The Superiority of Christ - Part 2

Well if you would take your Bible and turn back to chapter 1, verses 1-4, we read those verses earlier. We will get into those verses a little later on in the message. Now most of you know that last week we got started in our study through the book of Hebrews. We learned that the unknown author of this letter was writing to this small Jewish congregation basically for two reasons. Practically he was writing to this congregation to warn them not to go back to their former religion and way of life in Judaism. From what we see in the book some of this congregation were true believers while some were not.

And no matter their relationship to Christ the author was writing to urge them and warn them not to go back into Judaism. No matter the consequences, hardships they faced, no matter the persecution that they faced. And if theologically he was writing to explain and to exalt the superiority and the preeminence of Christ. He was explaining to them that Jesus was in fact the promised Messiah of the Old Testament. And he had fulfilled all that is seen in the Old Covenant in every way. Therefore he was better than the Old Covenant rituals and sacrifices. He was better than the Old Covenant prophets and priests.

He was better than the entire Old Covenant as an institution because he had truly fulfilled all that was seen in the Old Covenant in every way. So the author was warning them not to go back into their former religion and former way of life. And he was exalting Jesus as the superior and the preeminent one because he was in fact God the Son who fulfilled all that was in the Old Covenant. So I'll question. Of course this is the author of the book posing this question to that little small Jewish congregation. Why in the world would you go back? Why in the world would you go back?

Now besides some background information about the book last week we got into verse 1 and the first part of verse 2. And we saw that the author did not ease into things here. He jumped head first into exalting the supremacy of Christ. That would be Christ Jesus the Son. He got very deep very fast. And then we saw that the author gave eight facts about the Son that reveal his supremacy and his preeminence. Of course last week we did not get into those eight facts. But before we get into these eight things about the supremacy of the Son I want to make a few more observations from verses 1 to 2 or the first part of verse 2.

And I want to take what we learned last week a little further. Right away we see that God was and is active. We saw this last week. Verse 1 says that God spoke. And notice that the author of the book tells us that God spoke in a particular way. And here we see that God did not speak through general revelation which can be seen by all men and men. He did not speak through the works of providence and the conscience that God has put within every man. The author is showing us that God spoke by what is called special revelation. Now you may ask what is general revelation and what is special revelation and why is this important.

General revelation is the revelation of God in and through his creation. And general revelation is broad in that it reveals God's eternal power as creator to all men. But general revelation is limited in its revelation about God. General revelation does not reveal man's problem of sin and God's plan for the salvation of men through his Son. General revelation only reveals God's eternal power as creator. That is why we need special revelation. And special revelation is God revealing himself in a particular way to a particular people which is what we have here in verse 1 and following.

And take note of the ultimate end and purpose of this special revelation. That would be Jesus, God's Son and salvation for men and men. The purpose of special revelation is to reveal that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Of course that's John 3 16 and ultimately this is all for the glory of God. But we must see something else about God's special revelation and this is critical in understanding verse 1 and following. Special revelation is progressive.

As God spoke he progressively revealed more and more about himself and more and more about his plan for the redemption of man. Now let's read verses 1 to the beginning of verse 2 again and let's see if we can notice the progressive nature of God's special revelation. Now I'm reading it in the legacy standard Bible because that version starts off with God and God is at the center of all these things folks. So notice if we can see the progressive nature of special revelation here. God having spoken long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways in these last days spoke to us by his son.

And this leads us to a vital fact about progressive revelation that pertains to what we see here in the verses. It was not that what God said in the former times was less truthful and what God said in the last days through his son was more truthful. It was not that what God said in those former times was less worthy and what he said in the last days through his son was more worthy. Look where that kind of wrong thinking leads.

If that were the case that would mean that God's revelation in the former times was somehow faulty and that would mean that God himself was somehow faulty because what he said in the former times was somehow faulty and that cannot be the case. So we must be accurate and right in how we view progressive revelation as seen in verses 1 to 2. In verse 1 and the beginning of verse 2 those verses are all about God moving from promise to the fulfillment of that promise. And those promises were perfect in every way.

