God’s Perfect Messenger

Hebrews 1.

Hebrews 1.

Hebrews 1.

Hebrews 1.

This is the Word of God.

Amen.

Go ahead and be seated and we'll pray and get into the Scripture.

Heavenly Father, Lord, we come before your Word.

Father, desperate, weak people, requiring from you strength, requiring from you wisdom and understanding.

Lord, it is futile if I speak, if you do not speak to your people through your Word.

So, Father, please send your Spirit.

Speak to the hearts of those around.

Speak to our hearts.

Speak through me, Father, your Word to your people.

Lord, would you gather us in?

Father, those that are here, would you draw us close to you?

Lord, maybe any of those passing by that are yours that you are still calling.

Father, would you draw them in?

Would you give them ears to hear your Word this morning?

Lord, we know your Word says that it does not go from you and return empty,

but does that which you have sent it to accomplish.

So, Lord, send your Word this morning to speak to your people.

Father, we depend upon you.

I pray all of this, Lord, that your Son may be lifted up and glorified,

that we would see Him and rejoice this morning.

It is in His name I ask.

Amen.

So, we left off months ago after our summer break through Hebrews,

seeing that the author was saying that before, long ago,

many times, many ways God had spoken to the fathers by the prophets,

but now He's spoken by His Son.

And we looked at that perfect final message of God in His Son.

But it kind of leaves us with some questions as to what qualifies Jesus to be the perfect messenger from God?

What qualities, what qualifies His gospel to be the last and best words spoken to us by God?

The author has a challenge for us and a warning set up in chapter 2.

But he starts with putting Christ on display.

Who is He?

Perfectly in chapter 1 that we might understand the warning.

So,

what makes Jesus special and different from the word that was spoken

by the prophets to the fathers of Israel before?

What makes Him different?

What makes Him special?

What grounds does He have to be the perfect word spoken by God?

What right does the author of Hebrews have to make that claim?

So, the answer He's going to give us is holding up Jesus' divinity and His authority.

We're going to call His divine authority.

This week, we're going to look at His divinity.

Next time, we'll pick apart the authority part.

But He can speak to us from God like no other can because He is God.

He is the Son of God.

He possesses the very same nature as God the Father,

and He rules all things with the same authority as God the Father.

We're going to look at how this is done in two parts.

So, we're going to deal with the divinity part.

And I actually want to start with a bit of a word of caution.

There's a lot of doctrine in here.

It's called Christology.

Who is Christ?

What does Scripture say about the person and work of the Son of God?

And there's a lot there that we're going to cover.

It's very important.

It could be a sermon series all its own just right here in the beginning of Hebrews 1.

Doctrine is vastly important.

Right sound doctrine that lines up with Scripture is incredibly important.

But if it's information only, if it's something we're familiar with, we go, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm passing on.

I got that.

And it doesn't change our heart and our actions.

It does us no good.

Very little.

We'll have a good understanding, but it doesn't change our life.

We can have all the right understanding of who Christ is and actually be no better off than the demons.

So, why does he say that?

Well, in James 2.19, he says,

You believe that God is one, you do well.

Even the demons believe and shudder.

And when Jesus came to the man among the tomb there in Matthew, the demons cried out,

What have you to do with us, O Son of God?

Have you come to torment us before the time?

So, you see, that even the devils have a better Christology than a lot of Christians.

They understand who the person is of Christ.

And to them, it's just a reminder of a death sentence.

We treat Christ very casually in our world and in our culture.

They've actually got a little bit of a leg up on most of modern American culture.

So, what I want today is I'm actually going to start a little backwards.

Usually we go exegesis and then application.

What does the scripture say?

How does that apply to us?

I want to start with some questions of application.

Because if the doctrine that we look at doesn't change us,

then we're missing the point of Hebrews.

We're missing the point of scripture.

So, if we look back at our context,

remember this letter was written to a people facing persecution and pressure from two sides.

On the one side, they had the world and the Roman culture around them

completely rejecting them as some sort of cult.

The Jews were protected because there was an ancient religion.

But this Christianity was seen as an offshoot.

And actually, many of the Christians at the time had their possessions taken,

their livelihoods destroyed,

some were put into prison,

and those that were left were relegated to the filthiest, poorest quarters of Rome.

