The Superiority of Jesus Christ, Part 2, Hebrews 1:1-3

The pagan’s called him “the proud God”. 

While history's iconic traveler Marco Polo roamed the expanse of the 2nd largest empire in history - the Mongol Empire - his emotions ranged from awe to disgust as he observed the culture, religion, economy and politics at work in such foreign lands.  Perhaps one of the most disturbing observances to young Master Marco came when he learned how this pluralistic culture freely mingled pagan deities with the Jesus Christ he was familiar with.  In his account of Mongol’s and their attitude towards Christianity Marco said, “They confess….that Christ is Lord, but they say that he is a proud Lord because he will not be with other gods but will be God above all others in the world.”

            That may have intrigued the Mongols, and baffled Marco, but, to those of us who know this Lord Jesus Christ know that He will not be set alongside any other so called God.  The Lord spoke for Himself in Isaiah 40:25, “To whom will you compare me?  Or who is my equal? Says the Holy One.”  In isaiah 42:8 He says again, “I am the Lord; that is my name!  I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.” 

            As we study the Lord Jesus Christ in Scripture we see that He is unequaled.  If any would set another go next to Him as an equal that person does not know Jesus Christ.  The ancient way was to carve images, the modern way is to say that there are many ways to God.  The letter to the Hebrews is

Dr. William Pettingill, in his book Into the Holiest, said, “From Adam to Moses, through 2500 years, and from Moses to Malachi, through 1100 years, the prophets were speaking for God to man.  But at the end of 3600 years their revelation of God was only partial.  Then after a silence of 400 years, when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, and in that Son the revelation of God is perfect.” 

E. Schuyler English says in His book, Studies in the Epistle to the Hebrews, “The Epistle to the Hebrews, one of the most important books of the New Testament in that it contains some of the chief doctrines of the Christian faith, is, as well, a book of infinite logic and great beauty.  To read it is to breathe the atmosphere of heaven itself.  To study it is to partake of strong spiritual meat.  To abide in its teachings is to be led from immaturity to maturity in the knowledge of Christian truth and of Christ Himself.  It is to ‘go on unto perfection.’”

We can almost say that no greater picture of Christ is presented than that in Hebrews.  We can most certainly say that any picture of Christ without this Epistle is sorely lacking, perhaps like looking at a black and white photocopy of a Thomas Kinkade painting.    

This message is about the Superiority of Jesus Christ according to the letter to the Hebrews.  The letter to the Hebrews is written anonymously to Jewish Christians to encourage them from reverting back to the old ways of the Law by setting forth the Superiority of Jesus Christ.  From beginning to end the author demonstrates that Jesus is greater than the prophets, the angels, Moses, the Law, the priesthood, the animal sacrifices and the temple.  In verses 1-3 we see one of the most magnificent Christological passages (passages speaking of Christ) in the whole NT.  In these 3 verses are 7 Points about the Superiority of Jesus Christ.  Last time we assembled we saw the first 3 points.  Jesus is supreme because He is the Son of God, because He is the Heir of all things, and because He is the Creator of all things.  Let us continue today with points #4-7.

#4:  Jesus Christ is Superior because He is the Radiance of God’s Glory.

            The 4^th reason Jesus Christ is Superior to everyone else is because He and He alone is the Radiance of God’s Glory.  Notice verse 3 with me, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory…”  The KJV says, He is “the very brightness of His glory…”  The word translated “radiance” in the NIV is translated as “brightness” in the KJV.  The original Greek word means “effulgence”, or “out-shining”, and refers to “a flood of resplendent light”.  I like that – “a flood of resplendent light”, like bursting forth of brilliant light, or when everything is flooded with dazzling light.  It’s like when the dawn “breaks” and light instantly fills the morning sky.  What the sun’s rays are to the sun Jesus is to God.  Jesus Christ is the effulgence of the brightness of God’s glory; the out-shining of the splendor of God’s glory, or the flood of the resplendent light of God’s glory.

            This is the radiance of our Lord described at His Transfiguration in Matthew 17:2 when it says, “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.”  Luke, describing the same event says in Luke 9:29, “the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning…they saw His glory…”  It is the same glory Saul of Tarsus - who became the Apostle Paul - saw on the road to Damascus in Acts 9.  Later in his life he retold the event while on trial in Acts 26:13, “About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing all around me and my companions.” And it is this radiance that burst forth into the world when our Lord entered into it.  Jesus said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”  Referring to Jesus’ entrance into the world, the Apostle John opened his Gospel in John 1:4-5 with these words, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness but the darkness but the darkness has not understood it.” 

