The Superlatives of the Savior
Hebrews 1:1-3
Hebrews 1:1 “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”
Our God is not a silent God. He has always revealed Himself to men. Verse of our text tells us that in times past God spoke to men through the prophets. He spoke on numerous occasions and in different ways. God’s revelation through the prophets was fragmentary, irregular and progressive. He spoke in dreams, visions, by types, by angels, by the Law and prophetically through men. In the last days however, God has spoken to us by His Son Jesus Christ. In Jesus we have the final and complete revelation of God. If you want to know what the Eternal and Almighty God is really like, you need look no further than Jesus. Our Lord said on one occasion, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” As week look at the first three verses of Hebrews 1 we discover something of the wonder and majesty of our Lord Jesus. He is certainly greater than the greatest of any of the prophets of the OT era. Our Lord is greater than anything!
I. He is the superlative Revelator - “Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son…”
a. Inspired – He is the source
In Washington D.C. there is a building called the "National Institute of Standards & Technology." This facility is responsible for storing perfect samples of weights and measurements. They have what are called “prototypes” of pound weights and kilograms. Measuring rods for feet, yards & metric measurements like meters. For example, they have a “Meter Standard” a reinforced bar of platinum alloyed with exactly 10% iridium. When they want to know the exact measurement of a “meter” they cool this bar down to 0 degrees Celsius at a sea level of 45 degrees latitude then they know they will have the exact tip to tip measurement of a meter. That bar is known as “prototype #27, because the original is kept in a suburb of Paris at the International Bureau of Weights & Measures.
We Christians also have a measuring rod that never changes. 2Timothy 3:16-17 tells us: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
b. Inerrant – absolute truth
The end result of all of this is sadly illustrated in the book, Reforming Fundamentalism, by George A. Marsden, which informs that 85% of the students in one of America’s largest evangelical seminaries stated that they do not believe in the inerrancy of Scripture. Beyond that, a poll of 10,000 U.S.A. clergymen (of whom 74% replied) by sociologist Jeffery Hadden in 1987 clearly reveals the effects of this significant change of belief through the passage of time. When asked if they believed that the Scriptures are the inspired and inerrant Word of God in faith, history, and secular matters:
95% of Episcopalians said "No."
87% of Methodists said "No."
82% of Presbyterians said "No."
77% of American Lutherans said "No."
67% of American Baptists said "No."
This sad commentary speaks for itself.
c. Infallible - unchangeable
II. He is the superlative Regulator – “…by whom also he made the worlds…”
a. Creator
Bill Bright, just months before he died in July 2003: "Even though I’ve always believed in heaven and hell, after I became a believer, I gave little thought to it. But in recent months I’ve been writing on heaven and hell. My logic is this: The God whom we worship created at least 100 billion galaxies—some astronomers would say 200 billion. Do we give God credit? They say it was the Big Bang. But it was this great Creator God who made all this majesty and glory.
You can imagine, then, what he’s done to create a heaven? "Eyes have not seen, ears have not heard, neither knows the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love him"—beauty and magnificence beyond anything our little finite minds can imagine."
b. Controller – “...upholding all things…”
Man proposes but God disposes!
c. Constrainer – “…word of his power…” dunamis from which Alfred Nobel is thought to have coined the word dynamite!
III. He is the superlative Redeemer – “…when he had himself purged our sins…”
Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
a. Our redeemer is an accepted sacrifice v. 19
Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
"NO RECORD"
Several years ago Bob Sheffield of the Navigators told a moving story picturing the essence of what it means to receive God’s forgiveness.
Before he became a Christian, Bob played professional hockey in Canada. He was tough, loved to fight and found himself in jail one night after a barroom brawl. Later, Bob and his wife became Christians through the Navigator’s outreach ministry. They grew in their newfound faith and accepted a temporary assignment with the Navigators in Christian ministry in the States.
Bob had to apply for landed immigrant status, which would allow him and his wife to continue in ministry in the United States. But because he had a criminal record, his request was denied. Fortunately for the Sheffields, their daughter had been born in the U.S., and this worked in their favor. This loophole allowed them to receive the visa they needed to continue their work in the United States.
It was a troubling experience for the Sheffields. Bob realized that they would have this same problem every time the Navigators assigned them to a new ministry in another country. After much thought and prayer, they decided to apply in Canada for what is called the "Queen’s Pardon." A thorough investigation was conducted. The pardon was granted. Bob Sheffield received the following notice in the mail:
"Whereas we have since been implored on behalf of the said
Robert Jones Sheffield to extend a pardon to him in respect
to the convictions against him, and whereas the solicitor general here submitted a report to us, now know ye therefore, having taken these things into consideration, that we are willing to extend the royal clemency on him, the said Robert J. Sheffield, we have pardoned, remitted and released him of and from the said convictions, and of and from all and every penalty to which he was liable in pursuance thereof."
On any document from that time forward on which Bob was asked if he had a criminal record, he could honestly answer no. What the pardon meant was that he had been released from any possible punishment that could come from the crimes he had committed, and the record of the crimes themselves had been completely erased. When his fingerprints go to the Canadian Mounted Police and they run them through the computer, the printout comes back reading, "No record."
Author Tom L. Eisenman wrote: "This is the kind of pardon we have in Jesus Christ. When we have received forgiveness, we are set free from any penalty or possible punishment that was due us according to our crimes against God. When Satan requests from the heavenly computer our list of sins punishable by eternal death, it will always print out, "No record. Pardoned by the blood of Christ."
b. Our redeemer makes the sanctuary accessible v. 20
Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
c. Our redeemer is an able solicitor v. 21
IV. He is the superlative Ruler – “…sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high…”
R.C. Sproul tells us transcendence means literally, "to climb across." It is defined as "exceeding the usual limits." When we speak of the transcendence of God we are talking about that sense in which God is above and beyond us. He is higher than the world. He has absolute power over the world. The world has no power over Him. Transcendence describes God in His consuming majesty, His exalted loftiness. He is an infinite cut above everything else. [The Holiness of God p. 55]
a. Transcendent proprietorship – “...appointed heir of all things…”
b. Transcendent personage – “…brightness of his glory and the express image of his person…”
c. Transcendent position – “…the right hand of the Majesty on high.
On earth there was scarcely a place low enough for the son of man, in heaven there will scarcely be a place high enough for the Son of God!
He is higher than the highest, greater than the great
No one will ever take His crown away
He's more mighty than the mightiest, He reigns from above
He's the all-time undisputed, undefeated champion, of love!
Let’s review what we’ve learned about our superlative Savior;
1. He is the superlative Revelator
2. He is the superlative Regulator
3. He is the superlative Redeemer
4. He is the superlative Ruler
Philippians 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
