Heb 1:3 God's Son (part 2)

Hebrews 1:1–3 ESV

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Our lives are characterized by repetition. From the time we were born up through today and until we die, we do the same things everyday. Everyday we sleep, eat, drink water, brush teeth, take shower, go to the bathroom, etc. Most of the time in our lives is surrounded by activities that we repeat everyday.

We repeat these things because we have to, we need to. Another thing that we need to repeat and be reminded of is the deity of Christ. The author of Hebrews repeats eight times in v 2-3.

As I read this in the screen the highlighted/ bolder portions are these reminders

but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God

A few weeks ago we studied v 2 and learned that Jesus is God’s Son, that He is appointed by God the Father as the heir of all things, the world was created through Him and that Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God. These are the first 4 reminders of the deity of Christ - and we know that this is part of the truth we need to continue filling our minds constantly and repetitively.

Today we will look at the other descriptions about Christ mentioned in v3. These are the highlighted in the next slide.

and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

God’s Image

He is exact imprint of His nature, or He is God’s image.

Often when someone mentions the image of God we think of the fact that humans were created in God’s image.

Gen 1:27 says that “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him: male and female he created them.”

We know and believe this to be true. But it is a rich idea and concept. It is simple to understand, and at the same time quite profound and hard to comprehend! How are we created in His image, since God is invisible and far greater than all of His creation?

There are books dedicated just to this concept and they explain this concept much better than I could try to describe in a few short sentences. But, here is how I could attempt to summarize it. God created human beings with attributes that reflect some of God’s attributes, such as we have a spirit, we can have knowledge and wisdom, we love and we have a sense of right and wrong.

These attributes are often called communicable attributes of God, because in a sense God shares some of His attributes with human beings. Therefore, there is an intrinsic value to human beings, even after the fall, because we were created with some of His attributes.

However, this is not what Heb 1:3 is saying. Rather it says that Jesus is the exact imprint of his nature. Jesus is not created in God’s image, Jesus is God’s image.

Hebrews is not the only place in Scripture that says that Jesus is the image of God, Paul says in Col 1:15 “He is the image of the invisible God” and 2 Cor 4:4 “Christ, who is the image of God”

The language of exact imprint used in Heb 1:3 in extrabiblical Greek was the language use for the design on a coin that replicated the die from which it was cast. So if you would take a coin and look at its cast you would see that it’s the exact same image down to its minute details.

Jesus is the perfect image of the nature of the Father. Jesus Himself in John 14:8-11 answered Philip’s request to be shown the Father by saying “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

Jesus was telling his disciples the same as Hebrews 1:3, I AM (capital I AM OT description of God) I am the exact imprint of the nature of the Father. Everything in Jesus is a testimony of who God is, His words, His works, His sacrifice, His love, His compassion, mercy and grace.

If you ever come to a place to doubt Jesus’ deity this verse and the words from Jesus in John 14 make it clear that Jesus is God and without Jesus you cannot know God.

PAUSE

I believe that those of us here know and believe in Jesus. But do we live our lives like we really know Him? A lot of people in America will say that they are believers, but live their lives like they do not know God. Do you live like you know Jesus?

I think often we spend more time with God during tough times. But what about the rest of the time? We do the same things everyday, we are creatures of habit, we all have tasks that we do everyday. We sleep, eat, drink, clean, organize things, work, rest, brush teeth, etc. What if while we do these things we have a conversation with Jesus? What if we would invite Jesus to help us with our repetitive work or tasks?

Often when I ask Byron to do something, he says, but why?

So, why should we do this? First because Jesus is the exact imprint of God’s nature. We have the privilege to come before Him, to know Him, to have fellowship with Him. It’s how we will recognize the Father at work and His presence.

But, the author of Hebrews also gives us another reason, because Jesus upholds the universe by the word of his power.

Upholds the Universe

Some of you know that in antiquity people believed that Atlas, a Titan from the Greek Mythology, held the earth on top of his shoulders like a dead weight. (chuckle) In the 21st century with the development in science people try to understand how the universe is held together.

Physics and Quantum Physics teach us that there are four basic forces in nature. Gravity, Electromagnetic force, Strong Nuclear force and Weak nuclear force. Two forces at the level of atoms and two forces at the level of astronomy.

However, even with all the research and study in these forces there is still a lot of unknowns, even with the oldest known force, gravity. But what if gravity would stop. We and other things would be floating around, but much worse than that, air and water would lose their attraction to earth and there would be no life without water or air.

We might give names to the forces that keep an atom together and the forces that keep celestial bodies in orbit. We, as believers, don’t have to look any further than the Bible to answer the question regarding the holding together of the universe. There are some who would argue but that’s “just faith in an unknown” I would respond then what is believing in gravity other than a faith in the unknown. But it is Jesus who upholds the universe by the word of his power.

Back to our authority the Word of God. Paul says in Colossians something similar to the author of Hebrews in

Colossians 1:17 ESV

17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

The language of upholding the universe by the word of his power seems to be correlated to Gen 1 where we learn that God created the world by the power of his word. And applying what we have already learned - that Jesus is the Father’s exact image - it is not hard to believe and understand that He holds all things together.

All things are held together by His power. He is the force that keep all the forces of nature together. From the tiniest thing possible, the atoms. He holds the entirely of the universe together. For in holding the atoms together, he holds water and air and everything else together. He is the one keeping us on the ground and making it possible to have air and water and sunshine.

So when we do the same things everyday, sleeping, eating, drinking, cleaning, organizing, working, resting, brushing our teeth, etc, we do these things we have a conversation with Jesus? What if we would invite Jesus to help us with our repetitive work or tasks?

