Hebrews 1 | Jesus is Better

intro

Hey y’all. Y’all good? cool cool.

So think about this? How does God reveal Himself?

How does God reveal himself? How does God speak to us?

God spoke a bunch of different ways in the Old Testament. Bunch of different ways. Why doesn’t he speak to us like He did in the Old Testament?

So There is a whole argument out there call Divine Hiddenness that basically says God doesn’t reveal Himself and that he is not really there, the argument goes if God was really there He would reveal Himself in more apparent ways, like write his name in the sky or something like that.

SO when we hear that we need to ask, is that true? Is God actually Hidden? Does that argument hold up?

Think of it like this, who all has a group chat with their friends? Most of us. So in that group chat you’re gonna have the people who always respond, they’re the ones who really carry the load right? Like they’re sending the funny videos, asking the good questions, they do the leg work for the chat.

Then you have the people who respond every now and then, they respond when something is in their wheelhouse, or only if they have something good to say. they’re there, you see them pretty active every now and then.

Them you have the lurkers, they never respond, they don’t react, you’re not even sure if they are actually there. Like is this their phone number?

anyone got that in their chat?

So my cousins and I have a group chat, there are 7 of us on my mom’s side, and we all got to grow up together, like every Sunday we got to all be together for lunch, we would all sit around the same table, everyone of us had their designated seats. The table is actually at my house, if you’ve been to our house, our kitchen table is that old table, it’s older than me, tons of memories with that table.

Obviously now we don’t get to see each other very often, we all kinda live all over, so we have a group chat.

And my Cousins Chris and Bryan are the main contributors, they are always in there, they carry the team.

My brother, My cousin Micheal and Kevin, we are the support roles, we are active, we contribute.

but then there is my cousin Steven, and this is our lurker, this dude has gone a whole year without responding, like to the point of where we aren’t sure if he actually gets these texts. Like we never hear from Steven.

So Steven last year sent something to the group in like May of 2021, then radio silence. all summer nothing, we daily text in this group probably, last year, Fall of Afaganestan, nothing, Vaccine roll out, nothing, Braves not getting the allstar game, nothing, Fall comes around, I text a picture of an ultrasound of what would be come Price telling them we are having a baby, nothing, no response, Braves win the world series, we are going crazy in the group, like exploding all day during the world series, nothing. Winter comes, happy Thanksgiving, nothing. Christmas, New Years, Nothing, Georgia wins national Championship, nothing.

Then, spring of this year, we were all talking about how we used to live in McDonough, and Steven still went to church in McDonough, he lived in Atlanta, and drove back to McDonough to the church we grew up in every Sunday,

and there was this kinda sketchy donut store in McDonough, call Donut World, its in an old church’s chicken building, but someone made a joke about Donut World.

Immediately, Steven respond, almost a year of radio silence, — STUNNED— through some pretty memorable events radio silence,

and all he says is, “Donut world Rules.” It was just the weirdest thing, and I don’t think he’s responded since. and it’s august haha.

so back to God, is he a lurker, never saying anything, is He hidden? If he is not Hidden, if he is there, how would he reveal himself?

When I here that I want to ask, what sort of revelation would you accept? Is the world around you not enough to show you that someone put thought and order in to the world.

Or the photos we are getting back from the new James Webb Telescope, does that not show you that some thing had to create these things. Why would they exist if not to show off the Glory of an almighty creator.

You wouldn’t look at the ceiling in the sistine chapel, or any of Michelangelo's famous works art and say, wow, wild how nothing created that.

So that is the question I want to be in your head, I want that to be the backdrop of what we are talking about tonight, we know that God does reveal himself and he is not hidden, but how does he reveal Himself? So have that in your head. and stick with me.

So this year, I’m going to try and do something, i want to go a little deeper with y’all, because I think y’all can handle it. If y’all can learn all these complex ideas at school, math, economics, chemistry, you can learn some theology and take a deeper look at scripture, so y’all hang with me.

So last week I gave y’all an over view of kinda what we want to do in here, how we want to be, what our goals are, we want to be a group of disciples who make disciples, a group living in gray Georgia, on mission for the gospel.

SO tonight, we are going to start a new series walking through the book of Hebrews.

So if you have a bible, go ahead and flip over to Hebrews chapter one we are going to be in the whole chapter tonight,

does anyone need a bible? If you need a bible throw a hand up, i’ve got some, but not a ton, who needs one? If you have one at home and didn't bring it, bring it next week, if you don’t have one at home take one of these or come talk to me and we will get you one.

context

So Hebrews 1:1-14 we are going to live here tonight, and while you are getting to it, let me give you some context,

also, for the new folks in here if you are wondering why I give you context, it is because when you read scripture you need to know what was going on, who it was written to, why it was written, and if you can know who wrote it. it determines how we interpret what is being said, because scripture can never mean for us what it never meant for them. It was written to a specific group of people at a specific time in a specific place. What ever it meant to the people it was written to, it has to mean for us.

