Christ of Today

Heb. 1:1-4

Hebrews 1:1–4 (NKJV)

God’s Supreme Revelation

1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

Prayer

There is a lot of talk about God these days. And rightfully so. It is times of stress and darkness when people often run to God.

Hebrews 13:8

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

I don't believe that any has a problem with the God of Yesterday. If had 100 people and I asked them about God, they would all give some kind of account of the God of the universe. More specifically, I don't think there is a problem with the Jesus of days past. Several religions believe in the Jesus as a teacher, Jesus as a carpenter. Even the people of His day recognized Him as the son of Joseph and Mary.

And If we talk about the days to come, I don't think we would run into much tension as we talk about the hopeful future, the glorious coming of our Lord.

Where I believe we struggle, these are not just a lost man, who rejects God. No I’m talking to man/woman who has made a true confession of faith. Who life has been reborn of the Spirit. I believe we struggle to understand the God of today. The Christ of today.

This is the theme of the book of Hebrews. The author wanted us to hold fast to the Christ of Today. Yes there is hope in remembering what God has done for you in the past. there are times when we have to hit the rest button, and go back to the place of your salvation. and Yes, there is a blessing in the book of Revelation. Revelation 1:3 “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.”

But today, we need a word for today.

As we read the bible we see a whole chapter in this book dedicated to those to faithfully followed God. How they made an impact on the world in-which they lived. Hebrews 1:1 “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets.”

These where men who heard the audible voice of God. These where men who went where God directed them. Men who spoke to God gave them words, they lifted hands when God gave them strength, they followed God up the mountain, they set with God in the valleys. and one prophet even met with God in the belly of a fish.

These are the prophets poke of in the first verse of our text.

But in the last days!

These are the day when the Spirit of God is poured out among men.

Jesus told His disciples moments before His ascension to His throne. John 15:26–27 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

This is The Promise of the Holy Spirit

We live in the day of Holy Spirit

The day when victory is won by God the Father, Christ the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This is the hope found in John 14:16 “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.”

Let me remind you

Hebrews 13:8

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

So, We’ve looked at the God that created the world, the God that spoke to the prophets. Now let look at the God, that leads us and guides us today.

Hebrews 1:2

“has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.”

Now we are at the center piece of our hope (Jesus Christ).

In just verses 1-2, we see Him as the supreme spokesman (verse 1), the appointed Heir (verse 2), and in that same verse, the creator and Maker of the universe.

Let us spend the remainder of our time focusing in on those three aspects of Christ.

First, Christ is the supreme spokesman of God.

Well remember How we took a quick look at the prophets of Old. They all had something in common. They where all like you and me. born sinners in need of salvation.

For example, Aaron, Moses’s brother who God appointed as high priest over the Israel. Not only sacrifices animals for the sins of the people, he also had to offer up sacrifices for himself. Leviticus 16:11 reads, “And Aaron shall bring the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull as the sin offering which is for himself. “

In other words, all the faithful prophets we read about in Heb. 11, had zero power to save themselves. We are all in the same boat. Sinners in need of a savior.

But Christ! Hebrews 6:20 “where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

Our hope for today, is that Christ is our high Priest.

Just picture:

A high priest putting ropes around their ankles so that if they died in the presence of God, someone could pull their bodies out, and not defile the inner holy courts of God.

Think about the amount of blood shed for all the people of Israel, faithfully making visible atonements to God. Well, we have a superior High Priest, who was our sacrifice. Hebrews 2:17 “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” Hebrews 9:12 “Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”

-This is the hope of the Christ of today.

That He is your sacrifice. That he conquered sin and death. That is is Christ that sits at the right hand of the Father making intercession for you and me.

-This is the hope of the Christ of Today.

Secondly, Jesus Christ is the appointed Heir of all things.

What does this mean? well I'm glad you asked. It means that Jesus Christ is to receive and be “the lawful Owner of all things”

This means all power.

Matthew 28:18 “...All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

The word here used for authority is the word “Power”. Here we get the picture of combustion and extreme authority. and the power to create and destroy.

another pillar of authority is that Christ is the final judge. “For the Father (God) judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son (Christ).

Lastly, all power means, Christ has Lordship over all of is creation. Romans 14:9 “For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.”

-This is the hope of the Christ of Today.

That Christ has all of the power. That Christ has all authority. “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain ,To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

Now lets look at the last aspect: That Christ is the creator and Maker of the universe.

Hebrews 1:3 (NKJV)

3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

This is the eternal God. God who is not held bound by a rotating earth, spinning around the Sun.

No, This means that Jesus Christ Himself possessed the glory of God; before He ever came into the world.

In fact, He has always existed in the glory of God.

Listen to the words of Christ as he prayed to God in John 17:5 “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”

Jesus Christ has always been and will always be the eternal God of Glory.

Colossians 2:9 “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.”

So our hope in the Christ of today,

that Christ is the Source of reality and truth, the very presence of God Himself.

Think about it, if you brought a Ram truck, we can expect that Ram know how to fix their product.

Christ is the creator of both the heaven and the earth. The only one who can fix the problems that we see; can only come from the god of creation.

This is the glorious hope of the Christ of today. God does exist. That God has revealed Himself to us in a way that we can understand. In the life and ministry of Christ Jesus. Who is our all sufficient Prophet, Priest, and King.

Conclusion:

The question I pose today:

Have you heard from Christ today?

Have you taken time out of your busy day to be alone with God. Have you like the Danial asked: Daniel 10:19 “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

Know that Christ desires to commune with you. For you are His wonderful creation, you are his son and daughters. David said, Psalm 23:5 “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. “

God desires to eat with you, to dine with you. To be in communion with you.

This is the Christ of today.

Prayer