HEBREWS
STRONGER THAN SUPERMAN
HEBREWS 1:1-4
PASTOR JIM BOHRER
APRIL 6, 2008
Everyone loves a superhero. I remember being fascinated by the Old Black and White Superman. There would be a call for help and Clark Kent would rush from his desk to the hallway and make a quick change and hop on a little trampoline and bounce out of the window. Then the show would have people shouting, “Look! Up in the sky... is it a bird? Is it a plane? NO! It’s superman.” And he would swoosh in oftentimes at the last second and save the day.
In the book of Hebrews we come to a situation in history where the author is addressing some believers who have been raised in the Jewish traditions and faith but had trusted God’s New Covenant through the Blood of Christ. The Temple in Jerusalem has not yet been destroyed by Titus. So this is some time before 70 AD and that old economy still has a draw for many Jewish people. But, they seem to have faced persecution for their new beliefs and were tempted to go back to their old way of life. They wanted a hero to save them from their challenges. Instead of standing firm in their faith and church, they wanted to revert back to the old way, compromising the message and meaning of their faith. Though they should have been stronger, they weren’t and they needed to be reminded that Jesus is the ultimate hero of their faith.
Just understand that although Rome did not agree with Judaism, the rituals and life of Jewish people were mainly tolerated and accepted as a real religion in the Empire. But, the New Covenant of faith in Jesus was not understood nor accepted by Rome and it was certainly not accepted by the Jews who had not come to faith in Christ. So, this letter is written in part to believers who needed to be reminded of Jesus’ superiority to any hero of the faith or any ritual. And it is written in part I believe to Jews who have not come to faith in Jesus as an apologetic to come to faith in Christ alone apart from their dependence on the law of ritual.
Satan loves to trick us into going back into ritual or immaturity. That way the clear picture of Christ’s atoning work and salvation will not be passed on to others. Oh, can there be saved people in churches that have adopted ritualism, comfort, and convenience? Yes, there can. But, it is likely to be fewer and fewer as time goes on and more and more people tricked into trusting everything else but Jesus for their salvation.
Listen, just this week, I had the privilege of being there as a young lady prayed to receive Christ as her savior and see tears of joy and comfort as she now can confidently say, “I know I am going to heaven.” But listen to what she said to me, “I am so glad I know what it means to trust Jesus. Before, I believed that He died for my sins and rose again, but I thought I had to be good or good enough to go to heaven. I never understood the importance of trusting Him alone! Listen, we need to be absolutely clear in our message and witness that Jesus IS MORE THAN ENOUGH! He IS STRONGER THAN SUPERMAN. HE IS MORE POWERFUL THAN ANGELS. AND IT IS NOT GOOD WORKS OR BEING A GOOD PERSON THAT GET’S YOU INTO HEAVEN. IT IS JESUS’ WORK ON GOOD FRIDAY AND HIS POWER IN THE RESURRECTION THAT GETS US INTO HEAVEN. Make no mistakes about it
John 12:32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."
1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers 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 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. NIV
FIRST NOTE THAT IT IS ALWAYS GOD WHO COMES TO OUR RESCUE. (1-2)
We do not fly to heaven. We cannot peer into the unknown. It has been said that we live in a NATURAL box. We are confined by Space, Time and Gravity. Outside that natural box is the SUPERNATURAL, that which is beyond our natural grasp. Although we have a small percentage of society that truly are ATHEISTS, they say, what you see is all there is. When you die, you die. But, the vast majority of people and the vast majority of history shows that deep down in our beings we know there is more to life than the NATURAL box we live in. So, instead of listening for God and crying out to God, people have tried to break through the box with man made religion and reasoning. Hoping that somehow we can escape the box of the natural world and CONNECT AND COMMUNICATE WITH THE DIVINE. But the reality is that if we are truly the CREATURE, it must be the CREATOR who comes to us, not vice a versa. And that is why following a religion where a man says, “I will make my own way to God” is very silly, there are so many ways to get lost. The Bible tells us that there is a WAY that seems right to a man, but it only leads to death.
The Scriptures declare that it is God who has SPOKEN to us. It is God who SEEKS us. AND ultimately, it is God who SAVES us. God has clearly declared that Jesus is the author and finisher of our salvation and no one else.
RADIANCE IS SUPERIOR TO ANY REFLECTION. (3)
Apaugasma (ἀπαυγασμα), in the classics, “a radiance, effulgence,” The early translators liked effulgence because the word meant that that the glory that shined out was connected to the glory that was there. It is not something different but it is the same, though experienced in way that we can understand.
How many people here have had a sunburn? It hurts. And too many burns are dangerous. I have been told since a child, “Put on sun block or you’ll fry!” I do not know what SPF means, I just know the higher the better blockage of the sun’s rays. Because I am mostly Irish, I don’t tan. I just have two modes in the summer red and peeling. That means when the sun comes out in FULL FORCE THIS summer, I’M GETTING out the SPF 2000. It’s basically a thin layer of zinc on my body. I look like a Mime. But that is because even the rays of the sun are POWERFUL.
