Jesus Gods Final Word Heb.1
JESUS: GODS FINAL WORD
HEB.1:1-14
INTRO: (EX: MAN IN ENGLAND WENT TO DR. TO HAVE HIS HEARING CHECKED. THE DR. REMOVED THE HEARING AID & HIS HEARING IMPROVED—IT SEEMS HE HAD WORN IT IN WRONG EAR FOR OVER 20YRS) (EX: MAN ASKED PREACHER IF HE HAD DEAF MINISTRY IN HIS CHURCH. THE PREACHER SAID THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I THINK WHOLE CHURCH NEEDS A DEAF MINISTRY—THEY DON’T SEEM TO HEAR ME!) HE WHO HAS EARS TO HEAR LET HIM HEAR! THIS LETTER WAS WRITTEN TO JEWISH CHRISTIANS—SOME ENDURED PERSECUTION—SOME WERE IN DANGER OF DRIFTING AWAY FROM WORD THEY WERE TAUGHT---SO THE LETTER GIVE ENCOURAGEMENT BUT ALSO WARNING---KEEP WALKING IN FAITH—OTHERS HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL—KEEP MAKING SPIRITUAL PROGRESS—GO ON TO MATURITY. THE AUTHOR BEGINS BY REMINDING THEM OF THE SUPREME NAME/POWER/AUTHORITY OF JESUS---EVEN UNDER PRESSURE AND TEMPTATION TO GIVE UP---KEEP EYES FIXED ON JESUS!
HEB. IS COMPACT BIBLE IN ONE BOOK—TIES TOGETHER OLD & NEW –REVELAS HOW GOD PLAN & PURPOSE CENTERED IN JESUS!
I. GOD HAS SPOKEN!
IN OUR CULTURE PEOPLE BELIEVE ALL KINDS OF THINGS—EVEN CHRISTIANS GET CAUGHT UP IN STRANGE TEACHINGS—COMMUNICATING WITH DEAD/REINCARNATION/NEW AGE TEACHINGS—MANY SEE NO CONFLICT IN BELIEVING SOME OF THESE THINGS & THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. MANY SAY ITS WRONG TO PASS JUDGMENT ON PEOPLE LIVING TOGETHER/ABORTION/HOMOESEXUAL LIFESTYLE—YET BIBLE SPEAKS CLEARLY TO THESE ISSUES. AS ONE SAID TOO MANY CHRISTIANS WHO DON’T ACT LIKE THEY BELIEVE GODS TRUTH. (EX: IN 1992 BARNA SURVEY FOUND 55% OF CHURCH PEOPLE SAID FAITH AFFECTED THE WAY THEY LIVED—SO FOR 45% FAITH DIDN’T AFFECT THEIR LIVES—WAS JESUS NOT THAT MUCH BETTER? HOW MUCH ATTENTION DO WE PAY TO GODS WORD?
GOD SPOKE—LIGHT CAME INTO BEING. HE SPOKE DIRECTLY WITH ADAM/EVE—ABRAM—MOSES. GOD SPOKE THRU PROPHETS LATER IN ISRAEL’S HISTORY. HE SPOKE TO JOB IN WHIRLWIND—JOSEPH IN DREAMS—MOSES IN BRUNING BUSH—DANIEL IN VISIONS. GOD SPOKE IN DIFFERENT WAYS/METHODS (IN BITS & PIECES)—THOUGH HIS WORD THRU PROPHETS EMPHASIZED ASPECTS OF GOD (JUSTICE/HOLINESS/FORGIVENESS & THOUGH PROPHETS USED DRAMATIC ACTIONS—THAT WORD WAS INCOMPLETE/INDIRECT---JESUS IS PERSONAL/DIRECT OF GOD! GOD SPOKE IN “SON” (NO ARTICLE)—THIS REFERS TO CHARACTER/NATURE—JN.14:9 “HE WHO HAS SEEN ME HAS SEEN THE FATHER”---GOD GAVE PROGRESSION OF HIS REVELATION—LAWS/HISTORY/PSALMS---ALL THIS WAS TYPE/SHADOW OF REALITY TO COME IN JESUS. SALVATION IS KNOWING GOD PERSONALLY! AT JESUS’ BAPTISM GOD SAID “THIS IS MY SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED—HEAR HIM!” IN HIS MINISTRY JESUS AFFIRMED HIS ONENESS WITH FATHER (JN.5:19; 8:48-59)