And fulfillment of those promises was and is perfect in every way because God is perfect in every way and God is perfect in every way because he is God. So let's not make the mistake of thinking God's special revelation is seen in the Old Covenant as faulty or less truthful. The best way we can describe the Old Covenant is this. The Old Covenant was all about the promises of God to send a Savior and he kept his word. Jesus was and is the fulfillment of everything seen in the Old Covenant. The Old Covenant was full of types and shadows and promises which pointed to the coming promised Messiah and he has come. Now what is my point here?

Why not just jump into the eight things we see about God the Son and his supremacy? Look folks we must relate to the Old Testament, the Old Covenant properly. And this is far more important than you know. If we err on one side we believe the Old Covenant was somehow faulty and that can cause us to leave behind the Old Testament and leave behind the Old Covenant. That's what Andy Stanley did. You might not know who he is. He was famous for saying that we should unhitch from the old. But if we err on the other side we believe that the Old Covenant is somehow equal to or superior to the new.

And that is the error that was addressed in the letter to the Hebrews you see. And that is the error that some, not all, some of the Covenant theology friends can make. And one more thing that helps us relate to the Old Covenant properly. We covered this last week but we need to have this firmly fixed in our understanding before we progress. We must see that when we transition from what God said through the prophets in the former times and into what God said in the last days by and through the Son, there was a continuation and there was a discontinuation.

When God spoke by and through the Son there is a sense in which God was continuing to say what he had said in those former times. What God said before was not made irrelevant. Jesus continued what God said before. One scholar said the Old prepares the way for the new and that's true. So in one sense there was and is a continuation from the Old Testament prophets to and through the Son who is Jesus. But in the Son there is a completion of what God had said in the Old through the Old Testament prophets in those former days. In the Son there is a consummation. There is a completion. There is a finishing of all that was seen in the Old Covenant.

God began revealing himself when he spoke at many times and in many ways when he spoke during those former times through the Old Testament prophets. But when God spoke by and through his Son, his one and only, his revelation was and is complete. His revelation was and is finished. So in one sense there is a discontinuation of the Old Covenant in and through the Son. Now let me give you an example. This example can only go so far. It helped me but maybe it will help you. Let's just say that I was a soldier fighting in a foreign land around the world far, far away from my family. Maybe for three or four years.

Is that what some of those veterans did, those men did when they fought in World War II? Well let's just say I was in that circumstance and if I wrote my wife and told her in many letters, many times that I would come home. I'm going to come home. I promise. I promise. I promise. She would hold on to those letters and she would hold on to those promises. But when I did come home, I would have fulfilled all that I had promised in those many letters. And she would relate to those old letters and those old promises much different than after I came home. Would those old letters be true? Yes.

Would those letters and promises have meaning and significance? Yes. But those letters and promises were fulfilled. So naturally she would relate to those letters and promises much, much different after I came home than before. Now what is my point here? We must make sure we relate to the Old Testament and the Old Covenant properly. We live in the last days. We live in the days of the promise fulfilled. We possess the final, the complete, and the full revelation of what God has said in and through the Son. And although there is much we can learn from the Old Covenant, the Old Covenant is full of promises.

But the New Covenant is all about promises fulfilled. We have the Son, which is far better than promises. Sure, we can study the Old Covenant, and we should. And we can learn much about God, much about His character, and God's people. And we can learn much by seeing how He related to His people during those former days. But in the New we possess all that God has said and ever will say by, through, and in His Son. In the Old Covenant we have some of what God said, but in the New we have all that God has said and ever will say. Now, if we've gotten our minds around all of that, and if you have, help me.

Now we're ready to get into the eight facts we see about the superiority and the preeminence of Christ. And we're just going to take these one at a time. So number one, in verse two we see that He was appointed heir of all things. He, this is Christ, was appointed heir of all things. Let's look at verse two. We see it in the second part of the verse. "But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things." Now just in this one phrase there is quite a lot that can be hard to explain, much less grasp. But I want to focus on two things in striving to understand what the writer is aiming at here.