This is actually where when Rome burned, it burned the hottest

because they were cramped, they were filthy.

They were subjected to that because of their faith.

We actually see those conditions being represented here at the end of Hebrews

when he talks to these Christians.

But also, they had the persecution of the religious groups,

of their own brothers in many cases in the Hebrews and in the Jews,

saying,

because you follow Christ,

you're a heretic.

You're blaspheming God.

You have no place here.

So the pressure for them was to just turn back to the old covenant ways.

They could go back to being protected,

being provided for, being cared for.

Their families would be fine.

Everything would be easy.

Just quit making a big deal about Jesus.

You can have all your religion just stop talking about Jesus.

Stop following him.

That's it.

That's it.

We may not face the same pressures in the same way

in our everyday lives,

but make no mistake,

we have the same enemy,

and what he cannot do by outright force,

he will do by subtle craft.

We see that in our culture today.

There are some that push and fight against Christ

and would have him thrown down.

But far more often we see in our culture,

just fine,

have your nice church,

do all the right things.

That's okay.

I'm just not big on Jesus.

Don't talk about him.

Or Jesus is fine,

as long as he's a good teacher,

a nice role model,

a religious guy.

He talks about love

and God loves me

and all the plans and purpose

he has for my life,

and we're good with that.

But I want to ask you,

brothers and sisters,

what clamors for your attention every day?

How many are distractions and diversions?

How many ways in our daily life

are we surrounded by Christlessness?

Unfortunately, it's all too easy to get used to.

How many of our thoughts this week

have been taken up with Christ?

Or are they concerned with the world around us?

Everything that we see in front of us,

everything in your feed?

In war,

if you can't defeat an enemy outright in battle,

there are other ways to go about doing it.

You cut off his supply

so that he can receive no reinforcements,

no refreshments.

You distract him

with little side skirmishes

and small battles

until his strength and weapons are spent.

You harass and wear him down

until he has no more morale.

Eventually,

he will fall

and you will be his master.

This letter is a warning

to the church

and a call against apostasy.

Make no mistake,

whether it be quickly or slowly,

our enemy does not care

so long as he can devour you.

Maybe you're here

and you're like,

Jonathan,

I get it,

but I don't know why

you're talking about it.

I'm not worried about it.

You've supported yourself really well

with all those gospel assurances

that know exactly what Christ has done for you

and that's good.

I praise God for that,

but we're not to take the assurances

that scripture affords us

and ignore the warnings.

If you are sitting here

and you are hearing God's word

just the same as these Hebrews were,

you are in danger.

You are on the combat front.

We need to hear God's word.

We need to have Christ held up

so that we do not grow weary,

we do not lose heart,

we do not get distracted,

and we do not turn aside from Christ.

So,

I want to preface everything

that I've said

with that

and then I want to start

digging through the scripture

and I pray that God

uses that

to start seeing

what the author has for us

here in Hebrews

and applying it.

I want,

because you're going to have

a couple of reactions.

Either you don't know the Lord

and all of this is going to be

completely new

and what I want for you to see

is Christ.

Maybe somebody walking by,

maybe somebody hearing this,

I want you to see Christ.

If you're casual with church

and this is maybe

like your first time,

maybe you're not

actually,

you're a Christian occasionally,

let's say.

Maybe not you're a Christian

on a continual faithful basis

getting up.

Your first thought

is just,

let me come to Christ.

What do I have?

I have nothing.

Let me come to Christ.

I can't wait to be with him.

I can't wait to be with his people.

I want you to see Christ.

Maybe

you're like,

yes, Jonathan,

I know all of this.

I praise God.

I tremble daily,

but it is his grace

that upholds me.

I want you to see Christ

because ultimately

what this should be

when we see Christ,

it should refresh us,

it should equip us,

it should strengthen us,

and it should cause us

to praise him.

So I'm actually going to

kind of just

let this end

with doxology

is what I would pray

for us today.

So,

how does the author

start this?

How does he address

this turning away

that he's trying

to warn the church with?

I want you guys

to see this in his scripture,

not from my words.

He says,

long ago,

many times,

in many ways,

God spoke to our fathers

by the prophets,

but in these last days,

he's spoken to us

by his son.

Now,

that's where we left off

last time

because he puts

this huge contrast

right there.

