Introduction to Hebrews (Part 2)

Lesson One

Introduction to Hebrews

Hebrews 1:1-3

 

 

 

Introduction

 

 At first Christianity was Jewish. Jesus was a Jew, His disciples were Jews, and the first converts were Jews. Their first meetings took place in synagogues, and their first controversies concerned adherence to Jewish laws. Christianity’s first critics knew it as a Jewish sect. 

Outstanding Thoughts in Hebrews

Continuing now five characteristics of the Epistle to the Hebrews starting at Number 5: 

I.                It Is a Book of Exaltation

The Epistle to the Hebrews exalts the person and the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. The first three verses set this high and holy theme which is maintained throughout the entire book. Their immediate purpose is to prove that Jesus Christ is superior to the prophets, men who were held in the highest esteem by the Jewish people.

A.     In His person, Christ is superior to the prophets. Why?

1.      Because Sonship belongs to Jesus (Heb. 1:2). This term “Son” is designed to emphasize relationships between the Persons of the Godhead, not to suggest that Jesus is a created being. Even the term firstbegotten [firstborn] (v. 6), portrays the “One coming forth from God to found the new community of saints.”

                                                    i.     He is “Firstborn” in that He is the Founder, the Model, the One with the Father’s full authority to act (see Rom. 8:29; Rev. 1:5).

                                                  ii.     The clearest evidence of Jesus’ position as a full Member of the Godhead is given in these early verses, as we see who Jesus is, all He accomplished, and all that will be His.

                                                 iii.     The coming kingdom belongs to Jesus, the Son “Heir” (Heb. 1:2). Jesus has been appointed “Heir of all things.” He will inherit and purify this world at His coming, and then create a new heaven and a new earth. He is Heir to all, and this constitutes a promise that one day all will be fully God’s.

2.      Because Jesus is the very Son of God and not merely a man called by God (Heb. 1:3). Clearly Jesus Christ is God, for his description could never be applied to mere mortal man.

                                                    i.     The original glory of God belongs to Jesus (Heb. 1:3).

1.      Brightness is the radiance, or the light shining forth from a star, this is all that the human eye can see.

2.      Similarly, all that we can see of God shines through Jesus! He is the full blaze beams of divine perfection—one in essence with the Father!

3.      Christ is to the Father what the rays of the sun are to the sun. He is the radiance and splendor surrounding God’s glory. As it is impossible to separate the rays from the sun, it is also impossible to separate Christ’s glory from the nature of God (Col. 2:9).

4.      The Son is the effulgence or shining forth of God’s glory and the likeness of the Father. Being the brilliance of the eternal light (John 1:4-5), the Lord Jesus must also be Himself eternal. The all-glorious divinity of the Son of God is essentially one with the Father's, but the Son is a personality distinct from that of the Father.  –The Complete Word Study Dictionary

5.       “Brightness of His glory” reminds us of the shekinah glory of God that dwelt in the tabernacle and temple. (See Ex. 40:34–38 and 1 Kings 8:10. The word Shekinah means “to dwell.”)

                                                  ii.      “Express image” (Heb. 1:3) carries the idea of “the exact imprint.” Our English word character comes from the Greek word translated “image.”

1.      Literally, Jesus Christ is “the exact representation of the very substance of God” (see Col. 2:9). Only Jesus could honestly say, “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9). When you see Christ, you see the glory of God (John 1:14).

2.      Express image [exact representation] assures us that there is a total and complete correspondence between the eternal God and the Man, Jesus. If you and I look at Jesus, we see exactly what God is like, for Jesus is God, and reveals Him exactly.

B.     In His work, Christ is also superior to the prophets.

1.      He is the Creator. To begin with, He is the Creator of the universe; for by Him, God “made the worlds” (Heb. 1:2).

                                                    i.     Creative power belongs to Jesus (Heb. 1:2).

1.      Jesus is the One who spoke causing our whole vast universe to appear. Jesus is the One who acted to shape stars so distant that astronomers can only guess at their existence.