The fact that Jesus was appointed the heir and that He was appointed heir of all things. And I want to start off by asking when? When was Christ appointed the heir? And I want to answer that question in three ways. First, we need to see that this appointment took place in eternity or eternity past, which is really a contradiction in terms, eternity past. We must understand that before time and human history, in eternity past, in eternity, God the Father determined that God the Son would be appointed the heir of all things.

Vincent, in his famous word studies in the New Testament says, and I'm quoting, "God eternally predestined the Son to be the possessor and sovereign of all things." So we need to see that in eternity, before and outside of time, God the Father determined that God the Son would be appointed the heir of all things. And then second, we need to see that this appointment took place in the promises and the prophecies of the old covenant. Here's a few. Psalm 2, verses 6 to 7 says, "But as for me, I have installed my king upon Zion, my holy mountain. I will surely tell of the decree of Yahweh, He said to me, 'You are my son.

Today I have begotten you.'" And verses 8 and 9 continues, "Ask of me, and I will surely give the nations as your inheritance, and the ends of the earth as your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall shatter them like a potter's vessel.'" And then in Psalm 89, verse 27, that verse says, "I also shall make him my firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth." And what we see here is this. In the Old Testament, it was prophesied that God the Son would one day be the heir. And these things were a fulfillment of the covenant promise made to King David. And what was the promise made to David?

That he would always have a descendant to sit on his throne. And Jesus certainly was and is an earthly descendant of King David. So we need to see that God the Father appointed God the Son to be the heir of all things because it was foretold. These things were prophesied and promised in the Old Covenant. And then third, we need to see that this appointment took place because of the incarnation of Christ. And what we see here is this. There is a sense in which this appointment was attained or acquired through the incarnation and everything Christ accomplished in the incarnation. God the Son had and has always been the unchanging perfect Son.

But in his life, death, resurrection, and ascension came things that he did not possess before. Nor could he possess without his obedience to God the Father in the incarnation. Then it says, and I'm quoting, "Equality with God was his birthright, but out of his human life, death and resurrection came a type of sovereignty which could pertain to him only through his triumph over human sin in the flesh, through his identification with men as their brother." And he continues, "Messianic lordship could not pertain to his pre-incarnate state. It is a matter of function, not of inherent power and majesty.

He was essentially Son of God, but he must become Son of man." So we need to see that God appointed the Son to be heir of all things because of the incarnation. He, thus Christ, purchased redemption from man to man. So in a sense, he acquired that which he did not have before. But before you accuse me of saying that God the Son changed or somehow got better, let me tie all these things together. And I'll be honest with you, this is a mind bender. So take a deep breath and follow me here. The Son was appointed heir of all things because in eternity before time and outside of time in human history, God determined those things to be.

God said these things what happened long ago through the prophets because in eternity and outside of time in human history, God determined these things to be. Through the incarnation, Christ acquired or attained this appointment as the heir of all things. Why? Because in eternity before and outside of time in human history, God determined these things to be. So ultimately and finally, these things happened because God foreordained these things for his glory. They were fleshed out in time and in human history for the redemption of men and men. These things came to be in time in human history for our benefit, for salvation.

And God said these things would be. Why? For his glory. And look, there is a big lesson here for us. And the lesson is this. God is at the center of all things. You see that, folks? God is at the forefront of all these things. God is at the center of all these things. This is all about God. That is why I love how the Legacy Standard Bible starts off the letter. It starts off with God because God was at the center of these things. Then next we need to ask another question. What are these all things spoken of in the verse? And the answer of that question is really short and really simple. The all things here are all things.

The entire universe seen and unseen. The entire universe physical and spiritual. The entire universe past, present, and future. All things simply means all things. And there is no thing that he is not heir to. But before we move on, I want us to see these things in relation to two words. The first word title. Title. As one commentator said it, "Aire of all things" is a title of dignity. And it shows that Christ has the supreme place as the Almighty One in the universe. And then second, the word authority. He has been exalted to the highest place in heaven. And he is at his rightful supreme place.