II. THE SURERIORITY OF JESUS
A. HEIR OF ALL THINGS:GOD TOLD ADAM/EVE TO MULTIPLY/FILL EARTH & SUBDUE IT—BUT SIN & DEATH ENTERED WORLD & EVERYTHING CHANGED. LATER CANAAN BECAME SYMBOL OF GODS PROMISED RESTORATION BUT AGAIN DISBELIEF/DISOBEDIENCE CORRUPTED ISRAEL---WICKED KINGS & DIVIDED LAND & THEN LOST LAND AS THEY WENT INTO EXILE. BUT JESUS CAME IN FULLNESS OF TIME & HIS DEATH RESURRECTION GAINED BACK ALL THAT WAS LOST. INHERITANCE CHRIST WON NOW BELONGS TO ALL WHO BELIEVE IN HIM (EPH.2:4-7) WITHOUT CHRIST WE ARE HOPELESS/EMPTY & WILL STAND ALONE BEFROE HOLY GOD
B. CREATOR OF WORLD: (JN.1:3-5; COL.1:16,17) (EX: VIDEO: AWE FACTOR)
C. RADIANT LIGHT: ONLY TIME WORD USED IN N.T.—THIS IS MORE THAN REFLECTION (MOON REFLECTS SUN LIGHT BUT SUN’S RAYS COME DIRECTLY FROM SUN. SO JESUS IS RADIANCE(ESSENCE) OF GODS GLORY. NICODEMUS SAID “NO ONE CAN DO THESE SIGNS UNLESS GOD IS WITH HIM” (EX: ATOMIC REACTORS NEED PROTECTION FROM RADIATION---BUT THERE IS DOOR THRU WHICH INSTRMENTS CAN BE INSERTED—SCIENTISTS CALL IT “GLORY HOLE”-) JESUS IS EARTHLY EXPRESSION OF GODS CHARACTER (JN.14:9 “HE WHO HAS SEEN ME (RECOGNIZED MY TRUE IDENTITY/ANALYZED ME (PHARISEES COULDN’T SEE THIS!) HAS SEEN (UNDERSTOOD/COMPREHENDED FATHER)
D. IMAGE OF GOD: WORD REFERS TO IMPRESSION OR STAMP ON COINS/SEALS—REPRODUCTION OF ORIGINAL (COL. 1:15 JESUS IS EXPRESS IMAGE/PERSONAL LIKENESS OF INVISIBLE GOD (EX: IN AN IMPERFECT WAY CHILDREN BEAR IMAGE OF PARENTS—PHYSICAL APPEARANCE/MANNERISMS—HE OR SHE IS “SPITTING IMAGE” )—WHEN PEOPLE SEE CHRISTIANS DO THEY SEE THE IMAGE OF CHRIST? TOO OFTEN WE GET HUNG UP ON THE OUTER APPEARANCE/SHELL & WE MISS THE REAL PERSON (LOOK AT ISA.53:2,3) (EX: ENGLAND IN WWII RAF PILOTS FOUGHT WITH GREAT COURAGE AGAINST GERMAN BOMBERS—WHEN THEIR PLANES WERE HIT IT WOULD OFTEN IGNITE FUEL LINE THAT RAN ALONG COCKPIT & BEFORE THEY COULD GET OUT FLAMES WOULD BURN THEIR FACE—SKIN GRAFTS WERE MADE BUT OFTEN FACE WAS DISFIGURED—MANY ABANDONED BY WIVES/GIRLFRIENDS—BUT ONE MAN WAS TOLD BY HIS WIFE THAT NOTHING HAD CHANGED EXCEPT FEW MM OF SKIN—SHE LOVED HIM ANYWAY—SO THIS MAN’S WIFE BECAME MIRROR THAT GAVE HIM NEW IMAGE OF HIMSELF) THIS IS WHAT JESUS DOES FOR US—HE TRANSFORMS US—GIVES US NEW IMAGE OF OURSELVES—WE ARE NEW CREATURES IN CHRIST.) (EX: MOTHER TERESA SAID WHEN SHE LOOKED INTO FACE OF DYING BEGGAR IN CALCUTTA SHE PRAYED TO SEE THE FACE OF JESUS SO SHE MIGHT SERVE BEGGAR AS SHE WOULD SERVE CHRIST)
