The Eternal Significance of Jesus

Hebrews 1 April 20, 1997

Scripture: Unison Reading, Hebrews 1:1-4, page 1862-63, Pew Bible

Prayer:

Introduction:

Hebrews is a most interesting book in the Bible.

It is shrouded in mystery.

No one knows for sure who wrote it, or to whom, or why.

It seems likely that it was written to Jewish Christians in Rome about 65 A.D. for the purpose of exhorting them not to abandon Christianity as the final and complete revelation of God for man. They may have been a house church split off from the main group. Persecution may have played a part in the temptation of the recipients to revert to Judaism, being more comfortable with its rituals and that it was a state protected religion at the time. They were wavering in their commitment to Jesus.

But the biggest mystery is its author. Various suggestions have been Paul, Barnabas and Apollos.

But this mystery actually enhances the credibility of the book in my estimation. It is as it should be because the Holy Spirit was its ultimate author for which no man can take credit.

Hebrews is overflowing with solid doctrinal truth.

It intersperses this solid doctrinal truth with sweeping exhortation and encouragement. In other words, it says here is the truth, and now here is what to do with it. As such, it is a book of profound healing and cleansing through the agent of truth. It is truth that confounds and combats the arch enemy of truth. And like no other book, it reveals the divine healer, who called himself the truth. And truth, when received, cleanses the soul from guilt. It is guilt that separates us from God. Therefore, Hebrews deals with the most important question of how man may approach God. The answer is through Jesus as the Son of God.

As no other epistle (letter), it doesn’t begin like one, but it ends as one.

It is a sermon in written form, perhaps later written down as a letter, by a preacher of profound excellence who was quite well versed in his understanding of the O.T., often giving profound Messianic insight that would not have otherwise been this clearly available to us.

Hebrews helps us to discover the true meaning of the O.T., showing Christianity to have a better sanctuary, a better priesthood, a better sacrifice, and a better covenant than anything previously known before Christ.

Jesus is the ultimate in what God had to show us and say to us. We can stop searching elsewhere. Jesus is eternally significant.

In my last message in John 17, Jesus high priestly prayer before he went to the cross, he began with a prayer of purpose. We saw what his intent was in going to the cross. Here now beginning in Hebrews, we see what he accomplished.

I. Jesus is the fullness of God’s revelation. (vv. 1-3) [seven facts]

A. In the past days: (v. 1)

1. God spoke through many prophets.

2. God spoke through many times.

3. God spoke through many ways.

B. In the last days: (vv. 2-3)

1. God has spoken by His Son.

2. God’s Son is the one full, final, and complete revelation of Himself in seven ways.

a. The Son is God’s one recipient of all creation.

b. The Son is God’s one agent of all creation.

c. The Son is one with God in the self-generation of glory.

(1) This glory involves wisdom.

(2) The glory involves position.

d. The Son is one with God in person.

e. The Son is one with God in sustained excellence of power.

f. The Son is God’s one provision to bring the fallenness of creation into the fullness of God.

g. The Son is therefore the completed (sat down) revelation of God, being one with Him in majesty (right hand).

(1) God’s majesty (honored position) is revealed within creation through the Son.

(2) God’s majesty (honored position) is revealed over creation through the Son.

(3) He became as we are (without sin) that we might become as He is (without sin).

(4) God has once and forever judged sin by grace through faith in Jesus.

II. Jesus is the fullness of God’s nature. (vv. 4-14) [seven quotations]

A. The person of Jesus is therefore more excellent than any spiritual being by virtue of accomplishment. (v. 4a)

B. The name of Jesus is therefore more excellent than any spiritual being by virtue of relationship. (v. 4b)

C. Jesus surpasses the angels in seven ways.

1. God has exclusively chosen Jesus as His Son (glorification). (v. 5a)

2. God has exclusively chosen Himself as Jesus’ Father

(incarnation). (v. 5b)

3. God has exclusively chosen Jesus to be one with Him in receiving heavenly worship, even by angels. (v. 6)

4. God has limited the power and purpose of angels. (v. 7)

5. But the power and purpose of Jesus is realized in His rule over an eternal kingdom of righteousness. (vv. 8-9)

a. This power and eternal majesty of Jesus was obtained by His righteous and obedient victory over sin.

b. His righteous and obedient victory over sin has anointed Him with the joy of exaltation in worship by those He has justified.