Well, during the summer there were nights where the moon was so bright we could go out to play and have fun catching lightening bugs and flashlight tag. Now, when I would head out at night, I never once had mom or anyone else ask me, “Did you put your moon block on?” They never worried once about the power of the moon beams hitting me.” It just is not the same as the sun because it is simply a reflection.
Well, everything in the Old Testament was simply a shadow of things to COME; Christ is the fulfillment of all the promises, rituals and traditions of the Old Testament. It has been said that the OLD TESTAMENT IS CHRIST CONCEALED AND THE NEW TESTAMENT IS CHRIST REVEALED. That is the sad story here that people would return to the shadows of the past rather than turn into the LIGHT of Christ.
See, Jesus is more powerful than any ritual or tradition. And yet again and again, we see religions all around the world that have intricate rituals and practices all made in an attempt to somehow reflect God. And while there is a little bit of truth, in most religions, ONLY the ONE WHO is TRUTH in Himself can get you all the way to heaven. Right now there are people praying to false God’s all over the world hoping for the power to get to heaven and all the while Jesus says, “Just TRUST in ME alone.”
Listen closely here today; get this through your minds today, “JESUS PLUS NOTHING EQUALS SALVATION.” And, listen to this as well, “WITHOUT JESUS, THERE IS NO SALVATION.” Anything added to Jesus will not save you and anything less than Jesus will not save you. Let me warn you as Paul warned the Corinthians in 2 Cor. 11:3:
3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
Friends, isn’t Jesus enough? Do I need to entertain you to keep you coming back to worship Him? Isn’t the power of His love displayed on the cross enough for you? Or does He need to prove Himself over and over to you just to keep you excited about Him? Are you easily pulled away from Him? Do you prefer the company of sinners to His friendship? Do you prefer to choose your own path to heaven rather than His Cross? Don’t pretend that you are OK if you cannot just come to Him in simplicity and purity. Don’t say, “I am saved but I do not need to be devoted to Christ.” I will have my cake and eat it too. Eve was lead astray. Adam sinned and unless God called out to them and restored them through the blood of those animals that God SACRIFICED for their sins, they would have had no hope.
Human pride wants to make salvation much more complicated than God allows us to. God made is simple so that anyone could understand it. He also made it simple so that only He could receive Glory, Praise, Love, and adoration for saving us. If He made a complex plan for salvation then those who were saved could boast about their salvation and own ability. And, if you were able to save yourself, why would God go through all the trouble and anguish of the Cross? He wouldn’t. Not only is Christ Stronger than Superman. He alone is the answer to all your needs. He alone is able to save.
THE WORLD’S REMEDY MAY COMFORT YOU, BUT IT WON’T RESOLVE YOU GREATEST NEED.
The story is told of a famous actress back in the early 40’s. Her name was Billie Burke, and she was quite impressed with herself. Once, when she was on a transatlantic ocean trip, she noticed a man getting some sun on the deck who seemed to be suffering from a very bad head cold. “Are you uncomfortable?” she asked him. The man nodded his head. “I’ll tell you just what to do,” she said. “Go to your room and drink lots of orange juice. Take two aspirins. Cover yourself with all the blankets you can find. Sweat the cold out. I know just I’m talking about. I’m Billie Burke from Holly wood.” “Thank you,” the man said. “I’m glad to meet you. I’m Dr. Mayo from the Mayo Clinic.”
There was a great deal of difference between the two people. One had a home remedy, but the other was a physician. Their positions in the medical world were vastly different. In a similar fashion, the other religious leaders of the world may have a home remedy for what ails the world, but Jesus is the great Physician. Moses and the prophets were great spiritual leaders, but Jesus Christ is God. He is the “radiance of God’s glory.” He is able to do things that no one else can do. His position in the spiritual world is unique.
IF YOU CHOOSE TO TOTALLY RELY ON JESUS, YOU WILL FIND HE IS ALWAYS ABLE TO RESCUE YOU!
Someone has said that Jesus Christ came from the bosom of the Father to the bosom of a woman. He put on humanity that we might put on divinity. He became Son of Man that we might become sons of God. He was born contrary to the laws of nature, lived in poverty, was reared in obscurity. In infancy He startled a king. In boyhood He puzzled the learned doctors. In manhood He ruled the course of nature. He walked upon the billows and hushed the winds to sleep. He healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge for His services. He never wrote a book and yet all the libraries of the world could not contain all the books about Him. He never founded a college, yet all the schools could never boast of as many students as He has. He never practiced medicine but has healed more broken hearts than all the doctors have healed broken bodies.
Throughout all history great men have come and gone, yet He lives on. Herod could not kill Him. Satan could not seduce Him. Death could not destroy Him and the Grave could not hold him.
