We continue our worship of God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit by opening our Bibles, God’s Word. We just finished learning from the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament (the Old Covenant set up by God). We now go again to the New Testament (the New Covenant again set up by God but now through the Lord Jesus Christ)! Open your Bibles to the Letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament, page….
Now we know that the entire Bible is God breathed! We can note that the Bible is inerrant, eternal, and tells us the future! No person themselves can write the Bible; God spoke through people to put them in writing to teach everyone and build a relationship with God. The Letter to the Hebrews is a great example of the inspiration of God (God breathing); God spoke the Letter but only God really knows who He asked to write it down. Many Bible Scholars think that the Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Hebrews, but God really does not tell us!
Before reading our passge, let us note a few things about the Letter to the Hebrews:
1. a letter to Hebrews who became Believers of Christ
2. the person God called to write personally learned from Christ (Hebrews 2:3…)
3. Much of the Old Testament is cited and the prophecies fulfilled
4. the new Believers were tempted to go back to Judaism
5. the answer is always the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ
Let us pray again before reading………
We will just focus on the first 4 verses today. Read along with me….
Hebrews 1:1-4…………
Let us summarize the truths from this passage:
v1: God spoke in the Old Testament through people
v2: God now speaks through “The Son” = “huios” (Gk.) = descendant = Jesus Christ (vv2:9, 3:6):
- appointed as heir of all things! (everything belongs to Jesus Christ)
- universe made through Him (everything was/is created through Christ)
v3: The “Son” = Jesus Christ:
- radiance of God’s glory… remember we talked about God’s glory last week from Exodus 40…. God’s glory is a magnificent presence which people can experience!
- exact representation of who God is!
- sustains ALL things just with His word (i.e. holds everything really with just His thoughts!)
- provided purification for sins; How? v2:17…….??
- now back to heaven with God – what does this indicate??
v4 alludes to knowledge of angels by the Hebrews of old: If we do a study on this, we will find that the Hebrews of old knew these primary work of angels in the Old Testament:
- angels witnessed Creation of Earth
- angels ministered to Abraham and Lot in Sodom
- angels ministered to Jacob
- there was the angel of death of Passover in Egypt
- angels were present when God’s Law was given
- an angel spoke through a donkey to give warning
- angels ministered to Elijah and to Daniel
Angels are powerful beings present and involved in God’s work!
The Hebrews knew the power of angels who can do the supernatural!
v4: Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is much superior to angels!
Next week, from the rest of Hebrews 1, we will learn more about angels.
What should we note for our lives today from Hebrews 1:1-4?
1. If anyone wants to know and experience their Creator God more, they are to know and experience Jesus Christ more and more! How can we know and experience Jesus Christ more and more??
2. What specifically can we say about Jesus Christ from Heb. 1:1-4??
Do we truly believe in this Jesus Christ?
Do we live our lives with Jesus Christ?
And from Hebrews 1:1-4, I wondered and prayed why God would cite angels with Jesus Christ. It seems that God was warning the Hebrew Believers that they were more impressed with angels than Jesus Christ! How about us today?
3. Nothing or no one should really impress us over Jesus Christ, including angels or entertainers, nor money, nor power!
How are we doing with this?
