Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by 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 on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
The book of Hebrews does not tell us who wrote this letter. We know that God is the Author, but God does not tell us who He appointed to write down His Words in this epistle. It is assumed that Paul was the writer. Personally, I am satisfied with that assumption, although it is certainly not worth fighting over because God chose not to name the writer.
The book of Hebrews shows us that Jesus Christ is better. He is better than the angels. His sacrifice is better than those animal sacrifices. Thirteen times in twelve verses we find the word “better” in the book of Hebrews. There is no one that compares to the Lord Jesus Christ.
In chapter 1 God begins this epistle by speaking of Himself. The Greek Word translated as “God” speaks of the Godhead. It includes the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. The phrase “at sundry times” simply speaks of the reality that God has spoken many times, many ways, and by many portions. Genesis 1:1 tells us that in the beginning God spoke things into existence. God has communicated with man since the creation of man. He has told man of things that happened before man was created. God used various means to speak to man. He has used angels, He has used prophets, He even used a donkey. In our text, God says He spoke by the prophets. There were many true prophets in the Old Testament time. There were some godly prophets in the New Testament time as well. With the completion of the Scriptures, there was no further need for prophets.
God spoke to the “fathers”. This would be to the Jewish leaders of old.
I Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
The Bible is a patriarchal book. God is The Father. He is male. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. God created Adam first and then put him to sleep and took one of his ribs as the basis of creating the woman. Abraham is called the father of not just the nation of Israel but of all those who believe.
Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
In verse 2 God tells us that in these last days He spoke to us by his Son. God tells us that from the time of the writing of this epistle, it was the last days. Jesus Christ has been appointed the heir of all things by God. Jesus Christ is also the Creator of the worlds. John 1:3 states this fact as well. We noted from John 10:30 that Jesus Christ and God the Father are one.
God also speaks of the worlds here.
Colossians 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
In Jewish thought there are three worlds. The upper world which is the habitation of God, the middle world which is the air, and the lower world which is the earth. They also sometimes talk of the world of angels (their dwelling place), the world of the orbits (where the sun, moon and stars are) and the world below (where we live).
Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
In verse 3, we see the exalted state of Jesus Christ.
John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Paul wrote in Philippians 2 that Jesus Christ set aside His glory to come to this earth. Peter, James and John were given a greater glimpse of the glory of Jesus Christ on the mount of Transfiguration. Jesus Christ is not only the Creator of all things, but He is also the One Who upholds all things by the word of His power.
Colossians 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Jesus Christ purged our sins by Himself. To purge is to remove. Jesus Christ has the power to remove our sins. He not only removes our sins, but He also gives those who are saved a new nature so that they have the power to say no to the temptation to sin! The true child of God has a great blessing bestowed upon him.
God is reminding us once again here of the greatness of His Son. Those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation have the assurance that they have eternal life. They do not need to wonder if they could somehow lose that blessed hope.
The Catholics wrongly claim that Mary is the co-redemptrix with Jesus Christ. They claim that Jesus needed His mother to help Him with the matter of salvation. They are wrong. That is why the Catholic jesus is not the Jesus of the Bible. Their jesus is deficient. There is no salvation in that false religion.
The true Jesus is today seated on the right hand of His Father in Heaven. He finished the work of salvation. He declared that work finished while He hung on the cross. He shed His blood on that cross. He died on that cross. He was taken off that cross and buried. He rose again the third day and He ascended back up to glory 50 days later. The work of salvation was finished by Jesus Christ alone.
In verse 4 we are reminded that He was made so much better than the angels. Jesus Christ is not a created being. He is the eternal Son of God. He obeyed His Father in coming to this earth and laying down His life for the sheep. He is the second person of the Godhead, and He also inherited a more excellent name than the angels. He proved to be the eternal Son of God by His work of salvation. He was not like Adam who fell. He was not like so many of the angels that fell. He was and is the eternal Son of God! For those that are saved, take some time to reflect on that great gift you have been given! Let us pray that many more would come to enjoy that great gift in these last days.
Pastor Bartel