6. And this eternal kingdom of righteousness has been planned by Jesus since He created the world. (vv. 10-12)

a. The eternal and righteous kingdom of Jesus surpasses the fallenness of the first creation.

b. The eternal and righteous kingdom of Jesus surpasses the purpose of the first creation.

c. Certainly the One (Jesus) who created is able to recreate according to the eternal plan and purpose of God.

7. It is the eternal plan and purpose of God for Jesus to have the victory over sin and death to which no angel can ascribe. (v.13)

D. Therefore the excellence of Jesus’ right to rule far surpasses that of any other spiritual being. (v. 14)

1. The purpose of God is to bring all people who trust in the victory of Jesus into rulership with Him.

2. Angels are excluded from salvation.

a. Angels are therefore excluded from rulership.

b. Angels serve those who rule.

Timeless Truth: The eternal significance of mankind is found in the eternal significance of Jesus. Don’t settle for less.

Conclusion: The Story of Leisha, Christian American, vol. 8, no. 3, May/June 1997, pp.32-35.

Closing Hymn: The Solid Rock, # 404, Hymnal

The Eternal Significance of Jesus

Hebrews 1 April 20, 1997

I. Jesus is the fullness of God’s r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . (vv. 1-3) [seven facts]

A. In the p _ _ _ days: (v. 1)

1. God spoke through many p _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

2. God spoke through many t _ _ _ _ .

3. God spoke through many w _ _ _ .

B. In the l _ _ _ days: (vv. 2-3)

1. God has spoken by His Son.

2. God’s Son is the one full, final, and complete r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ of Himself in seven ways.

a. The Son is God’s one r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ of all creation.

b. The Son is God’s one a _ _ _ _ of all creation.

c. The Son is one with God in the self-generation of

g _ _ _ _ .

(1) This glory involves wisdom.

(2) The glory involves position.

d. The Son is one with God in p _ _ _ _ _ .

e. The Son is one with God in sustained excellence of p _ _ _ _ .

f. The Son is God’s one p _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ to bring the fallenness of creation into the fullness of God.

g. The Son is therefore the completed (sat down) revelation of God, being one with Him in m _ _ _ _ _ _ (right hand).

(1) God’s majesty (honored position) is revealed within creation through the Son.

(2) God’s majesty (honored position) is revealed over creation through the Son.

(3) He became as we are (without sin) that we might become as He is (without sin).

(4) God has once and forever judged sin by grace through faith in Jesus.

II. Jesus is the fullness of God’s n _ _ _ _ _ . (vv. 4-14) [seven quotations]

A. The person of Jesus is therefore more excellent than any spiritual being by virtue of a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . (v. 4a)

B. The name of Jesus is therefore more excellent than any spiritual being by virtue of r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . (v. 4b)

C. Jesus surpasses the a _ _ _ _ _ in seven ways.

1. God has exclusively chosen Jesus as His Son (g _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ). (v. 5a)

2. God has exclusively chosen Himself as Jesus’ Father

(i _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ). (v. 5b)

3. God has exclusively chosen Jesus to be one with Him in receiving heavenly w _ _ _ _ _ _ , even by angels. (v. 6)

4. God has limited the power and purpose of a _ _ _ _ _ . (v. 7)

5. But the power and purpose of Jesus is realized in His rule over an eternal kingdom of r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . (vv. 8-9)

a. This power and eternal majesty of Jesus was obtained by His righteous and obedient victory over sin.

b. His righteous and obedient victory over sin has anointed Him with the joy of exaltation in worship by those He has justified.

6. And this eternal kingdom of righteousness has been

p _ _ _ _ _ _ by Jesus since He created the world. (vv. 10-12)

a. The eternal and righteous kingdom of Jesus surpasses the fallenness of the first creation.

b. The eternal and righteous kingdom of Jesus surpasses the purpose of the first creation.

c. Certainly the One (Jesus) who created is able to recreate according to the eternal plan and purpose of God.

7. It is the eternal plan and purpose of God for Jesus to have the v _ _ _ _ _ _ over sin and death to which no angel can ascribe. (v.13)

D. Therefore the excellence of Jesus’ right to r _ _ _ far surpasses that of any other spiritual being. (v. 14)

1. The purpose of God is to bring all people who trust in the victory of Jesus into r _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ with Him.

2. Angels are excluded from s _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

a. Angels are therefore excluded from rulership.

b. Angels serve those who rule.

Timeless Truth: The eternal significance of m _ _ _ _ _ _ is found in the eternal significance of Jesus. Don’t s _ _ _ _ _ for less.