Hebrews Chapter 1

In this series on the Book of Hebrews, we will be surveying through each chapter. Our prayer is that you will find this as a helpful tool to use as your work your way through this book!
 
Hebrews Chapter 1
 
The book as well as this chapter starts by solidifying the fact that God does indeed speak to His creation. God is a personal God who desires not only for his creation to know Him, but also for His creation to know His will. His primary source of His communication was through prophets, but now as the writer establishes the supremacy of Christ, He has spoken to us through His Son, Jesus.
 
The author of Hebrews now transitions into the person of Christ and his supremacy over all created things. We learn 6 unique descriptions of Jesus

1. He has been appointed heir of all things. Meaning everything that exists will eventually come under the authority and control of Jesus.
2. Though Jesus God created the world. He was with God in the beginning and was the agent of Gods creation. (John 1:3) Nothing has come into creation without it coming into creation through Christ. (Col 1:15-19)
3. He is the radiance of Gods glory, literally the shining light of Gods glory. He radiates God’s glory
4. The exact imprint of his nature. This phrase refers to an engraving of something. Just like George Washington’s depiction on a coin imprint of him, So Jesus is the exact nature and substance as God.  John 14:9 Jesus says “anyone who has seen me has seen the Father”
5. He upholds the created universe by the word of his power.
6. He purified our sins through His death and resurrection. Now he sits at the place of authority at Gods right hand.

Vs 4 can be confusing unless you understand the verb being used “having become”. It can make it seem like after Jesus lived, sacrificed, and resurrected, only then did he become superior to angels. However, as John MacArthur explains “The Greek verb used here refers to a change of state, not a change of existence. The Son in his divine essence has eternally existed, but for a while he was made lower than the angles (2:9) and afterward was exalted to an infinitely higher position by virtue of what he had accomplished in his redemptive work.”
 
Verse 5 cites Psalm 2:7 and 2 Samuel 7:14. These verses prove that Jesus is not the same as an angle but is rather named as “the Son of God”.
 
6-7 Teach us that angels are servant beings. They were created to worship and to serve God and act in the way that God commands them to. The angels have no authority of their own.
 
Verses 8 through 14 Jesus is revealed to be eternal and unchanging. Deserving to be worshiped rather than to worship others. The distinction between Christ and angels are clear.

Pastor Max Myers
Living Word Evangelical Free Church
Elmira, NY