The book of Hebrews is a detailed 13-chapter exposition on the superiority of Jesus. It presents Him as above angels, as the ultimate High Priest, as better than Moses 1, as the source of a new-and-improved covenant, as the perfect Sacrifice presented in the heavenly Temple, as the “author and perfecter of faith”, as the unchanging Lord of a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Each of those phrases is meaty enough for an article (or several books!) of its own.
The Introduction
But for this article, I’ll just look at one of my favorite passages in all the Bible: how the author of Hebrews introduces Jesus.
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Hebrews 1:1-3
There is so much packed into this introduction. Let’s look at it in detail.
“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,“
God has spoken to us in the past. He used many methods: prophets, miraculous rescues, clouds of fire and smoke, etc. He chose one man, Abraham, to found a nation that He would use to demonstrate Himself to the rest of the world. He used dramatic miracles — plagues, parting the Red Sea, manna in the wilderness, toppling the walls of Jericho — to launch that nation from a ragtag group of slaves. He brought up judges and kings to rule that nation, and prophets to advise and warn them when they were going astray. But all of that was just laying the foundation….
“in these last days has spoken to us in His Son”
Now, He has done even better: He has spoken to us via His own divine Son, born as a human being into that nation. That Son has always existed, within the three-person Trinity that is God. But now the Son has come to earth so that we can see Him up close and personal, and get to really know Him intimately.
“whom He appointed heir of all things”
What does “heir of all things” mean? Well, “heir” means the one who receives a legacy of ownership, right? A gazillionaire’s heir is the designated recipient of all that money. The heir will own it and have control to do what he wants with his inheritance. And “all things” is far more than just a lot of money. God’s Son is appointed heir of all galaxies, planets, governments, nations, oceans, continents, angels, demons…and people. He has full authority to do whatever He chooses with His possessions.
“through whom also He made the world“
It’s no wonder that the Son inherits all things, since it is through the Son that those things exist at all. When Genesis says “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1), Hebrews tells us that the Son was the active agent in that creation.
Hebrews is not alone in this assertion, either. John’s Gospel says that “Through him all things were made” (John 1:3). Paul’s letter to the Colossians declares that “by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth” and that “all things have been created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:15-16). His letter to the Corinthians repeats the claim that Jesus is the One “by whom are all things, and we exist through Him” (1 Corinthians 8:6).
“He is the radiance of His glory“
The Son is the radiance, the visible outpouring of God’s glory. In the past, that glory was displayed in the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle and, later, the Temple (Exodus 40:34-38, 1 Kings 8:10-11). Since that glory left the Temple as Israel was conquered by Babylon in 586 B.C. (Ezekiel 9:3; 10:4, 10:18-19 11:22-23), it now is seen in the Son instead.
If we think about it, all of our perception is bound up in something that radiates. We can see because of light rays received by our eyes. We hear because of sound waves captured by our ears. We feel heat radiating from the sun. Well, we recognize God because of the Son radiating out from the Trinity of Father/Son/Spirit.
Just as the sun would be an unknown object “somewhere out there” if not for the light and heat it radiates to us, God would be an unknown if not for the Son radiating His character for us to perceive.
“the exact representation of His nature“
What the Son radiates is the exact, accurate, complete revelation of God’s nature. In the article “What Do You Think of God?“, I mentioned eighteen of the many facets that are a part of God’s character. Humans have trouble comprehending all of those facets, and especially with seeing how they are all perfectly balanced. Jesus shows all of them, in their perfect relationship and proportion. When we look at Him, we see all of God as He really is, with no distortion.
“upholds all things by the word of His power“
The Son’s power not only created the world. It continues to uphold that world. Without His constant attention, all of our reality would just…stop. No people, no governments, no planets, no atoms. Nothing. Not even a greasy spot left behind. As Paul preached while in Athens, God determined the appointed times and boundaries for everyone and “in Him we live and move and exist” (Acts 17:22-31).
“When He had made purification of sins“
The Son “made purification of sins”. How? He offered Himself as the once-and-for-all perfect sacrifice to atone for every sin ever committed by anyone who has ever lived! No more animal sacrifices; no condemnation to Hell for sinners who accept Him (Romans 8:1-2); all sin removed “as far as the East is from the West” (Psalm 103:12).
“He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high“
Now that His mission is successfully completed, the Son has taken His rightful place of honor in Heaven. Revelation depicts that scene for us:
And they *sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”
Revelation 5:9-13
Wow! And that’s just the introduction!!
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the rest of Hebrews proceeds to expand on the reasons why Jesus deserves this kind of praise. Then the book ends with a benediction of how this truth should affect us:
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 13:20-21
AMEN!