THE UNIQUENESS OF JESUS.
Hebrews 1:2-3.
As we return to Hebrews 1:1-4, I want to emphasise that the first four verses in the book of Hebrews are all one sentence. As we saw, Hebrews 1:1 speaks of ‘God having spoken of old to the fathers in the prophets.’ That speaks of the Old Testament.
(i). Hebrews 1:2 continues the sentence: (‘God’) “hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son.” That speaks of the New Testament, the Church era: days which began when Jesus walked this earth, and which will continue until His return. It is a marvel that God should speak with man at all: but ‘Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost’ (cf. Luke 19:10). It is the voice of Jesus which is speaking to each one of “us” throughout the Bible.
(ii). “Whom He (God) hath appointed heir of all things.” As God, Jesus already was and is the heir of all things; but as man He is “appointed” heir. Jesus gathered manhood into the Godhead in order to make reconciliation on our behalf, and then gathers men into Himself so that we might also have an inheritance in Him.
Jesus is not only heir of this world, but of the whole universe. He is not only Lord of the Church, but of all that He created, ‘whether in heaven, or in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalities or powers’ (cf. Colossians 1:16). It was only fitting that Jesus should inherit all things, for:
(iii). "By (Him) also He (God) made the worlds.” This can be seen in other scriptures: ‘All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made’ (cf. John 1:3). ‘For by Him were all things created… all things were created by Him and for Him’ (cf. Colossians 1:16).
Hebrews 1:3 presents us with other propositions about the Son:
(iv). “Who being the brightness of His (God’s) glory.” We are reminded of the transfiguration of Jesus when He was seen to shine with the shekinah glory of God. The same glory shone in the burning bush, and Moses was obliged to remove His sandals because the ground whereon he was standing was ‘holy ground’ (cf. Exodus 3:5).
This is the same glory which rested ‘between the cherubim’ over the ark of the covenant, and was occasionally manifested as a ‘glory cloud’ filling the tabernacle (cf. Exodus 40:34), and later the temple (cf. 1 Kings 8:10-11). This was the same glory in which the LORD abode in the pillar of cloud by day, and of fire by night, to lead Israel in their journey through the wilderness (cf. Exodus 13:21). This is the glory of Jesus.
(v). “And the express image of His (God’s) person.” Everything that God is, Jesus is. Jesus is the perfect revelation of God. ‘I and the Father are one’ (cf. John 10:30); ‘he who has seen me has seen the Father’ (cf. John 14:9). All the attributes of God are the attributes of Jesus. This is why things said about God in the Old Testament are applied to Jesus in the New Testament.
(vi). “And upholding all things by the word of His power.” In the Old Testament it is God who holds all things ‘in the hollow of His hand’ (cf. Isaiah 40:12). Yet here it is attributed to Jesus. He is the sustainer of all things. ‘By Him all things consist’ (cf. Colossians 1:17). The Christ who upholds all things by the word of His power is also able to uphold every one of His people.
Then we see what Jesus did:
(vii). “When He had by Himself purged our sins.” As God’s unique once and for all and for ever sacrifice, Jesus completely washed away all the sins of all His people. He in whom was no sin, who knew no sin, who did no sin, came down and completely purged my sin, and cleansed me of all unrighteousness. He did this before ever I was born.
Jesus did this “by Himself.” By His offering of Himself as our substitute. ‘His own self bare our sins in His body on the tree’ (cf. 1 Peter 2:24). ‘By His own blood’ rather than by the blood of animals (cf. Hebrews 9:12). And His sacrifice of Himself ‘by Himself’ is sufficient for my salvation, without any contribution from myself.
(viii). “Sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” There was no chair in the holy of holies. The priests of old were forever standing, continually ministering, repeating the same sacrifices over and over again. Their work was never completed. Jesus’ work is a finished work, so He is “sat down,” His work completed, at the “right hand” of God.
The “right hand” of God is a place of honour, but also of authority. ‘The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool’ (cf. Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 1:13).
Hebrews 1:4 speaks of Jesus “being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”