He is heir of all things functioning as the superior one, the preeminent one. So he has all authority. Now notice how all this related to those Jews. That little small congregation that was struggling. The writer was presenting to them Jesus, the heir of all things. He was presenting to them Jesus, the heir of all things who was and is greater than Abraham and even greater than Moses. So why would they go back from the heir of all things to Abraham who was only made heir of a few promises? God promised Abraham a son and he gave him that son. God promised Abraham descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky.

He never understood it nor did he live to see that. God promised him that his descendants would inherit the land of Canaan. He never inherited that. He wandered around as a pilgrim in the land of Canaan, a foreigner. But God never made Abraham the heir of all things nor did he give him the title the heir of all things. And he didn't give any of that to Moses either. So why would they go back? And for us we must see that we love, worship and serve the one who has the title heir of all things. You see that? And he has the authority that goes along with that title. You see? That's who we serve and that's who we love and that's who we worship.

So he was appointed heir of all things. And believe it or not, there's more that I could say there. And then number two, in verse two we continue to see that through him God created the universe. Number two, God created the universe. Let's look back to verse two. "But in these last days he," that's God, "has spoken to us by his son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world." Now when we look at the Old Testament and the New Testament, it is obvious that both the Old and the New present God as the creator of all things. But there are passages which seem to present the Son as the creator as well.

Now that leads us to a question, which is it? Did God create God the Father or did God the Son create? And the key to answering that question is found in this word through. The English Standard Version says, "Through whom also he created the world." Now this word through in the original actually safeguards the important truth that God the Father was the creator. This word keeps us from thinking that the Bible presents God the Father as a creator and God the Son as a creator. So what we see here is this. God the Father was in fact the creator and he created through his Son. And we find this taught in other places in the scripture.

John 1, the Gospel of John, verses 2 and 3 says, "He," that's Christ, "was in the beginning with God, and all things were made through him." Who's him? Christ Jesus. "And without him was not anything made that was made." We see this in Colossians 1, 15 and 16. Paul says, "He," that's Christ, "is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for him." So we see that the world was created by God the Father through God the Son.

But a question, what did God create through the Son? Verse 2 says, "The world." And in the original here, this word world is an interesting word because it can actually mean two things. This word here literally means the ages, which speaks of time or times. This word can mean world also or worlds, plural. That is why the English standard translates this word world. Now the King James and the legacy standard uses the word worlds, plural. So that would mean that through the Son, God created all the ages, and he created all the world in any world that may be out there. Simply through the Son, God created time, past, present, and future.

And through the Son, God created this world. All things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for him, Colossians 1.16. And if there are any other worlds out there, they were created by God through the Son. And what did this mean for that Jewish congregation? What did it mean for those Jews? The writer was presenting to them Christ Jesus, the Supreme One. The entire creation was created through him. And to me, the writer was posing this question to this small struggling Jewish congregation.

Why would you go back to the prophets who were created when they prophesied that God would send his Son who was instrumental in the creation of everything in the world? He has come. Why would you go back to mere shadows when the one through whom all things were created has come and he can be known, loved, worshipped, and served? Why would you go back? And for us, my question is this, are we any different? Are we any different? We serve the created over the creator all the time and in many ways. And we need the Holy Spirit of God to press this fact home and lead us to a place of repentance. Let me repeat that.

We serve the created over the creator all the time in many different ways. And we need God to reveal that to us, press that fact home and lead us to a place of repentance. A few more questions, probing questions. What do we love more than the creator? Who do we love more than the creator? Where are our thoughts? Where are our energies? Where are our monies and possessions? Where is our life focus? Are we like those Jews who did turn back on the one who was instrumental in all the creation? Are we much like them? We need the Holy Spirit to reveal that to us if we are. So through him, God created the universe.