In many times,

many ways,

he spoke by the prophets,

but now he's spoken

completely differently.

So,

whereas God had spoken

before

through prophets

like the people,

with all the infirmities

and shortcomings

of the people,

now he has spoken

by his son.

This is how

the incredible God

who no mere creature

could ever fathom

has chosen

to reveal himself

to his people,

to show himself

to his creation

in the son.

So,

verse 5

brings us out

even a little further

in contrast

to the angels.

He says,

for to which of the angels,

remember,

when God spoke

to the prophets,

the angel of the Lord

spoke to

the prophet.

Right?

We see,

actually,

in Exodus,

when Moses

is up on the mountain,

the angels

were ministering to him.

But in contrast,

he says,

for which of the angels

did God ever say,

you are my son.

Today I have begotten you.

So,

there's a superiority

to the messenger

because he is not

like the angels.

He's not man.

He's not created being.

Isn't it?

He's God.

He is the son.

He's higher than both.

He's not the fathers.

He's not the prophets.

And he's not even

the ministering

party of the angels.

He makes the previous

messengers

very inferior

by contrast

because none of them

share the same nature.

He says,

I will be to him

a father

and he shall be

to me

a son.

There's so much

that we have right here

that we can be amazed

and wonder at.

That God himself

would come down

and speak.

They would take on flesh.

He says,

today I've begotten you.

Now,

that

messes with our mind.

We're going to actually

address a little bit

of that

here in a little bit.

how

can God say

who exists

outside of space

and time,

today I've begotten you.

For God,

everything is today.

He doesn't exist

in space and time.

This is how God

chose to reveal himself

in his word

as being the

eternally begotten,

the always proceeding

from the Father.

John tells us

in John 1.14,

and the word

became flesh

and dwelt among us

and we have seen

his glory,

glory as of the

only begotten

Son from the Father.

This is how God

spoke to us.

By his Son.

Not mixed,

not corrupted

as we saw

in our confession.

All the essential

properties

of man

he took on

yet without sin.

That he was

God of very God.

So then the second

glory of Christ

I want you to see

is that

in his divinity

it is his

very nature.

We're going to take

a little bit deeper look.

This is

in verse 3.

He is the radiance

of the glory

of God

and the exact

imprint

of his nature.

So

he uses a word

and it's not

reflection.

It's not

that he's

a picture

of God.

Right?

Because a reflection

like the moon

reflects light

that's not

its own.

It has a different

source.

But the word

radiance

is the brightness.

It's the

outshining.

It's the

communication.

Right?

The sun

the light

that we see

from it

is a communication

of its very

self-same light.

It's the same

property.

That's the picture

that we get here.

It's that he's

the radiance

of the glory

of God.

And to the

Jewish mind

and to these

people

they would

understand

man

all the

pictures

of God's

glory

that were

painted

in the

Old Testament.

Think of

like

when

Moses

is up

on the

mountain

and he

says

Lord

that I

could

God

I would

like to

see you

and he

says

I will

not let

you see

my face

but

he hides

him in

the cleft

of the

mountain

puts his

hand over

him

and lets

him see

his back

as he

passes

and then

Moses

comes

down

and what

he has

to veil

his face

because the

people can't

stand to

look at

him

because he

is

reflecting

back

the glory

of God.

What sort

of picture

do we have

here in the

superiority

of Christ?

He is not

reflecting back

the glory

of God

he is the

radiance

of the glory

of God

he is the

outpouring

of the glory

of God

he's not

just a shadow

cast over

the face

of Moses

but he is

the very

picture

of God

he says

the exact

imprint

of his

nature

this word

is actually

character

and this

is the

word

that we

get

character

from

and it

actually

comes

from

the

idea

of an

engraving

or an

inscription

this is

where

they would

take

a block

of wood

or a stone

and they

would

chisel

an exact

image

in it

and it

would be

the word

that would

be used

of a

king's

signet

ring

they would

take

the hot

wax

upon

whatever

official seal

or declaration

and he'd

pour it

on

and then

he'd

take his

ring

and stamp

it in there

and that

would be

his likeness

engraved

his

character

upon that

seal

and it

would bear

all of

the

it was as if

the king

were going

and giving

it to you

himself

it was still

sealed with his

words

it bore his

impression

this was the

exact imprint

!