            Vincent says, “the Son is the out-raying of the divine glory, exhibiting in Himself the glory and majesty of the divine Being.”  Alford says, “the Son of God is, in this His essential majesty, the expression and the sole expression of divine light…”  I like that last part, “the sole expression”.  Jesus Christ is the unique, one and only One who is the radiance of the glory of God.  This means that in order to see the glory of God you must look to Jesus Christ.  Only then can the light of God shine in our lives.  Second Corinthians 4:6 says, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of god in the face of Christ.”  Until you have looked to Jesus Christ you have not looked to God.  You are not in light, but, you are in darkness.          

You must be aware though, that there is an imposter out there.  It is this light in Jesus Christ that Satan tries to counterfeit.  Second Corinthians 11:14 says, “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”  It is this light that he tries to keep others from seeing, thereby keeping them “in the dark”.  Second Corinthians 4:4 says, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 

But the light is now shining and you have opportunity to step from darkness into light by putting your faith in Jesus Christ.  You must repent and turn to Jesus Christ in faith, believing in Him that He died for your sins and that He is your Savior.  Do not stay in the darkness, unwilling to confess your sins.  The Bible says in John 3:19-21, “This is the verdict:  Light has come into the world but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.  Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”  Do not stay in darkness.  Step into the light of Jesus Christ where there is forgiveness

#5:  Jesus Christ is Superior because He is the Sustainer (v3)

            Fifthly, Jesus Christ is Superior because He is the Sustainer, notice verse 3 with me again, “The Son is the radiance of God’s Glory, the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.”  Jesus Christ was their in the beginning as the Creator of all things, He will be there in the end as the Heir of all things, and He is there in between as the Sustainer of all things. 

The word “sustain” is a Greek word that means, “to maintain” or “to carry the weight of”, or, “to support”.  Perhaps the picture of Atlas with the world on His back comes to mind, but, that does not capture the idea of Jesus Christ here.  Atlas is passive in His role while Jesus Christ is active.  This word impresses you with the intimate, active involvement of Jesus Christ with all that He has created.  He ensures that it all “holds together”, like He is the personal cosmic glue that binds all the pieces of the universe together.  Colossians 1:17 says, “He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.”  First Corinthians 8:6 says, “yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord Jesus Christ through whom all things came and through whom we live.”

But the concept here is even more than holding the world up and holding it together, the world is sustained by the Lord Jesus Christ in that He makes sure it functions as it should.  It all stays in operation because He is maintaining it all.  Vincent says about the Greek word here that it communicates that Jesus is “sustaining something that is in consistent movement.”  Another Greek scholar says it means Jesus is “sustaining the weight of the universe but also maintaining its coherence and carrying on its development.”

Illustration:  Bruce Malone, Censored Science, pg. 38, 83 or MacArthur, pg 17

The Lord Jesus is the Divine Provider meeting all the needs of creation, not just for prolonging its existence, but so that it all can grow and develop and work as it is supposed to.  

            Still the idea of Jesus being the Sustainer goes further and impresses a strong eschatological theme.  Things are developing, yes, and growing, yes, and progressing yes, but towards what?  The world isn’t randomly headed into a cosmic “wherever”.  The course of the ages are aimed in a direction determined by our Sovereign Lord.  All things will reach their final destination in the program God is carrying out.  Ephesians 1:9-10 says, “And He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment to bring all things in heave and on earth together under one head even Christ.”  All things are aimed at Jesus Christ.

Notice something particular, Jesus is the Sustainer of “all things”.  In Colossians 1:16 it says, “For by Him all things were created:  things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whetehr throens or owers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him.”  He created all things, He will inherit all things, and in the meantime He sustains all things.

            Two Applications:  First of all, the world is not going to be destroyed climate change, pollution, erosion of resources, or any other alleged earth destroying human activity.  Jesus Christ sustains this world and He will sustain it all the way until He returns, and then for another 1,000 years so that He can personally destroy the earth Himself.  Mankind will not be able to ruin what Jesus Christ is sustaining.

            Secondly, this has a very Personal application for us.  We are part of “everything” and “all things.”  The God who sustains the whole universe is also sustaining us.  Think of how intimately aware He is of our state.  He knows what we need.  He provides for what we need.  It is even better than that:  He is what we need.  He will not stop either, Philippians 1:6 says “He who began a good work in you will carry it on until completion on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  The doxological ending in Jude says, “To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy…”