2.      John 1:3—“All things were made by Him.” In the creation He was the acting power and personal instrument. Creation is the revelation of His mind and might. Heb. 1:10 shows the dignity of the Creator as contrasted with the creature. Col. 1:16 contradicts the Gnostic theory of emanations, and shows Christ to be the creator of all created things and beings. Rev. 3:14—“The beginning of the creation of God,” means “beginning” in the active sense, the origin, that by which a thing begins to be. Col. 1:15—“first-born,” not made; compare with Col. 1:17, where the “for” of v.16 shows Him to be not included in the “created things,” but the origin of and superior to them all. He is the Creator of the universe (v.16), just as He is the Head of the Church (v.18). –Evans, William

                                                  ii.     Sustaining power belongs to Jesus (Heb. 1:3).

1.      Not only did Christ create all things by His Word (John 1:1–5), but He also upholds all things by that same powerful Word (Heb. 1:3). “And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist [hold together]” (Col. 1:17).

2.      The word “upholding” (Heb. 1:3) does not mean “holding up,” as though the universe is a burden on the back of Jesus. It means “holding and carrying from one place to another.” He is the God of Creation and the God of providence who guides this universe to its divinely ordained destiny.

3.      Even today the entire universe would flicker out of existence if it were not for the power of Jesus, energizing the so-called “natural laws” that govern our physical universe.

4.      The universe is neither self-sustaining nor is it forsaken by God (Deism). Christ’s power causes all things to hold together. The pulses of universal life are regulated and controlled by the throbbings of the mighty heart of Christ. –Evans, William

2.      He is The Prophet. He is also the superior Prophet who declares God’s Word.

                                                    i.     The contrast between Christ, the Prophet, and the other prophets, is easy to see (Heb. 1:1-2):

Christ                                                             The Prophets          God the Son                                                    Men Called by God          One Son                                                          Many prophets          A final and complete message                        A fragmentary and incomplete message

                                                  ii.     The periodic, partial, and differential prophecies of the OT have now been overshadowed by God’s pre-eminent and final revelation in the person of His Son. The prophets were only channels through whom the divine word was communicated.

                                                 iii.     The Lord Jesus Christ is Himself the final revelation of God to men. As John said, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” (John 1:18). The Lord Jesus said concerning Himself, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9). Christ speaks not only for God but as God. –MacDonald, William

3.      He is the Priest. Redemptive work belongs to Jesus (Heb. 1:3).

                                                    i.     Jesus Christ has a ministry as Priest, and this reveals His greatness. By Himself He “purged our sins” (Heb. 1:3). This aspect of His ministry will be explained in detail in Hebrews 7–10.

                                                  ii.     Christianity is a religion of atonement distinctively. The elimination of the doctrine of the death of Christ from the religion that bears His name would mean the surrender of its uniqueness and claim to be the only true religion, the supreme and final revelation from God to the sons of men. It is its redemption feature that distinguishes Christianity from any and all other religions. If you surrender this distinctive Christian doctrine from its creed, then this supreme religion is brought down to the level of many other prevailing religious systems. Christianity is not merely a system of ethics; it is the history of redemption through Jesus Christ, the personal Redeemer. –Evans, William

                                                 iii.     As a Man, Jesus walked our earth and knew our nature and weaknesses. But now, once again, He has returned to “the right hand of the Majesty on high.” His work has been fully accomplished. He rests now, knowing that He has provided a salvation able to make us whole. Now, seeing Jesus, the focus of our praise and worship, restored to glory, we need to learn to rest in the fact that Jesus is God.

4.      He is the King. Finally, Jesus Christ reigns as King (Heb. 1:3). He has sat down because His work is finished. But where? “On the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

                                                    i.     This is the place of honor and privilege (Heb. 1:13). This proves that He is equal with God the Father, for no mere created being could ever sit at God’s right hand. Because of His glorious triumph, God has highly exalted Him (Phil. 2:5-11).

                                                  ii.     The right hand is also the position of power (Matt. 26:64) and delight (Ps. 16:11). The nail-scarred hand of the Savior holds the scepter of universal dominion (1 Pet. 3:22).

                                                 iii.     The assertion of God’s absolute sovereignty in creation, providence, and grace is basic to biblical belief and biblical praise. The vision of God on the throne—that is, ruling—recurs (1 Kings 22:19; Isa. 6:1; Ezek. 1:26; Dan. 7:9; Rev. 4:2; cf. Pss. 11:4; 45:6; Heb. 12:2; Rev. 3:21); and we are constantly told in explicit terms that the Lord (Yahweh) reigns as king, exercising dominion … (Exod. 15:18; Pss. 47; 99:1-5; 146:10; Prov. 16:33; 21:1; Isa. 24:23; 52:7; Dan. 4:34-35; 5:21-28; 6:26; Matt. 10:29-31). God’s dominion is total: he wills as he chooses and carries out all that he wills, and none can stay his hand or thwart his plans.