E. SUSTAINER OF UNIVERSE (COL.1:17) HE SPOKE UNIVERSE INTO BEING & HIS WORD SUSTAINS (HOLDS) UNIVERSE INPLACE---STARS/PLANETS/GRAVITY---HOLDS ATOM TOGETHER—PROTONS IN NUCLEUS ARE POSITIVE & SHOULD FLY APART BUT THEY DON’T—PROTONS & ELECTRONS PULL AT EACH OTHER BUT SCIENTISTS DON’T KNOW WHERE THE ELECTRICALY CHARGE COMES FROM THAT HOLDS ATOM TOGETHER---BUT WE DO! IF YOU KNOW CHRIST & HIS WORD YOU KNOW MORE THAN PHDS! THERE IS ENOUGH ATOMIC ENERGY IN ONE BREATH TO FLY SPACECRAFT TO MOON. ATOMS ARE MOSTLY SPACE—BUT ATOMS DON’T KEEP US FROM GOING THRU WALLS BUT FORCES AROUND THEM. JESUS OVERRULED FORCE OF ATOM AND WALKED ON WATER—MULTIPLIED FOOD—RAISED DEAD—WALKED THRU WALLS. JESUS TRANSCENDS UNIVERSE. NOW ALL THIS IS TO BRING US TO KNEES SO WE CAN STAND IN FACE OF TRIALS/PERSECUTIONS
F. UNIQUE SACRIFICE: THE AUTHOR REMINDS US WHO JESUS IS & NOW REMINDS OF WHAT HE DID. JESUS SHED HIS BLOOD ONCE FOR ALL—NO REPITION NEEDED (UNLIKE PRIESTS OF O.T. WHO HAD TO KEEP OFFERING SACRIFICES AND KEEP GOING INOT HOLY OF HOLIES YR AFTER YR) ON CROSS JESUS DECLARED IT IS FINISHED. JESUS DID WHAT LAW COULDN’T DO & WHAT WE COULD NEVER DO FOR OURSELVES. SO HE “SAT DOWN”—HE COMPLETED ALL THE FATHER SENT HIM TO DO.
G. SUPERIOR TO ANGELS: SOME OF THESE READERS WERE QUESTIONING THEIR FAITH & WERE TEMPTED TO LEAVE FAITH. SOME WERE LED INTO WORSHIP OF ANGELS (COL. 2:16-19)---ANGELS ARE MESSENGERS—CREATED BEINGS SERVING GOD—THEY DELIVER GODS WORD TO GODS PEOPLE—APPEARED OFTEN BETWEEN GEN. & JUDGES. THERE ARE ARCHANGELS/CHERIBIM/SERIPHIM. THEY CAN APPEAR IN HUMAN FORM—THEY PROTECT & OFTEN DESTROY ENEMIES (ONE ANGEL SLEW 187,000 ASSYRIANS) (EX: MARIE MONSEN NORWEGIAN MISS.) LATER THIS WRITER WILL TELL US WE MAY ENTERTAIN THEM WITHOUT KNOWING IT. THERE IS STILL MUCH INTEREST IN ANGELS—MOVIES & T.V. SHOWS MADE ABOUT THEM. BUT ANGELS ARE NOT LIKE T.V. DEPICTIONS NOR ARE THEY CUTE LITTLE CHERUBS WITH WINGS. NO! THEY ARE MAJESTIC/POWERFUL (REV.19:10—JOHN FELL AT ANGEL’S FEET IN FEAR)—THE AUTHORS POINT IS THAT JESUS IS GREATER THAN ANGELS—THEY WORSHIP HIM! (V.6) (REV.5:11--) ANGELS REFUSE WORSHIP—JESUS NEVER DID!(WISE MEN/HEALED/THOMAS) JESUS NAME IS SUPERIOR—ABOVE EVERY NAME (EX: MORMONS/J.W.’S SAY JESUS IS ANGEL---ISLAM SAYS HE PROPHET—BUT JESUS ALONE IS ONE WITH GOD—MADE SACRIFICE FOR SIN AND ANGELS AND ALL CREATION SINGS “WORHTY IS THE LAMB”
CONCLUSION: ( EX: 3RD GRADERS PICTURE & STORY OF ANT & GRASSHOPPER)