but we're told

it's not the

exact imprint

of what God

has spoken

but he's the

exact imprint

of his

nature

when we see

Christ

we see that

fine detail

of God

standing back

up at us

it is that

imprint of

God

it is that

we see him

we see God

in stark

relief

that

word

uses a

slightly

different

variation

but they

actually both

had similar

origins

in Colossians

1-15

when Paul

says that

he is the

image of

the invisible

God

the firstborn

of all

creation

and in

verse 19

he tells us

for in him

the fullness

of God

was pleased

to dwell

he has all

the properties

of God

he is

very God

of very God

in him

is the

fullness

of deity

so how

could we

ever look

for a

better word

from God

than Christ

himself

very God

of very

God

what I

want you

to also

see though

is it

kind of

if we take it

only there

we are left

with a little

bit of room

for error

that somehow

we see

Jesus

as the

only

begotten

of God

fully

possessing

and

communicating

the nature

of God

to us

but

these

original

audience

would be

hearing the

same thing

is Jesus

the same

God

or did

God

change

did God

become

something

new

and

different

and did

Jesus

have a

beginning

or is

God

doing

something

new

and

inconsistent

now

these

are

things

that

we

have

to

wrestle

with

so we

make

sure

Christology

is

right

but

also

there's

real

implications

of this

that we

see

every day

I mean

how many

of you

have heard

well

the God

of the

Old

Testament

and

the

God

of the

New

Testament

seem

very

very

different

how are

they

the

same

because

over

here

he

looks

like

this

over

here

he

looks

like

this

or

how

can

God

be

two

people

and

one

God

how

is

Jesus

God

like

I'll

give you

that he's

a good

teacher

and he's

this

and that

but how

is he

God

so the

third

glory

I want

you to

see

of

Christ

is

he

is

the

divine

creator

and

sustainer

of all

things

in

verse

two

he

says

but in

these

last

days

he

has

spoken

to

us

by

his

son

whom

he

appointed

the

heir

of

all

things

through

whom

also

he

created

the

world

in

verse

three

then he

adds

after he

says

he is

the

radiance

of the

glory

of

God

in

the

exact

imprint

of

his

nature

he

says

he

upholds

the

universe

by

the

word

of

his

power

so

the

author

is

ascribing

!

