In Jesus God has Spoken to Us
Hebrews 1:1-4
Today and next Sunday we’re going to take a break from the book of Isaiah and dig into two powerful passages which explain the meaning of Christmas. Both of these passages are in the book of Hebrews; today’s passage is Hebrews 1:1-4. So let’s turn there together. If you need a Bible go ahead and raise your hand and we will bring one to you. Hebrews 1 is on page 1001 in the Bibles we are passing out.
Here’s some background on the book of Hebrews. The book of Hebrews is a letter written some time before the year 70 AD to a group of believers who had been persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. And so some of them were starting to turn away from Jesus: they stopped studying God’s Word; they stopped showing up when their brothers and sisters met for worship. So in chapter after chapter the author passionately explains why they must turn back to Jesus.
And one of his most powerful reasons is found right here in chapter 1 verses 1 through 4. Look at what he writes –
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
The author of Hebrews wants us to understand that God has spoken. In v.1 – “God spoke”; in v.2 -- “he has spoken to us.” God has spoken.
Think about people whose speaking was important to you. I remember years ago when Jan had surgery, how important it was to have her surgeon speak to me about the outcome – and how even more important it was, after she recovered from anesthesia, to hear Jan herself speak to me. Or if you’ve interviewed with a company and you really want that job, think of how you long for them to speak to you about their decision. Or if you’ve just asked your girlfriend to marry you – think of how you are on pins and needles until she speaks to you.
But now think of how much more important it would be to have God speak to us. Some of you might not yet be convinced that there even is a God. OK; we’re glad you are here. But wouldn’t you agree that if there really is a God who created the universe and who created you -- wouldn’t it be infinitely important to have Him speak to us and tell us why we are here, and what this is all about?
Without God speaking to us we’re like a group of hikers who all of a sudden find themselves on a trail in a valley. We don’t know where we are. We don’t know where the trail is ultimately going to lead us. We don’t know which way will lead us to water, which way will lead us to food, which way will lead us to civilization. That’s what we’re like without God speaking to us.
But imagine that all of a sudden an airplane flies overhead and drops a canister. And when you open that canister you find a topographic map in it. You open it and study it carefully: “OK, here’s where we are; here’s where this trail leads us; there’s some water we can get to drink, and that’s the way to food and civilization.”
That’s why it’s so important to have God speak to us – because without God we don’t know who we are, why we are here, where we are going.
And the author of Hebrews wants us to understand that God has spoken. God is a speaking God. He is a God who communicates. And these verses show that God has spoken in two different ways. First -- God spoke long ago at many times and in many ways. Read v.1 again --
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
Here the author is talking about the Old Testament time period. During that time period God spoke at many times and in many ways.
he spoke to Moses about what to write
he spoke through dreams to Joseph,
he spoke through a burning bush to Moses,
he spoke through signs and wonders in delivering Israel from Egypt,
he spoke by writing the Ten Commandments on two stone tablets,
he spoke by sending fire upon Elijah’s water-soaked altar,
he spoke through a donkey with Balaam,
he spoke through prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah and Amos
So why so many times and so many ways? Because God loves us. Because God wants to communicate with us. Because God wants us to know what’s going on. And all of this is recorded in the book you hold in your hands – in the Old Testament -- which gives us the story of Creation, the Fall, the call of Abraham, how God chose the nation of Israel, how God was patient with them, how God would bring the Messiah, and so forth.
But that’s not all God has done. God has now spoken by his Son. Look at v.2 --
but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.
“By his Son.” What’s so special about that?
Think of all the ways God communicated in the Old Testament – dreams, burning bush, signs and wonders, words on stone, prophets. But as clear as those were , there’s one thing God could do to communicate even more clearly.
Think about it: you can text someone, email someone, voicemail someone, phone someone – all these are helpful communication. But there’s one thing you can do to communicate in the clearest possible way – go to them yourself.
That’s what God has done in Jesus His Son. See, the Bible teaches that God is three persons: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Each person is not one-third of God; each person is fully God. Jesus the Son is fully God. So in Jesus God Himself came to earth.
The Old Testament is like text messages, voice mails, regular mails, phone calls from God. But the New Testament is God opening the doors and saying “I’m here.”
God came to earth in the person of Jesus. This baby born in a manger was fully God. Our Creator personally came to His creation. God Himself came to us so He could speak to us in the clearest, fullest way. So Christmas is about God speaking to us in the clearest way possible – by coming to us in the person of his Son.
Now the author of Hebrews wants to make sure we understand this – and so in the next verses he gives us six statements about the Son – which all together show that the Son is Himself God.
First he says that all things will be inherited by the Son – v.2 –
… but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things …
A father gives the inheritance to his son, because the son is equal to the father. So since this baby born in a manger would inherit all things, that shows He is fully God.
Then continuing in v.2 – the world was created through the Son –
… through whom also he created the world.
The Father created the world through the Son. This baby born in a manger created the world; which shows that he is not just a man; he is fully God.
Then v.3 -- all of God’s glory and nature is in the Son --
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature
This is the clearest statement in the list. The baby born in the manger is the radiance of God’s glory, and the exact imprint of God’s nature – which means he is fully God.
