The Book of Hebrews is one of the most-revealing passages of scripture related to the person of Jesus Christ and God, the Father. I heard the teacher and preacher, John Phillips, in a lecture say of the author of Hebrews that God told the Apostle Paul to not worry about signing his name (Paul's) to the book, but rather He (God) would sign it. And as you look at the first verse, it appears that God did just that. “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners.” [Hebrews 1:1].
Today we want to look at what God says about Jesus. Due to limited space, we will only be able to examine the first three verses. But I encourage everyone to study the following verses and understand God's revelation concerning God and angels. So much is being said about angels these days, we must understand that Jesus is above the angels. The angels are created beings, Jesus was with God in creation, thus He is the creator.
REVELATION BEFORE JESUS:
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets.” [Hebrews 1:1]. Throughout the history of man, God has revealed His will to mankind in different ways. In the beginning and until Jesus came, He spoke unto mankind through personal visitation and prophets. He appeared to Moses in a burning bush and to Samuel in a still, soft voice in the night. His main mode of communication during those first thousands of years was through the prophets. But this verse seems to say that these methods were temporary until the time of the ultimate revelation found in the person of Jesus Christ.
REVELATION IN JESUS:
“Hath in these last times spoken unto us by his Son. Whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.” [Hebrews 1:2]. God's mode of communication changed when Jesus entered the world. It helps to understand that the Book of Hebrews is directed at the Jewish people in two categories. Those who were converted to Christianity and were asking themselves in the face of terrible persecution, “Is it worth it?” And those who were considering their conversion to Christianity and were trying to determine how claiming Christ would affect their faith in God through the Jewish tradition and temple. The writer of Hebrews was trying to let them know that Jesus was God's Word. In the first verse of the Book of John, we see Jesus revealed as the Word. The term “last times” simply indicates that it is in this period of holy history. The Old Testament was now history and the New Testament was now in place and this time is looked upon as the last period before the second coming of Christ and the ushering in of the eternal age of Glory. Jesus is qualified to speak the mind of God, because He is equal with God [Philippians 2:6] and is the heir of God. Jesus, the part of the god-head who condescended to live in a body of flesh, is regarded in both His divine position-equal with God, and His human position-heir of God. Verse 3 helps us understand this better. Verse three says that He (Jesus) is the “brightness of His glory, and the express image of his person.” [Hebrews 1:3a]. This brightness should be understood as meaning the reflection of His glory. This indicates that Jesus is a visible revelation of God. In John, it explains it better when it says, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” [John 14:9]. Next, he proclaims that he is the image of God, meaning that Jesus is a reflection of God's character. The Jews had never seen God. Now they were seeing God through the person of Jesus. By seeing and hearing Him, they were being given a direct revelation of God.
God chose to reveal himself to us through Jesus, His son. Not only is Jesus the exact revelation of God, but He is the only access available to reach God. Through Jesus, we can see God and find eternal life with Him in His heavenly glory.
Post a Comment
