The Deity of Christ
Hebrews 1:1-12
1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through 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 at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
5 For to which of the angels did He ever say: "You are My Son, Today I have begotten You"? And again: "I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son"?
6 But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: "Let all the angels of God worship Him."
7 And of the angels He says: "Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire."
8 But to the Son He says: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions."
10 And: "You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
11 They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment;
12 Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail."
Hebrews begins by laying the foundation of faith in Christ. Our image of Christ is essential to our faith. If our view of Jesus Christ is flawed, we do not have a foundation on which we can build our faith. Many false religions name the name of Jesus, but their Jesus is not the Christ of the Bible. A false Jesus cannot give salvation. The single greatest area of attack against Christianity is the divinity of Christ. Jesus’ question "Who do you say that I am" is the acid test of faith. The Bible tells us that anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ is not of God. What confuses people is that false teachers use the name Jesus Christ but redefine it to fit their unbiblical doctrines. When the Bible says that anyone who professes Jesus Christ is speaking by the Holy Spirit, it should be understood that this means ‘Christ’ as defined by the Bible. The determining factor is not whether they use the name Jesus Christ, but whether they hold to the Jesus Christ of scripture.
If we are worshipping a false Christ, we are committing idolatry. We are also violating the foundation of God’s commands. The very first commandment God spelled out is, "Thou shall not have any other gods before me". If we create, or follow a god created that does not represent God as He has revealed Himself through scriptures, we do not have faith, but a counterfeit religion. Because our belief in Christ is so important, the book of Hebrews begins by explaining in unmistakable detail just who this Christ really is. If you don’t understand Christ, you can’t move ahead. The foundation must be laid before our faith can be built into a strong relationship with God. There are four explanations of Jesus’ authority in this introduction.
Jesus completed all things.
Hebrews 1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.
Does God still speak through prophets by direct revelation? Once scripture was completed, there was no need of direct revelation. Our revelation today comes directly from scripture. All the prophets pointed to the coming of Christ who would reveal all things and fulfill all things. This passage makes it clear that in times past God used prophets to communicate His will. Through Jesus Christ, the will of God has been revealed and the need of prophets no longer applies. I should clarify that there is a gift of prophecy that comes through the Holy Spirit, but the message always must point to Christ. The Old Testament prophets pointed ahead to the coming Messiah and the redemption offered through the cross. The gift of prophecy has not changed in this respect. Prophecy still points to the cross. Only now the message doesn’t point forward to a coming redeemer, but back to the completed work of Jesus on the cross. Anyone who stands up to prophesy in the name of the Lord should be pointing to Jesus Christ and the revealed word of God. We know that Jesus will come bodily back to the earth, but we also know that it is not our place to know. All prophecy should draw people into a closer relationship with Christ. The future events foretold in scripture are provided to give us hope for the future and give us confidence that God is truly in control. The events are not our focus, these prophecies are provided to encourage us to look to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Anything that falls short of that is not of God.
Prophecy is the declaration of God’s purposes. It does not mean foretelling of future events. Foretelling the future purposes of God was one way prophets were used by God, but foretelling itself is not the meaning of prophesy. Before Christ was revealed, God declared this future purpose through the prophets. Old Testament prophets declared the sins of the people, the instructions of God, the judgement of God and the coming of Christ. Jesus was the central theme of the Bible in both Old and New Testaments. Now that Jesus has fulfilled and become the heir of all things and He has been appointed the things the prophets have foretold. There is no need for God to go back to ‘times past’ and again raise up prophets to speak revelations after scripture was fulfilled through Christ. We know that Jesus has not ended His fulfillment of prophecy, but He has brought an end to the need of foretelling God’s purpose.
Today the focus of prophecy is to teach, comfort, counsel and to point to the cross as the fulfillment of God’s redemption offered to man. Look at the Greek definition of prophecy:
A discourse emanating from divine inspiration and declaring the purposes of God, whether by reproving and admonishing the wicked, or comforting the afflicted, or revealing things hidden.
Under divine prompting, to teach, refute, reprove, admonish and comfort others.
Prophecy was never intended to be a prediction mechanism by which we could foretell what God was going to do next. The purpose of prophecy is to reveal the purpose of God and bring what is hidden to light. If you try to outguess God, you will be wrong. Jesus made it clear that humanity was not to know when these events are to take place. We are to know what to expect, be confident that our God is in control and put our focus on Him. The gift of prophecy is to be inspired by the Holy Spirit which gives us the ability to bring scripture to light and proclaim the truth of God to others. Its purpose is not to reveal so-called ‘new truths’ or ‘new revelations’ but to teach and admonish what God has already revealed.
Hebrews 1:1-2 tell us that God spoke and revealed His purposes through the prophets in times past, but now this has been delivered to Christ who fulfilled all things. Modern ‘prophets’ are not foretellers, but proclaimers of truth. Anyone who foretells, takes scripture outside of its intended purpose and anyone who introduces new truth that has not been revealed in scripture is not of God.
He is Creator
Lets take a look at the beginning. Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth". Our passage in Hebrews 1:1-2 tells us that through Jesus the universe was made and all things are upheld by the word of His power. Notice that verse two expressly states that He is the power behind His word. The divinity of Christ is clearly expressed through His title as Creator. Throughout scripture Jesus is called our Creator. Look at Colossians 1:
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
In the gospel of John chapter 1 we are told that Jesus was with God in the beginning and all things were made through Him. Nothing was made without Jesus. This explanation continues in John 1:10-12
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
Jesus did not appear at birth. The Bible tells us that Jesus was from everlasting to everlasting. Jesus called Himself the Alpha and Omega; the beginning and the end.
