Hebrews 1:1-2:4
Introduction:
1. This section contains many necessary elements if we are to hold fast our confession.
2. This evening, we will ponder: 1) God’s final revelation through His Son, 2) the supremacy of the revealer, and 3) the imperative of heeding the word.
Discussion:
I. God’s Final Revelation (1:1-2a)
A. God has always communicated his will to humanity, enabling a relationship with Him.
B. He had done so, per the Hebrews writer, in a wide variety of ways to their ancestors.
C. But in “these last days,” God’s word came to fullness in His Son.
D. The last days repeatedly points to the time of the Messiah (Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:16-21).
E. Those former communications all pointed to future communications from God, completed in Jesus (Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:24ff; Jude 3).
II. The Revealer’s Supremacy (1:2b-14)
A. Demanding people look no further for God’s will warrants establishing the final authority of the Son, which the writer does masterfully.
B. Multiple lines of reasoning are named:
1. Appointed heir of all things (Romans 11:36).
2. Creator of all things (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16).
3. Radiance (lit. dawn, daybreak) of the Father’s glory.
4. Express image (lit. character) of the Father’s person (lit. nature, essence).
5. Sustaining all things (Colossians 1:17).
6. Purging/cleansing humanity’s sins (7:27).
7. Being superior to the angels because:
a. He has a better name than theirs (1:4).
b. As the Son of God, He is to be the object of their worship (1:5-6).
c. While they are ministering spirits (1:7, 14), He is Deity enthroned (1:8-9).
d. As the Creator of all things, though they will expire, He remains unchanged forever (1:10-11; 13:8).
C. The supremacy of Christ sets the tone for the entire letter, as well as our manner of life.
III. The Imperative of Obedience (2:1-4)
A. The previous exaltation of Christ is not merely descriptive; it is prescriptive as well.
B. The writer immediately pivoted to the necessary response of the believer.
C. Knowing that Christ is superior to angels, His message carries higher authority than theirs.
D. If shirking the old system brought judicial penalty, how much greater would the price be for shirking the final word through the supreme Revealer (2:2-4; Hebrews 10:26-29).
Conclusion:
1. We operate under the same principles described here (Hebrews 13:8-9; Matthew 24:35; 1 Peter 1:22-25).
2. This all makes it plain that the most important question in our lives is, are we listening to God’s final word through His final Revealer?
3. In this section, we have learned to obey the Son for His authority; in the next section we will learn to do so for His compassion towards us.
Further Food for Thought
1. Do you ever struggle to move from admiring the supremacy of the Son to living in subjection to Him?
2. How do we go from theory to practice in this area of life?
3. How do we not allow pride to prompt us to balk at subjection?