And in verse 3, we see that, number 3, he is the radiance of God's glory. Number 3, we see that he is the radiance of God's glory. Let's look at verse 3. He, that's Christ, is the radiance of the glory of God. Let me pause there. Now here in verse 3, we have a continuation of what's been said in verse 2. But we do have a subject change, which is why verse 3 begins with he in the English Standard. In the King James, the verse begins with who? And that is because in the original, this verse starts off with the word who. Now what's my point? Why does this subject change need to be pointed out?

In verse 2, we see two facts about the Son, which speak of his supremacy. But here in verse 3, we see five facts about the Son, which reveal God the Father to men and man. Let me repeat that. In verse 2, we see two facts about the Son, which speak of his supremacy. But here in verse 3, we see five facts about the Son, which reveal God the Father to men and man. But here in the beginning of verse 3, the writer tells us that the Son is the radiance of the glory of God. And we need to see that the key to understanding what is meant here is found in this word radiance. In the original, this word is not clear. It's ambiguous, scholars tell us.

This word can mean radiance, a shining out because of a brightness that is from within. Or this can mean radiance, a shining out because of a reflection or a brightness which come from without. Let me give you an example to help you see the difference in the two. The Son is radiant because its brightness is from within. You see? But a full moon is radiant because of a reflection. A full moon's radiance comes from without. Well, that leads us to a question. Is God the Son the radiance of the glory of God because he has the glory of God from within? Or is God the Son the radiance of the glory of God because his radiance is from without?

Does he simply reflect the glory of God? Well, I would say the answer is yes. It's both. Let me explain. In one sense, Jesus radiates the glory of God in that he is God. Colossians 2.9 says, "For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily." But in another sense, Jesus reflects the glory of God in that he is the Son. But either way, God's glory is revealed in his Son. One scholar said it like this, "Reflection becomes radiance, and radiance is what is reflected." Now, what would that mean for these Jews, this little church?

The thought and the idea of the radiance of God's glory would have reminded them of the Shekinah glory of God in the Old Testament. The Shekinah glory was the shining visible glory that clearly demonstrated the greatness and the majesty of God. Two examples. This was seen in the Great Exodus out of Egypt through the Red Sea when God delivered his people out of Egyptian slavery. We see that in Exodus 13.21 and chapter 40, verses 34 to 35. And this was seen at the dedication of the first temple, which is sometimes called Solomon's Temple. We see that in 1 Kings 8, 10, and 11.

But in those instances and others, those Jews in the Old Testament only saw a glimpse of the radiance of God. But in Jesus the Son, they saw more fully the radiance and the glory of God. How is that the case? Because in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and He is the radiance of the glory of God. I like how John MacArthur summarizes these things and expresses the meaning of these things. He says, and I'm quoting, "He expresses God to us." No one can see God. No one ever will. The only radiance that reaches us from God is mediated to us from Christ Jesus.

He goes on to say, "Jesus Christ is the radiance of God's glory, and He can transmit that light into your life and my life so that we in turn can radiate the glory of God." And out of that insight, I have a question for us. How are we radiating the glory of God in our lives? Our spouses should see that in us. Our children should see that in us. Our families should see that in us. Those around us should see that. The glory of God should radiate from our lives because as believers, we possess Christ Jesus in us. MacArthur goes on to say, "We live in a dark world.

There is the darkness of injustice, of failure, privation, separation, disease, death, and much else. There is moral darkness of men blinded by their godless appetites and passions. Into this dark world, God sent His glorious light, capital L, Jesus, without the Son of God. There is only darkness." And my question for us is this. Who is going to take the glorious light of the Son of God into the dark world? Who is going to radiate the glory of God and the saving grace of God into the dark world? Who? This applies to you and me as believers. This is our responsibility. This applies to us as families. This is our responsibility.