In Psalm 93 the fact of God’s sovereign rule is said to

(a) guarantee the stability of the world against all the forces of chaos (v. 1b-4),

(b) confirm the trustworthiness of all God’s utterances and directives (v. 5a), and

(c) call for the homage of holiness on the part of his people (v. 5b). The whole psalm expresses joy, hope, and confidence in God, and no wonder. We shall do well to take its teaching to heart. –Packer, J. I.

                                                 iv.     In following the pathway of our Lord from creation to Calvary and then to glory, it seems we have quite lost sight of the prophets. Illustrious though they were, they have receded into the shadows. They bore witness to the coming Messiah (Acts 10:43). Now that He has come, they gladly retire from view. –Believer's Bible Commentary

Creator, Prophet, Priest, and King—Jesus Christ is superior to all of the prophets and servants of God who have ever appeared on the sacred pages of the Scriptures. It is no wonder that the Father said, at the hour of Christ’s transfiguration, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him” (Matt. 17:5). Two of the greatest prophets were there with Jesus—Moses and Elijah; but Christ is superior to them.

As we study Hebrews together, we must keep in mind that our purpose is not to get lost in curious details. Nor is our purpose to attack or defend some pet doctrine. Our purpose is to hear God speak in Jesus Christ, and to heed that Word. We want to echo the prayer of the Greeks: “Sir, we would see Jesus” (John 12:21). If our purpose is to know Christ better and exalt Him more, then whatever differences we may have in our understanding of the book will be forgotten in our worship of Him.

 

A Suggested Outline of Hebrews

 

Key theme: Press on to maturity

Key verse: Heb 6:1

I. A SUPERIOR PERSON-CHRIST - chapters 1-6

A. Better than the prophets - 1:1-3

B. Better than the angels - 1:4-2:18 (Exhortation: drifting from the Word, 2:14)

C. Better than Moses - 3:1-4:13 (Exhortation: doubting the Word, 3:7-4:13)

D. Better than Aaron - 4:14-6:20 (Exhortation: dullness toward the Word, 5:11-6:20)

II. A SUPERIOR PRIESTHOOD-MELCHIZEDEK - chapters 7-10

A. A superior order - 7

B. A superior covenant - 8

C. A superior sanctuary - 9

D. A superior sacrifice - 10 (Exhortation: despising the Word - 10:26-39)

III. A SUPERIOR PRINCIPLE-FAITH - chapters 11-13

A. The great examples of faith - 11

B. The endurance of faith chastening - 12 (Exhortation: defying the Word - 12:14-29)

C. Closing practical exhortations – 13

—The Bible Exposition Commentary

 

 

A Thematic Summary of Hebrews

 

The best just got better—it's a favorite slogan with advertisers.

It's not that our previous product was poor. It's just that the current one is superior.

The Book of Hebrews might well use the same slogan. The best just got better.

There was nothing inferior about the Jewish religion. It was given by God and designed by God. Every principle, rule, and ritual had a wealth of meaning. The Old Testament served as a faithful guide for thousands of people over thousands of years. It was the best offered to man.

But when Christ came, the best got better.

Hebrews was written for Jewish believers who were torn between their new faith and their old ways. The temptation was to slip back into familiar routines and rituals, settling for second best.

The author skillfully makes a case against such a digression. He argues that Jesus is better than every form of the old faith—better than the angels (1:4–2:18), better than their leaders (3:1–4:13), and better than their priests (4:14–7:28). When it comes to comparing the two there is simply no comparison. Christianity has a better covenant (8:1–13), a better sanctuary, (9:1–10), and a better sacrifice for sins (9:11–10:18).

It's not that the old law was bad, it's just that the new law—salvation by faith in Christ—is better. Once you've known the best, why settle for second rate?

It's doubtful that you will ever be tempted to exchange your faith for an ancient system of priests and sacrifices. But you will be tempted to exchange it for something inferior.

If you are reading Hebrews, be reminded: Once you've known the best, why settle for anything less? (Hmmm, there's another catchy slogan.)