Continue in v.3 – the universe is upheld by the power of the Son –
and he upholds the universe by the word of his power
Who has the power to hold up the entire universe? Only God. So since the baby born in a manger has the power to uphold the universe, this baby is God. Fully God.
End of v.3 – our sins can be purified through the Son --
After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high
We’ve all sinned against God and face punishment from God. But the Son made purification of sins by being punished for our sins on the Cross. So when we repent of our sins and surrender our lives to Him in faith, we are purified – forgiven – for all of our sins, and are brought into loving relationship with God forever. This baby in the manger would make purification for sins. But no mere man could do this; which shows that he is God.
And finally in v.4 he says that the son is superior to the angels.
having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
In the Bible there’s God, then below God there’s angels, then below angels there’s people. So since the baby in the manger is superior to angels, it’s clear that he’s not a man, and he’s not an angel; he’s God.
So God came to earth in the person of Jesus. This baby born in a manger was fully God. Our Creator personally came to His creation. God walked on the earth. This baby born in a manger was God Himself. When we see Jesus, we see God. When we hear Jesus, we hear God. God Himself came to us so He could speak to us in the clearest, fullest way.
So Jesus shows us that God exists – because only God can heal blind eyes and cast out demons and enable paralytics to walk and raise the dead. He shows us that God cares – as we read of him weeping over Jerusalem, and feeding the hungry, and caring for widows and children. He shows us that God is just and will punish sin – in the way he condemned the religious hypocrites and cast out the money-changers. And He shows us that God is merciful and will forgive sin – in the way he forgave all the sins of a paralytic. He shows us how God can forgive sin – by being punished on the Cross for our sins. He shows us what God requires – that we repent of out rebellion against God and surrender ourselves in faith to Him. He shows us how God calls us to live – to trust Him for all our needs so we are free to love each other, forgive each other, care for the needy, make disciples of all nations.
So let this sink in. We desperately need to have God speak to us. And before the time of Christ God spoke at many times and in many ways – but now in the coming of Christ God has spoken to us most clearly in his Son.
So what should we do? What does this mean for us? The author tells us in ch.2 vs.1. In the rest of ch.1 he gives verse after verse showing that Jesus is superior to the angels. And then in ch.2 vs.1 he brings the first chapter to a conclusion --
Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.
This means we must pay close attention to the Scriptures. The author of Hebrews says we must pay much closer attention to “what we have heard.” Here he’s talking about the teaching and writing of the apostles.
Jesus appointed apostles – men who had personally seen Jesus and whom he specially gifted to remember everything Jesus said and did, specially gifted to perfectly understand everything Jesus said and did, and specially gifted to write God’s own words about what Jesus said and did and what this means for us.
And that’s what we have in the New Testament. So – when we put together the Old Testament and the New Testament we have the Scriptures – God’s crystal-clear speaking to us.
See, Christmas is all about God clearly speaking to us. The manger is all about God clearly speaking to us. The shepherds are all about God clearly speaking to us. And all of this is given to us in God’s Word. This book. Not in Santa Claus. Not in “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas.” In this book.
So here’s the question: how much attention do we give to the Scriptures? Do we understand that the book we are holding in our hands is God’s message to us. So how much of this book do we know? How diligently do we read, study, ponder this book?
Imagine that this book would help you make a million dollars. Would you read it? Would you read all of it? Carefully? Well, what this book does is infinitely more valuable than a million dollars – this book is God’s speaking to you about who He is, why He created, why you are here, what’s wrong with us, he we can be forgiven and changed, and where this is all going.
So we should read it, study it, ponder it, trust it, live it. We should pay much closer attention to the Scriptures.
Some of you do not have a regular pattern of reading God’s Word. So let me challenge you during this Christmas season to spend time pondering the Christmas story: start with the first two chapters of Luke, then go to the first two chapters of Matthew. Get a good version of the Bible – I recommend the English Standard Version -- ESV. Find a quiet place where you will not be interrupted. Pray earnestly for God to help you love His Word. And start reading – humbly, with full surrender to Jesus Christ. As you do that – prayerfully, humbly, earnestly – you will meet Jesus in the truth of His Words.
And the rest of you, if you already have a habit of reading God’s Word – pursue this all the more.
In the 1700’s God worked through the leadership and street-preaching of George Whitefield and John Wesley to fill England with the Gospel. Both of them were devoted to God’s Word.
Here’s what George Whitefield wrote in his journal when he was 20 years old --
I began to read the Holy Scriptures upon my knees, praying over, if possible, every line and word. This proved meat indeed and drink to my soul. I daily received fresh life, light, and power from above.
And here’s John Wesley preaching about the importance of God’s Word --
I am a creature of a day, passing through life quickly as an arrow through the air. In a few moments I am no more seen; I will drop into an unchangeable eternity. I want to know one thing, the way to heaven; how to land safe on that happy shore. God himself has humbled himself to teach the way; for this very end he came from heaven. He has written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price give me the book of God!
The God of the Universe has spoken to us. In many times and ways which are recorded in the Old Testament. And in the clearest possible way in the person of His Son which is recorded in the New Testament. Your Creator has clearly spoken to you -- and what He has spoken is in this book. So devote yourself to this book.