that

he

is

the

divine

agent

of

creation

and

he

is

the

sustainer

and

the

upholder

of

it

by

his

power

by

the

word

of

his

power

the

verses

that he

quotes

out of the

Psalms

starting

in verse

eight

he

says

his

is

throne

is

the

scepter

of

your

kingdom

you

have

loved

righteousness

and

hated

wickedness

therefore

God

your

God

has

appointed

you

with

the

oil

of

gladness

beyond

your

companions

and

you

Lord

laid

the

foundation

of

the

earth

in

the

beginning

and

the

heavens

are

the

work

of

your

hands

they

will

perish

but you

remain

they

will

wear out

like a

garment

like a

robe

you

will

roll

them

up

like a

garment

they

will

be

changed

but you

are

the

same

and

your

years

will

never

end

so

the

author

says

these

that were

spoken in

the psalms

are actually

about

the

son

so

remember

we have

one

divine

author

over

scripture

what he

spoke

to the

people

before

was about

Christ

for he

says

but of

the

son

he

says

your

throne

oh

God

is

forever

and

ever

if

he's

talking

about

David

and

David

in

his

rule

in his

reign

as

God's

anointed

king

how

can

he

say

therefore

God

your

God

has

anointed

you

with

the

oil

of

gladness

beyond

your

companions

because

David's

line

was

broken

it

didn't

sit

on

the

throne

was

carried

off

into

captivity

David

passed

away

Solomon

passed

away

his

sons

all

passed

away

so

his

throne

wasn't

forever

and

ever

but

of

the

son

who

we

read

in

our

confession

came

of

the

line

of

David

says

his

throne

is

forever

and

ever

therefore

God

your

God

has

anointed

you

with

the

oil

of

gladness

so

this

son

is

forever

and

ever

because

then he

says

also in

that context

of

of the

son

he says

and

you

Lord

laid

the

foundation

of the

earth

in the

beginning

and the

heavens

are the

work

of your

hands

remember

through

him

also

he

created

the

world

so

we

see

that

Christ

was

at

work

with

God

the

father

in

creation

he's

not

something

new

he

was

in

the

beginning

also

he

says

like

a

robe

you

will

roll

them

up

like

a

garment

they

will

be

changed

but

you

are

the

same

and

your

years

will

have

no

end

in

Colossians

he

says

he

is

the

image

of

the

invisible

God

the

firstborn

of

all

creation

for

by

him

all

things

were

created

in

heaven

and

on

earth

visible

and

invisible

whether

thrones

or

dominions

or

rulers

or

authorities

all

things

were

created

through

him

and

for

him

and

he

is

before

all

things

and

in

him

all

things

hold

together

he

is

the

head

of

the

body

the

church

he

is

the

beginning

the

firstborn

from

the

dead

that

in

everything

he

might

be

preeminent

and

John

1

he

says

in

the

beginning

was

the

word

and

the

word

was

with

God

and

the

word

was

God

that

he

was

in

the

beginning

with

God

and

all

things

were

made

through

him

and

without

him

was

not

anything

made

that

was

made

so

we

see

Christ

he

created

and

he

sustains

it

he

is

unchanging

he

possesses

that

same

quality

of

God

and

is

unchanging

perfect

God

ness

but

I want

you to

see

another

way

that

the

author

ties

this

in

so

if

we

go

back

to

verse

one

where

he

says

long

ago

at

many

times

in

many

ways

God

spoke

to

our

fathers

by

the

prophets

but

in

these

last

days

he

has

spoken

to

us

by

his

son

if

you

look

there

in

verse

two

where

it

says

through

whom

also

he

created

the

world

that

word

world

is

actually

the

Greek

eons

it

means

time

ages

a

set

period

but

when

you

put

it

in

the

!

it

it's

a

way

of

saying

everything

that we

see

all the

created

order

of

things

it's

the

world

that's

why

we

translate

it

right

there

but

I

believe

he's

got a

double

meaning

in there

when

he

says

ages

and

we

see

that

right

immediately

following

verse

one

that

in

long

ago

many

times

in

many

ways

God

spoke

to

our

fathers

by

the

prophets

we're

meant

to draw

a

connection

that

in

the

same

way

this

one

was

the

maker

of

the

ages

all

those

long

ago

times

when

God

was

speaking

to

their

fathers

by

the

prophets

and

he

laid

down

the

old

testament

that

we

have

before

us

it

was

the

very

same

son

of

God

speaking

with

the

father

in

first

Peter

verses

10

through

1

10

through

11

he

says

concerning

this

salvation

the

prophets

who

prophesied

about

the

grace

that

was

to be

!

yours

!

So this

very

self-same

brightness

of the

glory

of God

and exact

imprint

of his

nature

is the

same

one

who

has

been

speaking

with

God

to

his

people

for

all

the

ages

it's

not

something

new

it's

not

something

different

God

didn't

become

something

else

but

as our

confession

says

that he

took

on

the

human

nature

it's

an

incredible

mystery

and

I

actually

want to

err

more

on the

side

of

not

trying

to

explain

it

why

because

it's

good

that

we

don't

understand

God

all

the

way

he's

God

and

we're

not

and

we

need

to

marvel

at

him

it's

so

easy

I feel

like

in this

world

to try

and

we

want

an

explanation

for

everything

we

want

to

explain

why

the

events

of the

week

are

the

way

they

are

we

want

to

explain

why

everything

is

what

we

see

but

we

have

to

have

an

understanding

that

Christ

is

not

like

us

in

some

ways

because

if

he

was

just

completely

like

us

no

no

deity

to

him

yes

he

is

fully

man

and

able

to

bear

with

us

in

our

infirmities

and

to

know

them

but

honestly

that would

be a

pretty

hopeless

situation

if

we

had

only

a

savior

that

was

completely

like

us

and

not

very

god

of

very

god

not

over

transcendent

above

creator

sustainer

of all

that there

is

because

that

is what

takes our

eyes off

of here

off of

the now

and puts

them on

the glory

of

Christ

so

with

that

I

wanted

to

give

you

what

our

forefathers

said

and

the

Athanasian

Creed

is very

helpful

for you

it

says