Jesus is God and was called God by God.
This is why the question Jesus asked was so important. Jesus asked His disciples who people said He was. On the streets they heard many explanations of what others thought He was. A great teacher, one of the prophets, some even thought Jesus had the spirit of one of the great spiritual leaders of the past. We hear the same explanations today. Jesus is one of the spirit manifestations of Christ; he was Lord Maitreya; one of the great masters; a good teacher; a prophet. Then Jesus brought the question home. "Who do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ, Son of the living God". Jesus answered with the same truth that applies today. "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but the Father who is in heaven". 1 John 2:22 warns, "Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son."
This is where the deception becomes a problem. Many false teachers and many cults claim the name of Jesus Christ, but saying Jesus is the Christ is more than words. The principle is that Jesus is the Christ as defined by scripture. Using the word ‘Christ’ means nothing. Here is how the Bible defines who Christ is:
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Anyone who says that Jesus is the Christ and denies that He is God, by the Bible’s definition is a liar and an antichrist. To claim the name of Christ you must also honor what that name means. Unto us a child was born, but the Son was given. The Son has always been. Jesus made it clear that His birth was not His beginning. Look at John 8:
58 Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."
59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
This is a direct reference to the time of Moses when God identified Himself as the great ‘I AM’. It is an identification that God is everlasting. Not bound to time and space, does not have a beginning or an end. The Jews recognized this reference and wanted to stone Him for identifying Himself as equal with God.
It is important to recognize the deity of Christ and to understand that Jesus and the Father are distinct in personality. Look at 1 Corinthians 15
27 For "He has put all things under His feet." But when He says "all things are put under Him," it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted.
28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.
He humbled Himself to come as a bondservant, but never lost His divinity.
Lets also look back to Hebrews 1:
4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
5 For to which of the angels did He ever say: "You are My Son, Today I have begotten You"? And again: "I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son"?
6 But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: "Let all the angels of God worship Him."
Though Jesus humbled Himself and took the form of a bondservant, He never put off His deity. Even as a man, Jesus was still fully God. Jesus was still worshipped by heaven. Those who were watching on earth also worshipped Him. The Bible tells us that man was created a little lower than the angels, however Christ was worshipped by angels and by men. In Revelation, John was rebuked for worshipping an angel, yet Jesus never rebuked Thomas when he called Jesus his Lord and God. In Hebrews 1:8 we see that God called the Son God. It is undeniable that Jesus was and is fully God. He had full deity on earth and His Lordship was recognized by heaven. The world He created did not recognize Him because they did not love the truth.
Just so we don’t mistake humanity as divine, verse 9-11 explains Jesus was exalted above His earthly companions.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions."
10 And: "You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
11 They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment;
Let us go back to verse 3:
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 at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
It is the miraculous love of God toward us that would cause Him to put aside His rightful throne, take the form of a servant and bear our debt in His own body. We have all heard the world’s argument which asks, "who are you to say Jesus is the only way to heaven?" The answer is clear. Jesus is our Creator. We were created by God for a purpose. Because we have gone outside of God’s design, we have indebted ourselves to sin and we don’t have the power to restore holiness to our humanity. Who is man to ask God, "what right do you have to pay my debt?" Because God created us, He has the right to require holiness. Works cannot produce holiness. Good deeds cannot erase sin. The only salvation is through our Creator’s sacrifice of love. He willingly relinquished His throne, took our place on the cross, paid our debt in full and returned to glory. That gift of love is offered to every person who comes into the world. Look at Philippians 2:
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
You can see that Jesus was already in the form of God and had the right to be equal with God. But for our sakes, He humbled Himself to be our servant and to pay for our debt on the cross. That gift of grace is freely given to anyone who will surrender their lives to Christ. The Bible says that we must repent or we will perish in our sins ( Luke 13:3 ). We repent by turning from our sins and to Christ. We give our sins to Jesus in exchange for His righteousness. We must confess with our mouth Jesus as Lord, believe that God raised Him from the dead and you will be saved ( Romans 10:9-10 ). Jesus only comes into our heart by invitation. Salvation is complete and is ours as a gift, but it is not automatic. A gift is only an offer until it is received. The Bible also tells us to repent and be baptized. Baptism is identification with Christ. If you are ashamed to be publicly identified with Christ, you have not surrendered your life to Christ. To surrender to Christ is a commitment to make Jesus Lord of your life and a willingness to submit to His authority. To follow Christ, we must leave the world.
If you have never received Jesus as your personal Savior and you are willing to receive the free gift of salvation, just pray this simple prayer. The words are not what is important. Your heart is what is important. Just pray like this:
Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. Please forgive me of my sins. By faith, I give you my sins, failures and lifestyle and by faith I receive your righteousness into my life. I open the door of my heart and invite you in. I surrender my life to you. Please be Lord of my life and I will serve you. Thank you for coming into my heart, Amen.
*** This sermon can be downloaded as a Word document by following the link at http://www.exchangedlife.com/Sermons/sermons.htm
***
