Jesus is Better, He is Greater, He is Superior and He is Supreme.

Happy New Year!

Hebrews.

We don’t know who wrote this or to whom it is written or when.  But today I am excited to read this slowly for as long as it takes because it clearly is written by a Pastor or someone with a pastoral heart at least. It is written to a specific group of people that this Pastor knows (13: 22). These people were probably Jewish Christians who knew their Old Testament very well because the Pastor quotes plenty of times from those Scriptures. This group of people probably had Gentile Christians among them who were not only equal to them but were also probably leading them. Though this last part isn’t mine or your context the experience of this letter (some would challenge that because it doesn’t start like a letter) is so valuable to us because it is going to empower us to a) stand firm in our faith despite the circumstance we are going through; b) know that following Jesus will never be a mistake; and c) Jesus is superior to everything and calls us to live our lives Christ-centred.

The first 4 verses are in the original one long sentence. It poured out of the Pastor to the people and even before we get to see the name Jesus we have the supreme title, ‘Son’ spoken of and explained. Our eyes are immediately on Him. It is my prayer and commitment this year to keep my focus unwaveringly on Jesus, the Son. I am sure it is yours too.

So let us begin to read. I am actually focusing on the first 3 verses as the 4^th sets us up for the supremacy over the angels.

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors 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 also 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. (Hebrews 1 v 1-4)

The Pastor is not demeaning the prophets, he honours them by quoting them so often. The Old Testament is very important to the Pastor and to the people as the whole Bible is to us today. The prophets/the Bible is the foundation of our life but to be formed by Christ, to be focused on Christ and to follow Christ is what the prophets all looked towards and called for.

So let’s begin by meditating on 7 powerful statements about the Son which have wonderful implications for our lives no matter what we are going through.

1. He is the heir of all things. He inherits it all, everything is His! And we share in that inheritance too, so if the world seems to be walking right over you now remember who you belong to, the heir of not just this world but the universe, past, present and future and one day you will as co-heir inherit that too!
2. Through whom also he (God) made the universe. He created out of the chaos, out of the void, out of the darkness and the nothing-ness. So through the Son, through Christ, He can create out of your chaos too. He has done it before and He can do it again. He can turn your darkness into light!
3. He is the radiance of God’s glory. When we see Christ we see God. The invisible God is now visible, through His Son. And as we are Christ-formed then the world sees the Son in us and therefore sees God!
4. He is the exact representation of his being. The DNA of God is in the Son. When we are born again we carry a supernatural DNA that means we were once dead in sin but now alive to God, unrighteous but now made righteous.
5. He sustains all things by His powerful Word. If He sustains all things. If there is nothing that He cannot sustain then it means He can sustain you in any situation of your life.
6. He provided purification for sins. This is an amazing title, the Purifier of sins. There can be no one greater than that. And as this was being read aloud in the assembly the people would think of the sacrificial system that was rooted in their faith and culture. Their thoughts help our thoughts to realise that this great title was achieved by the greatest humiliation of the cross. Flee from selfish ambition.
7. He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. No priest could sit down. They remained standing doing their duty because their work was unfinished. The Son sat down. His work is completed. We work out our salvation now but not for it. He did it. He did it all. We must learn to sit in His authority.

These 7 incredible statements can keep us the whole year. If there was nothing else in Hebrews this is enough. Let’s take at least one of them into our day today. Let it form Christ in us.