So, anyways, the book of Hebrews was written to a primarily hebrew audience, the were all Jewish people. They background is going to be jewish, they are going to know the Jewish customs and rituals, they will have grown up jewish.

It is written some where in 60 AD, which was not a great time for Christians, Nero was in power, and persecution against Christians was all around.

What we don’t really know is who wrote Hebrews, the author is lost to history, Some say Paul, Some say Luke, some even think it is Pricilla. But we don’t know.

Also, it some people think it is one of the first early christian sermons that someone wrote down. it reads kinda like a sermon.

The main point of the book, the one over arching thing in this book is “Jesus is Better” if you remember only one thing tonight, remember that Jesus is better. That is what is going on in this whole book, Jesus is Better.

So with that, let’s pray for our time in the word tonight and then we are going to read this whole passage.

Hebrews 1:1–14 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, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? 6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” 7 Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.” 8 But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” 10 And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; 11 they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, 12 like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.” 13 And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?

Okay, so what is going on here? Starts off one way, then starts talking about angels, so what’s going on here?

Our God Speaks

So the first thing we see in verse 1 and 2 is God spoke at one time in a few different ways, to the prophets who told their fathers, meaning, God spoke to the people of Israel through the prophets. This is how is worked in the old testament. God would reveal himself to these prophets, and appoint them to tell the people what he wanted them to know. He spoke to Moses through the burning bush is just one way, he spoke through dreams, through visions.

He revealed himself to specific people at specific times to get them to be their messengers. That is how god revealed himself in the Old Testament.

Then in verse two we see this phrase “but in these last days he has spoken to us by His Son.”

what is meant there is Jesus has come, God took on flesh and dwelt among His people. God no longer spoke through prophets but through the person and work of Jesus.

So this tells us two things we need to know about God, first thing.

Our God speaks. God is not silent, our God is not hidden, we serve a God who is there and reveals himself to us.

God is Knowable

Which leads to the second things this tells us about God, that God is Knowable. Our God is knowable. God has made a way for him to be known. If something speaks then we can learn about that thing.

and not just learn about but come to truly know. We serve s God that we can come to know, and wants to be known. If God didn’t want to be known, he could have remained hidden, he could have set the world in motion and just let it run. but he doesn’t do that, God had made himself available to us. For us to know Him, and know him deeply. For us to know Him and share in His glory. For us to know Him and call him Father. To have this close relationship where you know the desires of his heart, you begin to be shaped by those desires. Where you bring your suffering, and your joy to Him. You know Him and He knows you.

what kind of knowledge is that? What does it mean to know?

well question for you, someone tell me something about Abraham Lincoln. Okay, 16th president, Civil War, got Shot. Cool.

Someone tell me what was his favorite food? Favorite color? Favorite book? What kind of humor does he have?

Can’t do it can you? Why? cause you don’t know Him. You might know about him, you know he got shot. Probably not a big fan of theater anymore. but you don’t know him.

But what is your mom or dad’s favorite food? or your best friends type of humor? What makes brings your mom joy? What is an inside joke you and your dad have?

That is the way the Lord wants to be known, to be known deeply. To just know a few facts about God. or to know “God is all powerful” but to know God as Father.

Lets keep going

Jesus is Greater

Look at the last bit of verse 2 through 4. Hebrews 1:2-4

Hebrews 1:2–4 (ESV)

2.a 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, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Look at what is going on here, through our the Old Testament, throughout the history of the Hebrew people, they would have a Prophet, they would have a King, they would have a Priest.

The Prophet, like we said was how God spoke to His people in the old testament. How God revealed Himself to His people. The Priest would be the one who over saw the worship of God, the one who would go in to the temple, was the only one who could go in to the temple to make sacrifice for sin, the only one who could approach God. all the sins of the people had to be forgiven through this guy doing the sacrifice. then the King, he’s the ruler, he is guiding the people, and sometimes the Hebrew people got a great king, sometimes they got Solomon, other times the got Saul, and some times the David who was good and bad. and sometimes they would have a foreign king when they had rebelled. The Lord usually judged his people by giving them an unjust ruler.

What these verses are saying is, Jesus is Greater.

Perfect Prophet

Jesus is the Perfect Prophet, come to fulfil the full and final revelation of God. Jesus is the perfect revelation. In the Old Testament they had the words of the prophets, God was revealed through them, but it was still using a broken vessel to convey a perfect message.

In these days, We have the person and work of Jesus, Jesus was with His people, there was no middle man for the word of God, they had God in the flesh.

