Tuesday 23rd
Hebrews 1:1-4
NIV (v3) – ‘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.’
ESV (v3) – ‘He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.’
Verse 2 ends with, ‘whom he (God) appointed heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.’ So immediately we discover that the Son whom God is speaking through in the last days, (a) was present at creation, (b) is the radiance of the glory of God, or as the KJV puts it, ‘the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person’, (c) upholds or sustains all things (d) is powerful (e) the purifier of sin and (f) sits at the right hand of God. This is an amazing person! And it is none other than our wonderful Lord and Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s just look briefly at each of these points with some further clarification from Scripture. They are also important points regarding our understanding of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
(a) The Son was present at creation. We are reminded elsewhere in Scripture, that Jesus was present at creation, I have touched on this a few times with the devotions, for example we have: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.’ (John 1:1–3) and ‘For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.’ (Colossians 1:16).
There is another important verse found in 1 Corinthians 8:6 that says, ‘yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.’ This verse puts both God the Father and Jesus the Son as being present already, that is pre-existing before anything was, confirming the eternality of the Father and of the Son.
(b) The Son is the radiance of the glory of God or as the KJV puts it, ‘the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person.’ Colossians 1:15, ‘He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.’ I have already quoted from John 1:1 ‘. . . the Word was God’ This is an affirmation that the Son is God, and in the person of Jesus he was ‘God in the flesh’ thus both fully God and fully man, (John 1:14) and in the words of Jesus himself, (who we remember from Matthew 17:5, God said we needed to listen to) we have, ‘Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.’ (John 14:9–11). Then we have the words of Philippians 2:6 ‘. . . who though being in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped . . .’
(c) and (d) Upholds or sustains all things by his powerful word. Colossians 1:17 ‘And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.’ The very evidence of creation speaks of the power of the Godhead, the very fact that all things continue in an exacting way also demonstrates the power of the Godhead, sustaining all things. It is a confirmation of the unity of the Father and the Son, neither working nor acting apart from the other. Imagine the chaos if the Father and the Son were to act out of accord with one another!
(e) The purifier of sin. The eternal Son humbled himself to bring about God’s eternal plan of redemption, and through his obedience and suffering he has become the One who has made the purification of sin possible. ‘. . . waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.’ Titus 2:13-14) Because of his obedience and his bringing about the purification for sin he now:
(f) Sits at the right hand of God. He holds the highest place that heaven affords, as we have in the hymn, ‘The head that once was crowned with thorns, is crowned with glory now; a royal diadem adorns the mighty Victor’s brow. The highest place that Heaven affords, is his by sovereign right; the King of kings, the Lord of lords, and Heavens eternal light.’ Philippians 2:8-9, ‘And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has exalted him . . .’ Mark 16:19 ‘So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.’
‘Lord I lift your name on high, Lord I love to sing your praises, I’m so glad you’re in my life, I’m so glad that you came to save me. You came from heaven to earth, to show the way, from the earth to the cross, my debt to pay, from the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky, Lord I lift you name on high.’