THE TIME TO REJOICE WITH JESUS
Hebrews 1:1-9
THE SPOKEN WORD, PAST AND PRESENT
V:1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers 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 he made the universe.
In this text, God speaks of two-time frames. The time before the birth of Jesus and
the time after His birth. The time of the law and the time of grace. The time of darkness
and time of enlightenment
In the past, the time before the birth of Jesus God spoke through the prophets, through
elders. Through our parents, through angels, and our children, God spoke
through events, and trial and tribulations. He recorded His word in all the
scriptures of the Old Testament which He preserved for our teaching.
In the last days which is our present time. It is the time between the first coming of
Jesus and His second coming. This is the time of His grace and mercy for all mankind,
but particularly for all who believe in Jesus. God has given us time to prepare ourselves
for an eternity with Him before He judges all nonbelievers for an eternity in hell.
Today Jesus the Son of God is the teacher as opposed to the past when the law was
given as a tutor. Jesus is the owner of all things, in heaven and on earth which were made by Him (John 1). He earned the right to be the owner and chief caregiver with
His death on the cross one Friday evening.
There is no better relationship to have than with the one who sacrificed His life for
your salvation. Jesus is the owner of all who believe in Him because He paid the
ransom required to satisfy God\’s demand for justice (Hebrews 9:15).
THE GLORY OF JESUS
V: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.
The Holy Trinity is one God in three persons. It is God in the person of the Father,
God in the person of the Son, and God in the person of the Holy Spirit. In Genesis
when God said let Us make man in our own image and likeness it was referring
to the Holy Trinity.
Jesus is the preexistence essential being. He is the light of light. He and the Father are
one (John 10:30). He is exactly the same as the Father. The difference is Jesus to om
the assignment clothing Himself in human flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The question is why did Jesus need to become fully man while being fully God?
The first thing the first Adam did was to disobey God’s command thus breaking
the relationship with Him. You will notice in Genesis 2: 16? God killed an animal to
cover the sins of Adam and Eve. A blood sacrifice was required to reestablish the
fellowship with God the Father.
Because of Adam\’s sin, all mankind was born in sin in need of a sinless blood
sacrifice for redemption. This set up the need for Jesus to take on human
nature. By becoming man Jesus experienced all the frailties of man. He experienced
anger. Hate, the pride of man, tiredness, disappointment, grief. Jesus experiences the
pain of death by crucifixion.
It was His voluntary death on the cross that provided the way for the purification of
sin. Having reconciled man back to the Father with His death on the cross, He was
raised on the third day and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
THE SUPERIOR POSITION OF JESUS
V: 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
\”You are my Son; today I have become your Father\”?
Or again,
\”I will be his Father, and he will be my Son\”?
Angels were God’s first created beings (Job ). They rejoiced while God
was speaking the earth into existence. Angel was created holy but given
the ability to choose righteousness or sin. Lucifer created as an archangel
sinned by pride and caused a number of other angels to follow him into sin.
While angels who remained faithful to their position were never never called
sons are given any station other than God’s praise team and His messengers.
The angels who remained faithful were given from time to time the power to
destroy man and property at the will of God.
THE WORSHIP OF JESUS
V:6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,
\”Let all God\’s angels worship him.\”
7 In speaking of the angels he says,
\”He makes his angels wind, his servant\’s flames of fire.\”
Angels were given the responsibility to worship Jesus and bring the good
news of His birth to mankind. They are powerful beings under the will of
the Father but completely submissive to Him.
THE ETERNAL AUTHORITY OF JESUS
V: 8 But about the Son he says,
\”Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.\”
Lucifer the Arch angel wanted to establish a throne in heaven and be equal to God
Isaiah 14:13-16
13 You said in your heart,
\”I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.\”
15 But you are brought down to the grave,
to the depths of the pit.
While Jesus has all power, He never sinned but humbled himself to the Father
for the mission of salvation
Philippians 2:6-7
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
No angel was ever considered for the job of salvation. It is certainly the highest
honor for Jesus to lay aside His robe of glory, and step down out of heaven
to become the salvation of mankind. No angel can claim, I am the way, the truth
, and the light. No angel ever raised a person from the dead or died and was raised
from the dead. They are distinct messengers of God, spirit beings in God’s service.
Jesus our Lord and Savior is the creator and above all His creation. He deserves
all praise and honor of man and angels.
Believers chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world share in the honor
of Christ through the great commission (Matthew 28:19) to bring men to Him
through the preached Word.
LET US REJOICE IN THE WORK OF OUR LORD
AND SAVIOR
Rev. M. Mitchell
