Hebrews 1
Jesus greater than anything!
Sermon 2 – The promises of God revealed in Jesus.
Hebrews 1:1-4
Theme of Hebrews = Jesus is SUPREME and ABOVE and OVER everyone and everything.
MacArthur quote – anonymous – however I believe it is S.M. Lockridge based on language and pace. READ
Barna Research –
Just for reference – Elders or traditionalist – 1945 and before
Boomers – 1946-1964
Gen X – 1965-1976
Millennials or Gen Y – 1977-1995
Gen z – 1996 – 2015
- Vast Majority of Americans Believe Jesus was a REAL PERSON.
- Younger generations are increasingly less likely to believe Jesus was God.
- Adults = 56% Jesus was God. Millennials its about 48%
- 26% believe he was only a spiritual leader like Mohammad or Buddha. Millennials 35%
- 18% aren’t sure whether Jesus was divine. Millennials 17%
- 52% believe Jesus was human and committed sins like everyone else. 46% say he was sinless.
- More women than men make a personal commitment to Christ. People who make more than 100K a year are less likely to make a personal commitment to Jesus. Only 46% millennials say they have made a personal commitment to Jesus. 59% Gen-xers. 65% Boomers. And 71% elders.
2020 survey (3,000 adults) conducted by Ligonier Ministries and reported by The Christian Post and Newsweek, found that 52% of adults say they believe Jesus Christ is not God, but a good teacher. And Nearly one-third of evangelicals agreed that Jesus isn’t God.
NOW LETS STUDY SCRIPTURE
A. Jesus is the REVELATION of the promises of God.
Hebrews 1:1, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways.”
God made promises in the Old Testament about the coming of the savior, or the New Covenant. Salvation. JESUS is the revealing of all the promises of God.
EVERY PROMISE OF GOD RESOLVES ITSELF IN CHRIST. This is and who He has been pointing to from the beginning. This is the hope of our salvation. The Love and salvation of God to mankind. Revealed and fulfilled through His son Jesus.
1 Peter 1:10-11, “As to this salvation (salvation for your soul) the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquires, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and glories to follow.”
B. The last days are days of FULFILLMENT.
In the O.T. Jews saw the last days as the time when all the promises would be fulfilled. The Messiah would come, the Kingdom would come, Salvation would come, and Israel would no longer be in bondage. – John MacArthur
The OLD TESTAMENT AGE OF PROMISE ENDED WITH THE COMING OF JESUS.
HERE IS THE PROMISE
C. In verse 3, Jesus is EXPRESSED as the full and final expression of God, superior to and exalted above anyone or anything.
7 Characteristics of the portrait of Jesus –
- HIS HEIRSHIP. Vs. 2
Vs. 2, “in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom he appointed HEIR of all things.”
He is the heir of all that God posses. Heir meaning inherits its all. It is all for Him.
Psalm 2:6-7, “But as for me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain, I will surely tell fo the decree of the Lord, He said to Me, ‘you are My son, Today I have begotten you.”
Colossians 1:16, “For by Him all things were created, both in heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created through Him and FOR HIM.”
JESUS OWNS IT ALL.
2. CREATOR. vs. 2
vs.2 b, “through whom also He made the world.”
Most common understanding in the Greek for world is “Kosmos” – material world.
But the word here is “Aionas” which means ages, He not only created the world, but time, space, energy, and matter.
John 1:3, “All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”
3. His Radiance. Vs. 3
Vs. 3, “He is the radiance of His glory.”
Radiance – Greek “Apaugasma = “To send forth Light.”
Jesus is the manifestation of God. He expresses God to us. No one can see God, the only picture of God we have is through JESUS CHRIST. Just as the rays of the sun shine the light of the sun, Jesus is the shining light of the father.
He is the light of God that pierces the darkness and shines in our hearts and earth. WHEN YOU SEE JESUS YOU SEE GOD. AND THE GLORY OF GOD.
4. He is the exact representation. vs. 3
vs. 3, “and the exact representation of His nature.”
Colossians 1:15, “He is the image of the invisible God.”
Image – Greek “Eikon” = icon (which means a precise copy or exact reproduction.”
Think of the Love and Grace of Jesus, the running in when all others run out. When He approached the adulteress woman, set at the well, healed the blind, touched and cured the lepor, ran off the Pharisees, laid down His life for those hostile to him.
THIS IS WHO OUR GOD IS. JESUS SHOWS US HIS NATURE.
5. His Sustaining Power. vs. 3
vs. 3, “and upholds all things by the word of His power.”
Greek uphold means to “Support or maintain.”
Everything in the universe is sustained and maintained right now by Jesus Christ.
Think about all the things that Jesus holds together for you on a daily basis, your health, your family, your life, this earth, the sun, the consistency of everyday things we take for granted. If the sun didn’t shine, if rains never stopped, if air ceased to exist.
Philippians 1:6, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Jude 24-25, “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His Glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
6. His Sacrifice. vs. 3
vs. 3, “When He had made purification of sins.”
1 John 1:7, “The blood of Jesus His son cleanses us from all sin.”
7. His Seating. Vs. 3
Vs. 3, “He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
The right hand is the power side. He is the High priest who sat down.
Sat down = Huge because there were no seats in a tabernacle. Priest never sat down, they performed sacrifices all day for the people.
But Jesus made ONE sacrifice and Sat down. “Mic Drop”
He sat down as a sign of Honor. (Every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.)
He sat down as a sign of Authority. (He sat down as a ruler.)
He sat down as rest. His work was done. (But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God. Hebrews 10:12)
He sat down to intercede for us. (Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Romans 8:34)