But this applies to our church. Who in the world is going to radiate the light of the Son of God to a dark city and a dark county and the counties surrounding us? Who? And notice this, folks. We live in a day when churches are dying. We live in a day where churches are closing. We live in a day where churches are splitting because they're dying. Well, who in the world is a church is going to radiate the glorious light of the Son of God into a dark world? Who? Who? It must be us. So He is the radiance of the glory of God. And in verse 3, number 4, we also see that He is the exact imprint of God's nature.

Number 4, and this is our last one for this morning, He is the exact imprint of God's nature. Look at verse 3. "He," that's Jesus, "is the radiance of the glory of God in the exact imprint or representation of His nature." Again, just like with His radiance, here we see another fact about the Son which reveals God the Father to men and man. But here in this part of verse 3, the English Standard says that the Son is the exact imprint of His nature. And notice that the New American in the Legacy Standard Bible says the exact representation of His nature.

And the key to understanding what is meant here is found in this phrase, "exact imprint" or "exact representation." This word in the original is only found one time in the Scripture, right here. And this word literally referred to the actual instrument used for carving or for engraving. It spoke of something that was marked or stamped with that instrument. Let me give you an example. This word was used when something was marked or stamped, like when a coin was stamped with the imprint of someone's likeness. I have quite a few things in my desk drawer at home. But one thing I do have in my desk drawer is an old 50-cent piece.

Anybody remember those? An old 50-cent piece. And it is stamped on the head side with the representation of the imprint of John F. Kennedy. I had to look it up. He was our 35th president. And in using this word here, the writer is saying that the Son is the exact imprint or representation of God. He is saying that the Son shows us who and what God is like. And that He is an exact imprint or representation of God. And notice what this means. The Son truly represents the nature and the character of God. He reveals who God is. Therefore, He must share in the very divine identity of God.

As one commentator said, the Son is such a revelation of the Father that when we see Jesus, we see what God's real being is. And that should not be a surprise to us. We learn of this in our study of Philippians back in Philippians chapter 2 verse 6. There in verse 6, we learn that Jesus was the Morphe form of God, which literally meant that He was in the unchanging form of God. We see this from Paul in Colossians as well. In Colossians 1.15, Paul says that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. And what this meant for that small Jewish congregation is this.

The writer is presenting to them Christ is the exact imprint of God, the very image of the invisible God. He has come. So why in the world would they want to go back to shadows? Why in the world would they want to go back to old stories? Why would they want to go back to old stories of the glimpses of God's glory in the past when they have the exact imprint of the glory of God right before them in the sun? And for us, I believe we need this because we have a tendency to look at the human side of the Savior more than we look at the divine side of the Savior. Let me say that again.

I believe we need this because we can have a tendency to look at the human side of the Savior more than we look at the divine side of the Savior. We can look at the cross more than what we look at in these verses. And if we have a better and a stronger understanding and view of Jesus as the exact imprint of God and the image of the invisible God, then I think we'll live better and we'll be better committed Christians. So he is the exact imprint or representation of God. Now I want to close by reading our verses in the Amplified.

Of course, we've only covered four of these eight facts that reveal the superiority and the preeminence and the greatness of Christ. And I want to read the Amplified. I think I like the Amplified not just because it's accurate, but it just takes all these words and piles them up. I'm a person of many words. Maybe that's why I like it. Let's look at the verses. Ring along in your copy of God's Word with me. And then when you hear the words piled up, see if you can't hear what we've been studying, folks. I can. I think you can too.

The Amplified reads, "God, having spoken to the fathers long ago in the voices and writings of the prophets and many, many separate revelations, each of which set forth a portion of the truth." Isn't that good? "Each of which set forth a portion of the truth and in many ways." Verse 2, he has in these last days spoken with finality. Oh, that's so good. He has in these last days spoken with finality to us in the person of one who is by his character and nature his son, namely Jesus, whom he appointed heir and lawful owner of all things. Hear that? Whom he thus God appointed heir and lawful owner of all things.

So what have we looked at this morning? This is simply a part two, the supremacy of Christ. And next week in part three, we will finish out these eight facts that reveal the superiority of Christ. Let's pray.