SUPREME REVELATION
Opening Prayer
Lord, when we see You, we see God.
Read HEBREWS 1:1–4
God’s Final Word: His Son
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.
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Meditate
‘In the beginning was the Word … and the Word was God.’ (John 1:1). Allow these opening words of John’s Gospel to focus your attention on the eternal glory of Jesus.
Think Further
In this glorious opening statement, the writer follows the standard practice of his time by setting out his purpose and the direction of his argument. His intention is to glorify Jesus and ensure that He is the readers’ unchanging focus; he starts with one of the most profound statements about the person of Christ in the New Testament. God’s self-revelation in the Old Testament was valuable and important but preparatory, His revelation through His Son being so much better and more complete. The word translated ‘radiance’ (3) is rare; it recalls John’s statement, ‘we have seen his glory’ (John 1:14). The word behind ‘exact representation’ was used to describe the stamp for minting coins, suggesting an exact replica and recalling Jesus’ own words, ‘Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.’ (John 14:9). The focus is not only on who Jesus is, but on what He has done. Here at the outset is the reminder of His completed work of redemption, to which the writer will return; already we see both a priestly (purification for sins) and a kingly (at the right hand of the majesty) role.
In light of such a supreme revelation of God, and in the face of ‘so great a salvation’ (Heb 2:3), why look for anything else? Nothing else provides the answer to the human predicament. The challenges we face are unlike those of the early readers, but the underlying message is the same. God is both Creator and Redeemer. The world is God’s world, created and sustained through the Son; the Christian cannot see it as solely the product of random natural forces. The world is redeemed through the love of God, demonstrated in the Son (John 3:16). The new relationship we have with God is achieved only through Christ; in a world of clashing ideologies and other attractions, there is no alternative – this is the central theme of the letter-sermon.
Apply
In the face of such glorious truth, there is no adequate response. Praise God in the way you feel most appropriate.
Closing prayer
Lord, Your throne is beyond description. You radiate the brightness of the glory of God. Your people bow in worship.
Book and Author Intros
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