The Revelation of Christ

The Revelation of Christ: Jesus vs. the Prophets

Hebrews 1:1-3

Hebrews 1:1-3

1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,

2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high

“God has spoken”

This initial affirmation is basic to the whole argument of Hebrews.  Had God remained silent the plight of mankind would have been overwhelmingly desperate.  He has spoken His redeeming, revealing, and life-giving Word.

The revelation of Christ was given in two stages:

(1) To the fathers through the prophets

(2) In God’s Son, Jesus

- This is not from the less true to the more true, but from the less-worthy to the more-worthy, from the less-mature to the more-mature.

- The first stage was given in a variety of ways:

- mighty works of mercy & judgment

- works through the prophets & servants

- storm & thunder

- still small voice

- floods & “natural” disasters

- But His Word was not complete until Christ came

2 Corinthians 1:20

“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us”

Seven facts about Christ:

(1) God has appointed Him heir of all things.

Psalms 2:8

“Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.”

Hebrews 2:5-9

5 For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.

6 But one testified in a certain place, saying: “What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that You take care of him?

7 You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And set him over the works of Your hands.

8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”  For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him.

9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

(2) It was through Him that God made the worlds.

Greek for worlds = “aiones” which means “ages” – the whole created universe including space and time.

John 1:1-5

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Colossians 1:15-18

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

(3) He is the brightness of God’s glory.

Some translations use “effulgence” for brightness or radiance – a shining forth

Alexandrian Book of Wisdom

“…a breath of the power of God,

And a clear effulgence of the glory of the Almighty;

… an effulgence from everlasting light,

And an unspotted mirror of the working of God,

And an image of His goodness.”

Just as the radiance of the sun reaches the earth so the brightness of Jesus reaches into the soul of mankind.

(4) He is the express image of the substance of God.

Like the image stamped on a coin.

RSV – “bears the very stamp of His nature.”

- Just as the glory is in the radiance so the substance is in the image.

- What God is – is manifest in Christ

(5) He upholds all things by the Word of His power.

- His mighty word or His enabling Word

- His creative not only caused the world but causes it to maintain its being

(6) He has made purification of sins.

- Now the word changes from cosmic functions to personal relations

- The role of High Priest will be seen throughout the Book

- This speaks of the wonder of grace which is the only answer for our sins.

- Something only Jesus could do.

(7) He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

- Shows the exaltation and supremacy of Christ

Ephesians 4:10

“He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.”

Philippians 2:9-11

9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,

11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Christ is the only one who is qualified to be the mediator between God and Man:

- He is the Prophet through which God has spoken His final Word to man

- He is the Priest who has accomplished the perfect work of cleansing for mankind’s sins

- He is the King who sits enthroned in the place of honor alongside the Majesty on High.