Hebrews Part 1 - The Test

— Hebrews 1-5:10

After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets,
in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world.
The Son is
- the radiance of his glory
- and the representation of his essence
- and he sustains all things by his powerful word

The majority of people today are comfortable with you saying you believe in some kind of God out there.
- If you ask them about Jesus, they would usually say he was probably a good guy
  - “oh yea, Jesus. —he’s Cool!”
But if you say, “Jesus is the only way, he is ultimate and final revelation of God”
- You sound arrogant!
[1:1-2] A new revelation through Jesus (far superior to previous revelation)
In those days in Corinth they were SBNR (spiritual but not religious)
- Everyone was “spiritual” (few atheists)

…and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Thus he became so far better than the angels as he has inherited a name superior to theirs

The angels are a marker for a level of glory. Jesus is:
- [3] Exact representation of the Father
- [3] Creator / Sustainer (by his speaking)
- [3] Now at the right hand of all power
- [4] and therefore Jesus is far higher than the angels
1:1-4 is Exactly 72 words in the Greek. All one sentence of beauty and balance.
- 31 words concerning how God has spoken to us
  - 5 words describing Christ “The heir of all things”
  - 5 words describing Christ “through whom he created the world”
- 31 words concerning Christ’s beauty, work and power
The contrast between how God spoke long ago and how he has now spoken
- In both cases there were prophets and others inspired to write Scriptures, so what is the difference?
- Clarity: God himself walked this earth and so we have a vastly superior understanding of what he is like
- Intimacy: A “son”-type of revelation means he opened his heart to us. He came to us in a much more personal way than even to Abraham or Moses, who spoke with God face to face.
- Directly: We do not need a human priest or prophet but hear God’s voice directly through the Spirit, sent by Jesus to manifest his presence to our hearts in an intimate way ([Rom 8])
This explains the apparent severity of some of the statements—
- When God has opened his heart to us, it is much, much more serious to reject him
- Read [2:1-4]
- The purpose is not to scare us into performance but to stir us up to the wonder of the gift

Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
For if the message spoken through angels proved to be so firm that every violation or disobedience received its just penalty,
how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?

If Jesus is so much better than the angels
and he has brought a new revelation
and disobeying the revelation through angels was punished severely
- beware that you don’t drift away into some other “spirituality”
- or neglect following Jesus

O Lord, our Lord,
how magnificent is your reputation throughout the earth!
You reveal your majesty in the heavens above!

When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made,
and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place...

What is man that you think of him
or the son of man that you care for him?
You made him lower than the angels for a little while.
You crowned him with glory and honour.
You put all things under his control.

At present we do not yet see all things under his control,
but we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honour because he suffered death, so that by God’s grace he would experience death on behalf of everyone.
For it was fitting for him, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
…and so he is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,

Adam tested and failed
- Jesus the first authentic man who passes the test
- Will bring many sons to glory (as Adam failed to do)
Final goal, being like the Son, above the angels (judge them)
We share in his flesh and blood
- He has suffered the tests ahead of us, so he can help us through
How can the immortal God come into relationship with weak and mortal mankind?
- Story of Rose Tyler

For which ones heard and rebelled? Was it not all who came out of Egypt under Moses’ leadership?
And against whom was God provoked for forty years? Was it not those who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness?
And to whom did he swear they would never enter into his rest, except those who were disobedient?
So we see that they could not enter because of unbelief.

Eden: God gave a command
- pass: enter permanent rest/glory
- fail: cast out of garden
  - unbelief caused him to fail
Israel: God gave them the commandments, the law of Moses
- pass: lots of blessings, enter into God’s rest—the promised land
- fail: destruction
  - unbelief caused them to fail [3:19]
Jesus came with a new command from the Father: love one another
- he himself passed that command!

Our destiny is to be with Christ in glory

Heb 12:28 —we will receive a kingdom
Our destiny is to be kings with Jesus, to rule over angels,
Rev 3:21 —one of the most striking: “I will grant him to sit on my throne as I sat down with my Father on his throne”

Updated on 2011-05-11 by Andrew Fountain