The Supremacy of Christ

The supremacy of Christ

Scripture reading/prayer-

Hebrews 1:1-3 – 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, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made world. 3 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,

Intro- Uncertain times/changing times—The one thing that never changes- Heb. 13

- Jesus Christ never changes- Not yesterday—Not today—Not ever

- The foundation of Christ is as rock solid as it has ever been

- Do you know what else never changes?

- The message of Jesus Christ never changes

- Matt. 7:24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

The Word of God is a sure and solid foundation

This brings us to a very important reality that ought to change the way we live our lives

That is- that God has spoken to us

When we say that God has spoken-

A revealed message from God- Revelation

Two things about calling God’s Word a “revelation” from Him

1. It was at one time hidden- and then revealed to us

2. God revealing His message displays His immense grace and love for us

What we find in our passage tonight is the author’s reflection on God speaking— and on the message itself

- God has spoken- The revealed message of God

-(V. 1)- God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,

“In the past”- Pre-Christ- Old Testament

- Throughout history, despite man’s rebellion, God has spoken.

As we have already mentioned- this reveals to us the incredible mercy of God

One of my favorite pictures this is seen from Gen. 11 —> Gen 12

Abram- lost, ignorant of God, and pagan- God speaks and calls Abram

God speaking to humanity- Even in the past- reveals His mercy for us

Not only does the author say when God has spoken previously, but how

- BY prophets

Noah, Moses, David, Elijah- Individuals that God called to be His mouthpiece to be His people

Often to bring a message of warning and repentance

But this was in the past- As the author has pointed out-

How had God spoken since then?

- Through His Son (v. 2)

- in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made world.

- “In these last days”- A common phrase that we see in God’s Word

- Since the start of the church age we have been in the last days.

It is that Christ is returning- which is good for us who know Christ- and bad for those who do not

The church looks forward to the finished work of salvation

The world looks forward to judgement

- Time is running short- and has been since the ascension of Christ.

- Knowing this brings us to the importance of knowing the final message from God

- The final message of God-

- Two things to know that are vitally important

1. To understand that God HAS spoken

2. To understand HOW He has spoken

- That being by His Son

The entirety of the OT-

The ministry of the prophets-

The proclamation of the coming of the kingdom, need for repentance and judgement

These things were not the substance (or the final) message- They were the shadow

Christ is the substance

The final message from God is the person, work and message of Jesus Christ

- The heresy of further revelation- The belief that God is revealing new, special revelation today.

- The “God told me” crowd, is a dangerous and heretical path

- This kind of behavior produces 3 unavoidable consequences

1. The inflation & magnification of man

2. Free range Christianity- Anything goes because anything can be amended and changed due to “new revelation”

3. It diminishes the message of Jesus-

To add to the message of God by claiming “new revelation”- we are detracted from the sufficiency of Christ and the power of the Gospel

Often the rebuttal of this camp might be something like this, “well, you just are limiting God! You are saying that God isn’t able to speak anything new! How unspiritual of you!”

It is not that God isn’t “able” to speak- It’s just that everything that needs to be said has already been said in the Lord Jesus

Humanities desperate need for salvation is not found in “new” revelation

It is not found in a plan, or a program- it is found in a person- Jesus Christ

- The message of the Gospel found in the person of Jesus Christ is the final message from God- No other revelation needed- Nothing else needs to be added-

- The author of Hebrews moves from telling us that Jesus is the final message from God- because He is the sufficient message from God

- Jesus is the all sufficient message of God- The person and work of Jesus Christ- V. 2-3

- 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made world. 3 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,

- Jesus, our sufficient sacrifice-

- v. 3b- “When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High”

Very quickly in this letter- the author has made mention of the sacrifice of Christ

Encouraging us to think of Calvary and to think of it often

Christ died for our sins- it is by His pure life and sacrificial death that our sin has been purged- not covered up- not swept under a rug- paid for in full

The cross puts us all in proper perspective-

Have we ever thought that we have earned our salvation in any way?

Have we ever became prideful over our own “good deeds”?

If we ever have- then Christian a long look at the cross will remind us of our sin- and more importantly will remind us of Christ’s purifying work on the cross

Not only does this passage remind us of Christ’s purifying work on the cross, but also of Christ’s resurrection, and ascension

- “He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High”

This not only tells us of Christ’s authority (sitting at the right hand of God) but also speaks to us of the final and sufficient work of Christ on the cross

After Christ had made purification for sin, He SIT DOWN- so as to say that the work is finished

Don’t believe me?

Hebrews 10:11 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

Jesus is the sufficient message from God because He is

The sufficient sacrifice

Lord of all

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2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made world. 3 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,

In this passage there are 4 things that speak to the nature and person of Christ

“Heir of all things”

“Creator of all things”

“The radiance of God’s glory”

“Exact representation”- Exact imprint of God’s nature

- “Heir”- Speaking of one to inherit- Not by favor, but by legal right

- In Jewish culture- The firstborn Son was set to inherit all things from the father

- By his inheritance, he was seen as an equal to his own father-

This title being attached to Jesus is doing just that- making him equal to God the Father

“Through whom He also made the world”

Col1:16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

All things were made

Through Him

By Him

and For Him

“The radiance of the glory of God”

- “Radiance”- A light that shines forth-

- The glory of God is a theme that we see all throughout the Old Testament

- Mount Sinai- Moses & the Israelites

- Isaiah 6- The vision of God’s throne

- The statement of this passage is that He shines out and has displayed to us the very light of the glory of God

- Immanuel- God with us- Eclipse- Special glasses

- Through the incarnation of Christ, we are able to see and know the radiance of God’s glory

- Col 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

- “Exact imprint of His nature”-

- A perfect imprint- representation of something

- Nature- The total substance or essence of something

- What is all this saying? That Jesus is God-

- “If you have seen me you have seen the Father”

Conclusion-

Changing times bring out a desperate need for something steady- something sufficient and final that we can depend on

Church, that something is the message of Jesus

Jesus is

The final message from God

The sufficient message from God

And is God Himself

There is nothing more sure or steady that the Lord Jesus Christ- who calls us to

1. Repent from our sins, and believe on Him for salvation

2. Cast our burden on Him- and trust Him in all things