Jesus: The Express Image of God-NLFC
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Text: Hebrews 1:1–4 (NASB95) God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.
We live in a day of great confusion. People are:
Confused about whether they have a right to know how and with what curriculum their children are being educated and whether they can ask about these things at a school board meeting without being put on the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list.
Confused about why food, gasoline, electric and other utilities, just about everything — is so expensive and getting more expensive all the time.
So, understandably, they are confused about who to vote for on November 8.
Many are confused about when life begins, whether in the womb or outside of it.
They are confused about what sex they are and believe it can be contrary to their birth sex.
Confused about whether or not the Bible is dependable.
And it seems many people are confused about who Jesus is.
According to a 2022 Ligonier Ministries and LifeWay Research survey:
There has been a significant increase in supposedly, Bible-believing evangelicals who deny Jesus’ divinity.
Such a belief is contrary to Scripture, which affirms from beginning to end that Jesus is indeed God (John 1:1; 8:58; Rom. 9:5; Heb. 1:1-4).
When asked to agree or disagree with the statement: Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God.
U.S. Evangelical Finding:
2020: 30% agree
2022: 43% agree
Can we pray tonight that Christians will once again know who Jesus is?
That they (Christians) will communicate with an unchurched, pagan (we used to call them the KJV-heathens) the truth about Jesus?
Can we pray tonight that Christians will respond to the upward call that Rick spoke through the Holy Spirit this morning?
The one that The Apostle Paul spoke of in: Philippians 3:14 (NASB95) I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Oh, but wait a minute.
In order to press toward the upward goal I have to do: Philippians 3:13 (NASB95) … I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
Wait! Back up again: Philippians 3:12 (NASB95) Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
That they would get there by reading their Bibles.
That they would know that Jesus is so much more than a good teacher.
That they would know how Jesus fulfilled over 300 OT prophecies when He came the first time.
That they would know He lived a sinless life.
That He died, NOT for His own sins or transgressions, but for ours.
That Jesus didn’t stay in the grave, but rose again on the 3rd day.
That 40 days later He ascended to the Father’s right-hand where He RIGHT NOW ever lives to make intercession for us.
Hebrews 7:25b (NLT) … He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.
Pray for the church!
People are confused because they don’t really have an experience with Jesus.
If they really knew Him, how could they doubt He is God.
The passage I just read makes the divinity of Jesus really clear. It tells us:
God is no longer commissioning and speaking through Old Testament prophets, God speaks to us through His Son, Jesus.
That Son is the One who made everything and when everything is said and done it will belong to the Him.
The Son, Jesus, is the “radiance of the Father’s glory.”
He is the exact representation of the Father’s nature.
Like Father, like Son — precisely, perfectly, exactly.
In John 14:8–9 (NASB95) Philip [one of Jesus’ disciples] said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; …
Jesus said in John 10:30 (NASB95) “I and the Father are one.”
Like the Father, Jesus is fully God.
Our Bible passage goes on to say that right now, everything that exists, continues to exist ONLY because Jesus maintains and sustains its existence.
This passage tells us that Jesus has “made purification for our sins.”
In other words: Jesus died for our sins so that we would not have to face the righteous judgment our sin deserve.
Finally, our passage leaves no doubt of the divinity of Jesus when it tells us that Jesus has sat down at the right hand of God.
Who sits at the Father’s right hand? The favored position? The position of authority?
Jesus, the Son of God.
Can we pray that Christians would understand:
When Jesus walked on this planet, He expressed the Father completely in speaking forth His excellent wisdom,
Matthew 13:54 (NASB95) [Jesus] came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?
When Jesus walked among people He was the perfect representation of the Father’s will:
John 4:34 (NASB95) Jesus said to [His disciples], “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.
When Jesus was on earth everything He did or said revealed the Father’s exquisite worthiness.
Jesus is worthy of all praise:
Revelation 5:7–10 (NASB95) And He [Jesus] came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 8 When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10 “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”
Christ fully expresses the goodness of God’s nature,
He faithfully exhibits the grace of God’s nobility
and finally, He explains the glory of God’s name.
Thus, Jesus is the visible expression of God’s invisible being.
We get a perfect picture of God when we look at Christ (John 1:18).
In other words, Jesus explains God;
He came to the world and portrayed God to people by his words and actions.
No one can know God apart from Christ because we know God by knowing Christ.
God reveals himself through Jesus
So, do you, as we sang about, know Whom you have believed?
Really know Him.
Is His the most beautiful, most wonderful, most powerful Name you know?
Are you shouting it from these mountains?
The Bible tells us in Ecc that:
Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT) … God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, …
Let’s pray that we will be more effective at helping people discover that there is a God-shaped place in their lives that ONLY God can fill.
That place is shaped exactly like Jesus.
No other piece will fit.
Not money, sex, power, fame, possessions.
Not Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, or any other false religion.
Only Jesus.
Let’s pray!