God the Son

Why we Believe what we Believe

(The Baptist Faith and Message)

(Message 4)

Hebrews 1:1-3

Introduction: If we look at Christianity from a purely historical perspective, we see a Man who grew up in the home of a Galilean carpenter, lived a life of poverty, possessed no property, and died the death of a common criminal. But like a burst of lightning against a dark sky, the picture of Jesus Christ presented in the book of Hebrews portrays the Son of God from a quite different perspective.

“The Son” (Heb. 1:2)

Thirteen times in the book of Hebrews Jesus is called “the Son” or “the Son of God.” In Psalm 2:7 we read, “I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; {7 Or son; also in verse 12} today I have become your Father. {7 Or have begotten you}

“Heir of All Things” (1:2)

In the ancient Near East a father would divide his property among his sons by letting the oldest choose his portion; then his brothers would draw lots for the rest. But in the divine scheme of things, the Heavenly Father has made His Firstborn heir of everything (Ps. 2:8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.). And, incredibly, those who believe in Him have become “co-heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs-- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.).

Creator of the Universe (1:2)

The Greek noun aion {ahee-ohn'} translated worlds is plural. It can mean both “worlds” and “ages.” Through the Son, God has created all the worlds and all the ages. The concept is awesome. Are there other worlds out there in the vast ocean of space? If so, the Son is their Creator.

The “Brightness of His Glory” (1:3)

The key word apaugasma or radiance denotes the brilliant radiance that comes directly from the source. It is the blinding light that you might see looking directly at the sun, rather than the diffused light reflected from other surfaces. This is no ordinary light; it is the light of God’s glory (John. 1:5,7 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood {5 Or darkness, and the darkness has not overcome} it., He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. ).

The Image of God (1:3)

Through all of history, human beings have searched to know what God is like, fashioning false idols of wood and stone and speaking in philosophical abstracts of “the ground of our being.” Now that long quest is over. To the question, “What is God like?” the Bible reveals of Jesus, “He [Jesus] is the radiance of His [Gods] glory, the exact expression of His nature.”

The Force that Sustains the Universe (1:3)

The Son upholds all things by His powerful word. In Colossians 1:17 Jesus “is before all things, and by Him all things hold together.” Think of the vastness of space. Astronomers say the cosmos—all the solar systems, galaxies, and constellations—has a radius of 13 billion light years (David Bergamini, The Universe, 182). What awesome source of energy is great enough to power this gargantuan system? The answer is the one who “sustains all things by His powerful word.”

The Perfect Sacrifice (1:3)

Now we come to the greatest paradox in all of Scripture. Having introduced us to the glory and majesty of Jesus Christ, the writer of Hebrews now tells us that this same Jesus purified our sins by offering Himself as a sacrifice for us. Hebrews 9:13–14 (For if ^athe blood of goats and bulls and ^bthe ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the ¹cleansing of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more will ^athe blood of Christ, who through ^1bthe eternal Spirit ^coffered Himself without blemish to God, ^dcleanse ²your conscience from ^edead works to serve ^fthe living God?) elaborates on this awesome truth.

The Perfect Priest (1:3)

Hebrews 10:11–12 (And every priest stands daily ministering and ^aoffering time after time the same sacrifices, which ^bcan never take away sins; ¹² but He, having offered one sacrifice ^afor ¹sins ^bfor all time, ^csat down at the right hand of God,) explains the passage “After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (1:3). The Old Testament priest remained standing in the sanctuary because his work was never finished. Each day’s sacrifices called for more. But Christ, the perfect priest, “after offering one sacrifice for sins forever” (Heb. 10:12), then sat down. His work was completed.

“The head that once was crowned with thorns Is crowned with glory now;
A royal diadem adorns The mighty Victor’s brow.”
—Thomas Kelly “The Cross and the Crown” (Quoted in James. D. Morrison, ed., Masterpieces of Religious Verse, 207).