring out complicated truth. If we can recognize a few things about the Bible or of the Bible this morning, we’ll see what the writer is doing, a) The Bible is God’s word b) The Bible is inerrant c) The Bible cannot be broken Maybe you’re thinking so what - let me tell you so what, let me tell you why that should matter - if you’re telling a lie, or making up something wouldn’t you try to simplify that lie, not grow its complexity. The author here in the book of Hebrews is going to pit elements of scripture against each other to prove a point the complexity of who Jesus is isn’t a short coming in a story - rather when rightly understood, the complexity of who Jesus is highlights WHO Jesus IS. In our study we’ve said Jesus is enough - and that’s the point of Hebrews, now 3 verses in and from verses 4-14 we’re going to see scripture collapsed against itself to show who Jesus is. As we look at these verses I want us to be challenged by this - now hear me, I’m not saying I want us to accept this (because it speaks of the Bible and not from the Bible) however, consider it: “We believe that the Bible is inerrant because we believe that the Bible is inspired, not the other way around.” Ligon Duncan When we realize that this Bible is God’s word to us, a lasting word that’s all we need for doctrine, reproof and training (2 Timothy 3:16) - then we’ll be satisfied. Not that we’ll be satisfied and that our desire for God would be quenched, rather that we’d be satisfied that we don’t need to look any other pace to know God, but right here. We’d be amazed that we have access to all that God desired to reveal to use. We’d be satisfied that by knowing this, we know God’s revelation to us. We’ll be satisfied that when we want to know about God, His plan, His gospel, His desire for us - we come here. To THESE 66 books and for as long as we live we’ll never exhaust them, let’s take a peak. Hebrews 1:4–14 (ESV) 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. Remember this book of Hebrews is written to Hebrew Christians. Raised Hebrew, now after The Christ, the Messiah Jesus has come they’re Christian believers - who have started to go back to ceremony that was designed to highlight Jesus, back to Law that was to bridge time until Jesus, and are being reminded through scriptures they’ll have known since their youth of the uniqueness of Jesus. People who know there is something in a name. Jesus’ being son of God. You may see angels giving “sons of God” in Job 1:6 in a general since, or believers “sons of God” John 1:12 again in a general since - but Jesus is specifically Son of God. This is different and they understood it. 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? As I said earlier, the inspired inerrant word is being used to make this point. Going back to the Old Testament Scriptures. Here Psalm 2:7 is quoted, this is a messianic psalm, one written before Jesus life on earth but with clarity of what was to come. Again, scripture is written and given to us to know God, do know his plan, and to understand in retrospect the plan of God. The more we’re amazed by Scripture the more we see God as its author, the more we’ll rely on it, treasure it, and go to it for our satisfaction in God. Verse 5 continues: Or again, “I will be to him a father, And he shall be to me a son”? This is from: 2 Samuel 7:14 (ESV) 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, Rods and stripes are themes that pointed forward to Christ, later we’d hear by his stripes we are healed, here we see that God will discipline “with the rods of men” do you see how tight this story is woven, it points back to itself and shows the nuances, to goes back across time to show what God was showing so that we’d be sure in Christ. 6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, We hinted at this last week, firstborn is a concept. Not a matter of creation and of birth order but to the Hebrew mind firstborn is preeminence. Don’t just believe me, let’s look to inerrant scripture: Psalm 89:27 (ESV) 27 And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. This Psalm talks of David being made the first born (though he wasn’t), in fact he was Jesse’s youngest son - but he was the most prestigious and preeminent, firstborn is a term here for preeminence. What happens next is either sinful or revelation” “Let all God’s angels worship him.” Before we explore the worship of Jesus by the angles lets point to a problem: Luke 4:8 (ESV) 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’ ” Exodus 34:14 (ESV) 14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), Deuteronomy 6:13–14 (ESV) 13 It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. 14 You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you— Let all God’s angels worship Him… Do you see the problem? Let’s go back to a quote made earlier: “We believe that the Bible is inerrant because we believe that the Bible is inspired, not the other way around.” Ligon Duncan That’s important, because the Bible has pitted itself against, itself. Only God can receive worship, the angels are commanded either 1) to blaspheme God (a sin) or to give worship to Jesus (which can only be given to God Himself). This book of Hebrews with authorship confusion is revelation from God, unclouded by human authorship, within 7 verses has established the that things have changed for the Hebrew believers - at first he spoke through the prophets but now, through the Christ, whose work is finished. And so, this son, with name greater than angels, preeminent, able to accept worship is Jesus who is God and has changed absolutely everything. He satisfies Isaiah 53:5 (ESV) 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. Peter would clarify later: 1 Peter 2:21–25 (ESV) 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. For the sake of our understanding that Jesus is the fullness of God, the believers who were looking for something other than Jesus, we’re told there is nothing higher, no name greater, no experience, no ceremonies, nothing on all the earth which could satisfy them - and nothing has changed. When we know that God authored the scriptures by inspiration, this Bible is His reveled word - Jesus is Enough - the question remains enough for what? Jesus is Enough for us to know our creator - Jesus is Enough for reconciliation, through His stripes we’re healed. Jesus is Enough church. Maybe we’re searching for something else, like the Hebrew Christians in view of this book - the inspired Word of God, that cannot contain error & shows that Jesus IS God - what else would we seek? Let’s learn to treasure what we’ve got in this word. Let’s not seek for other things, other experiences, rather let’s trust that as we read this inspired inerrant word that we’re conformed - it changes us: Romans 12:2 (ESV) 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. a) The Bible is God’s word b) The Bible is inerrant c) The Bible cannot be broken Since this is true, we can understand Ligon’s statement “We believe that the Bible is inerrant because we believe that the Bible is inspired, not the other way around.” When we know that the Bible is true, and not like we know Pluto is a planet is true, but that we know it’s inspired by God, who is all knowing and cannot lie - Numbers 23:19, Samuel 15:29, Hebrews 6:18. We can trust then it’s true because of God’s nature. It’s inerrant and so, do we believe the Bible? Yes - with everything. And so we can inspect God’s word, and understand it against itself to understand deep truths - just as we’ve seen in the book of Hebrews - that Jesus is God because God commands the angels to worship Jesus. I pray for us that we’ll come to cling to the inerrancy of the Bible and know it to be God’s own revelation to us, because when we understand that we’ll explore it more, and as we explore it more we’ll be transformed through our minds, and we’ll be His church (Christ’s body) on earth. The error that comes from believing false information is protected as we get our truth of life and God from scripture - that’s where the book of Hebrews turns as the believers are turning to error - it turns them squarely back to scripture. Let’s be in scripture knowing it’s without error and let’s allow that to be our source of truth about God - amen - let’s be a Church that celebrates scriptures inerrancy. 1) The Bible is God’s word 2) The Bible is inerrant 3) The Bible cannot be broken If This Is True, What Stops Us From Stepping Out in Faith? HEBREWS-JESUS IS BETTER Who Is This Jesus Pastor John Weathersby Transcend Church 5 of 5 Sunday1/11/2018