So, why should we do this? Because Jesus is upholding the universe by the word of his power. We can give Him thanks for holding everything together; from the atoms and molecules to the stars and planets, yet. We lowly created sinful being have the privilege to come before Him, to know Him, and to have fellowship with Him!

PAUSE

As if this second reason wasn’t enough the author of Hebrews also gives us another reason... He made purification for our sins.

Purification for sins

There is so much packed in these three words: purification for sins.

The main problem in our world and in ourselves is sin. Scripture, our consciences and experience testify that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And of ourselves there is nothing we can do to pay for our sins because the wages of sin is death.

Heb 9:22 says that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

But what man could not do, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us. (Rom 8:3-4)

When we look at the craziness and chaos of this world we might consider the question: what’s wrong with this world? or when we have an honest look at ourselves we might ask: what’s wrong with me?

What is wrong is sin. The solution is Jesus Christ.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor 5:21)

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Col 1 :19-20)

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace (Eph 1:7)

Christ’s life and death made the payment for sins that we could not do.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph 2:8-9 )

Salvation and grace is possible because Christ made purification for sins. What an amazing God we serve! The one who holds the stars in His hands poured out his blood for you.....

Considering who Jesus is and what He has done, shouldn’t we spend more time with Him?

We do the same things everyday, we are creatures of habit, we all have tasks that we do everyday. We sleep, eat, drink, clean, organize things, work, rest, brush teeth, etc. What if while we do these things we have a conversation with Jesus, praise Him for saving us? What if we would invite Jesus to help us with our repetitive work or tasks?

So, why should we do this? Because Jesus made purification for our sins, allowing us to come before Him, pure and holy. As we do our tasks and talk with Jesus we might be reminded of our sins. We can then ask for His forgiveness and for His help. We have the privilege to come before Him, to know Him, to have fellowship with Him.

You may be “surprised” but the author of Hebrews gives us yet another reason for why we should fellowship with Christ. He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Sat Down

You might considered the question, how is Jesus sitting at the right hand of God, when God is invisible yet everywhere?

PAUSE

The phrase sitting at the right hand indicates the exaltation and supremacy of Christ. Paul expresses the same though in a different way in Eph 4:10 where he says “He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens” and then in Phil 2:9 “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name”

We can also see this high exaltation of Christ in the book of Revelation 5 through the response of the four living creatures, the twenty-four elders and myriad of myriad of angels, singing with a loud voice

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing”

We see in this exaltation of Christ a connection to the purification for sins. In our passage here in Heb 1 the phrase sat down is also connected to the purification for sins. It says that Jesus sat down after making purification for sins. This idea is further developed later in the book of Hebrews chapter 10 where it says in v12-14

English Standard Version Chapter 10

12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

These verses indicate that the idea of sitting down points that His sacrifice was a perfect and sufficient for all time. He didn’t need to continue offering himself, contrary to the priests of the Old Testament that had to continually offer sacrifices. Jesus sacrifice was sufficient, complete, perfect and accepted by the Father.

This passage also makes reference to Psalm 110 where it says

“ The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

This is a Messianic psalm pointing to the future and eternal reign of Christ, where all nations will be under His feet and He will execute judgement among the nations.

So when it says he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high, it is also pointing to the coming King who is coming to bring judgment and His eternal kingdom. He is THE coming King.

And we all respond may it be so and may it be soon!

This heart response is aided by watching the direction our world is going. It can leave us quite discouraged especially as we ponder the future. But you know what, God doesn’t want us to put our hope in this country. He wants us to put our hope in Him as the Coming King… King of our homeland, the eternal Kingdom of God.

This Kingdom is going to be so much better than anything we can ever hope for or imagine. A kingdom where Christ is reigning completely. Everyone and everything is completely under submission to Him, No tears! No sin! No wrongdoing! A perfect world with the perfect holy God, and yes there is more! we will have full fellowship with Jesus.

Yet for now we find ourselves doing the same things everyday. We all have tasks that we do everyday. We sleep, eat, drink, clean, organize things, work, rest, brush teeth, etc. What if while we do these things we have a conversation with Jesus? What if we would invite Jesus to help us with our repetitive work or tasks?

Why should we do this? Because Jesus is coming again and in the wait we benefit from His complete work on the cross where he made purification for our sins. Despite how it looks or feels, He upholds the universe. Furthermore Christ is the exact imprint of his nature.

Hopefully you have picked up on the fact that I am suggesting that you should want to spend more time with Jesus during the things that we do everyday. If you are like me, you might try to that with every possible activity. I can’t say it won’t work, but it might be too much change all at once leaving you overwhelmed. What worked for me was to pick one activity, for example brushing my teeth, and consciously deciding to use that time to pray and talk with Jesus. Once that becomes repetitive habit you can add another, like memorizing or meditating on Scripture while driving, etc.

For me that next repetitive task is one task that seems more repetitive than I would want. Needing to fix something around our home or car. I confess that I tend to rely on Him more often when something doesn’t work, but more recently I have been asking Jesus to join me in the activity even before I am struggling. And when the tasks are done I find joy in reflecting with Jesus on how things went and how he helped me.

What I found in spending more time with Jesus in my daily repetitive tasks is the task itself becomes more enjoyable! and I really enjoy His fellowship, but the even more amazing thing that I discovered is that Jesus enjoys His time with me.

My prayer is that you will find this to be true as well as you purposefully and habitually spend more time with Him during your daily repetitive tasks.