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.
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
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
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
although
he
is
god
and
human
yet
Christ
is
not
two
but
one
he
is
one
however
not
by
his
divinity
being
turned
into
flesh
but
by
God's
taking
humanity
to
himself
he
is
one
certainly
not
by
the
blending
of
his
essence
but
by
the
unity
of
his
person
for
just
as
one
human
is
both
rational
soul
and
flesh
so
too
the
one
Christ
is
both
God
and
human
so
maybe
if
you're
hearing
my
voice
walking
by
maybe
if
you're
sitting
here
and
you
do
not
know
Christ
yet
and
you
wonder
what
God
is
like
how
you
can
know
him
you
only
have
to
look
at
Christ
maybe
you've
heard
other
people
claiming
to
speak
the
word
of
God
or
speak
from
God
and
there's
a lot
of
voices
out
there
trying
to
tell
you
what
God
is
like
how
you
can
know
him
but
today
I
want
you
to
hear
his
word
there
is
one
that
speaks
perfectly
on
God's
behalf
there's
no
place
you
were
going
to
go
where
!
you
could
see
more
clearly
who
God
is
than
Christ
you
wish
that
God
would
speak
to
you
that
you
could
hear
from
him
and
you
would
just
know
what
he
was
like
here
he
is
he
is
held
up
in
the
person
and
work
of
Jesus
Christ
he
is
the
last
and
best
word
spoken
by
God
look
at
Christ
read
his
words
hear
now
his
good
news
that
he
has
for
you
he
has
made
a
way
that
you
should
know
God
the
problem
is
actually
your
sin
it's
rebellion
against
God
and
actually
refusing
to
look
at
Christ
and
to
go
on
in
protest
of
him
asking
for
God
to
speak
is
for
the
rebellion
he
has
spoken
he's
made
him
plain
the
problem
is
that
your
sin
and
rebellion
has
made
you
an
enemy
of
God
and
you
today
need
to
hear
his
voice
today
he
is
calling
you
he
has
provided
a
payment
for
that
sin
he
has
made
a
way
that
you
might
know
him
and
it
is
in
the
sending
of
his
son
Jesus
Christ
God
taking
on
flesh
for
you
that
he
might
take
on
and
become
sin
for
you
and
die
in
your
place
he
will
cover
over
the
sin
the
rebellion
and
the
disobedience
with
his
perfect
obedience
on
our
behalf
that
is
what
we
recite
to
each
other
every
Sunday
in
our
assurance
of
pardon
that
he
made
him
who
knew
no
sin
to
be
sin
for
us
so
today
if
you
do
not
yet
know
Christ
you
have
not
bend
the
knee
to
Christ
I
tell
you
today
you
will
get
no
better
word
from
God
he
is
God
made
flesh
communicated
to
us
he
has
come
that
he
might
suffer
and
die
in
your
place
and
be
raised
again
that
you
might
have
life
and
the
knowledge
of
God
so
today
repent
and
believe
in
him
there
is
no
one
else
brother
and
sister
if
you
are
here
hearing
it
and
you
are
feeling
the
discouragement
of the
world
the
cares
the
clamor
of
everything
else
if
Christ
has
been
a
cold
notion
to
you
this
week
hear
the
word
of
God
he
has
come
he
has
come
for
you
to
communicate
the
very
person
of
God
to
you
what
worth
are
you
giving
other
things
what
place
are
you
giving
them
make
no
mistake
our
enemy
will
seek
to
wear
down
to
distract
to
grow
cold
to
turn
us
indifferent
our
author
right
here
is
giving
us
God's
remedy
that
is
the
person
and
work
of
Christ
held
up
before
our
eyes
that
we
might
see
him
that
we
might
rejoice
in
him
that
we
might
take
joy
and
comfort
and
strength
from
who
he
is
and
what
he
has
done
so
here
today
glorify
Christ
give
him
your
full
attention
he
will
be
to
you
refreshment
and
strength
he
will
be
to
you
an
encouragement
may
he
keep
our
eyes
fixed
on
him
amen