The Medium is the Message
Opening Prayer
Holy Spirit, bring revelation as I read these chapters of Hebrews. I want to know You more.
Read Hebrews 1:1-4
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
[1] In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, [2] but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. [3] The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. [4] So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What do these verses tell us about Jesus?Marshall McLuhan famously wrote, “The medium is the message.” For this reason, companies spend huge amounts of money on packaging and advertising. If they get that right we may be persuaded to buy their product. Sometimes the actual product is a disappointment, but in Jesus the medium really is the message. Unlike the prophets who preceded him, and unlike other religious figures since, Jesus does not just point to God: he is “the radiance of his glory and the exact representation of his being” (3). Just as the sun and its rays are distinct but inseparable, so the Son is distinct from the Father but also one with him. God did not send a message. He sent the only one who could fully represent him. So the message that he both brings and embodies is entirely trustworthy.Jesus most fully communicates the Father to us because he has entered our “medium” – humanity. “He became what we are so that we might become what he is” (Athanasius). If we are to effectively share the message of Christ, we also need to share the medium of those we are called to reach (1 Corinthians 9:19–23).
Apply
What does it mean for me to be the message of Christ to those I meet this week? Live that out.
Closing prayer
Jesus, You have come to reveal the very heart and nature of the Father. Thank You.
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