Perfect Priest

Jesus is the perfect Priest, when the Priest would make the sacrifice for the people of Israel, it would only be for a time. He would have to make the sacrifice again and again. Jesus when He made the sacrifice only made it once and gave Himself as the sacrifice for all sin of all time. Once. The text says he sat down. He was done, he work was finished. When the priest of Israel was making the sacrifice, he couldn’t sit down. He was always having to work, he could not rest in the presence of God. Jesus gets done sacrificing Himself, defeating death, and sin, Jesus sits down. He doesn’t have to keep doing it it is done.

Perfect King

and when he sits down, He sits down as the Perfect King. to rule and reign for all time, To justly and perfect be the king of His people. Israel had it’s good and bad kings, but jesus is the perfect king.

Think about it, we don’t have a king in the US, we don’t have prophets, Priests are still around, there are Pastors.

But think about it, some of us may not have great parents, Jesus is the perfect Father. The nation we are in is not perfect by an stretch, the Kingdom of God is the perfect Kingdom. Our family’s and church family’s are not perfect, the family of God is the perfect family. Jesus is what we need.

Jesus is Greater.

Greater than anything in this world

So lets keep going, let’s look at this last bit, it’s kinda weird. The author after giving a set up for Jesus being greater then starts talking about angels, and that kind of throws us. at least it threw me, but it does have a reason.

Greater than the angels

So what we need to see here is that Jesus is greater than the angels, for us we don’t really think about that, it’s kind of implied in the All powerful, almighty thing. But this was a real problem. 1 angels are powerful beings, and some of the jewish people had begun to also worship angels. They thought since they were worshiping jesus they should include the angels. but this is where is we get our theology out of wack we can start to worship not God. he is telling them that Jesus is not on the same level as the angels, but greater than them, the angels work for Jesus.

Jesus is God, not a creation of God but God in the flesh, the second person of the Trinity, Jesus is God. The Hebrews have gotten this out of wack, so that is being cleared up.

For us, we probly don’t have that problem, we aren’t worshiping angels.

But we probably do have a problem, if we aren’t worshiping God we are worshiping something else in God’s place. See this isn’t just a warning against worshiping angels, but a warning against idolatry.

Everyone worships something. Think about it, in some way or another we worship something. and if it’s not God, it is something else.

What is the thing that commands your desires and attention, what is the thing that you try to find ultimate joy in? What things do you place your ultimate trust in.

For some of us it’s school, for some us it’s sports. Sometimes its a relationship, sometimes it is just our phone, these little things can dominate our lives.

what takes the place of God in your life sometimes? What are you putting in the place of God?

This text a reminder that Jesus is Greater, a reminder that Jesus is greater than anything in this world.

P2Christ

And so the question becomes, how do we live? How do we live knowing that God is full revealed to us in Christ, that God is knowable, how do we live knowing the Jesus is Greater.

First is starts by asking if we know Jesus? Do we just know about God, do we know some of the stories of the bible? Do we know some of the stories of Jesus? We might even have a bible verse in our insta bio. But do we know Jesus? Do you have a relationship Jesus, do we walk with Him daily? Do we let his steps guide ours? Do we have a desire to know more about Jesus? do you have a desire to know the Lord deeper? Do you know about Jesus or do you know Jesus, ask yourself that. Do you actually have a relationship with the Lord of all things? Do you live like Jesus is better?

If Jesus is who he says he is, then our lives should look like we believe that, not just on Sundays and Wednesdays but at all times and all in all things.

To live like Jesus is better is to live like no matter what happens in the world you have a hope that cannot be killed, to live like Jesus is better is to live like Jesus means what he said. That Jesus has a plan a mission for your life, and that because jesus is better that is the plan and mission worth giving your life to and for.

So christians in the room, and when I say Christian, i mean followers of Jesus, where you know Jesus and know that he knows you, not because you grew up in this church or your mom was a follower of Jesus. But Followers of Jesus, this text is here to remind you, that Jesus is who He says He is, to encourage you to know that Jesus is Better, that Jesus is Greater. To remind you to put to death any sins in your life, we live on this side of eternity, we are still in a fallen world and are going to mess up, keep following after the Lord. you’re going to slip up. Put to death your sins and don’t make a habit of sin, but a habit of holiness. Throw yourself on the mercy of God. See that Jesus is Greater. Pursue his name and his mission, when you leave here this text should give you a lens to see the world through, that Jesus is Greater and we need to be a people joined in His mission. Who is in your circle that needs to know that Jesus is Greater. Who do you know that needs to see Jesus as Greater for the first time? Think about it, this is calling us to live in a way that the world can’t ignore.

Also though, if you are in here and you are not really sure what you believe or you don’t know if you are actually following Jesus, or you may only know about jesus but don’t truly know him. This text is calling you to see Jesus as Greater for the first time. To know that what ever you are worshipping it is going to fade away, it won’t last, eventually it will let you down. This text is calling you to see Jesus as Greater. Jesus took your sins on the cross. Come see Chirst as Lord, Come see Christ as king, y’all pray with me.