Hebrews 1

September 18, 2023

Greater Than the Angels

Hebrews 1.5-14

Paul quotes a number of OT passages to show that Jesus is greater. He is greater than the angels. They were created to worship and serve. He creates and rules. Jesus is greater.

I don’t know about you, but I need to be reminded of that often in my own life. Jesus is greater. Whatever my current crisis…Jesus is greater. Whatever problem that might seem insurmountable at the time, even those caused my my own stuff…Jesus is greater. Whatever the opposition that the enemy might throw up…Jesus is greater. I hope that message is sinking in. Because Jesus is greater.

And isn’t that an amazing thought…that Jesus, the One who is greater, is both our Savior and our Redeemer. Our King. The One whose side we’re on. He is greater! The One we’re following is the One who is the greatest of all.

My prayer for us as we go out this week is that we don’t forget that. That in our day-to-days when life is overwhelming…bills piling up, deadlines looming, health concerns, family problems, relationship crises, scarcity of resources…whatever life throws at us this week, that we don’t forget that Jesus is greater.

And if you haven’t experienced that yet…if you haven’t trusted in Jesus yet, please make today the day. It’s as simple as recognizing that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. Believing that Jesus is the Savior that God promised. He lived a perfect life. He died a sacrificial death on your behalf and was raised the third day conquering both sin and death, so that by faith in Jesus you can have forgiveness of sins and eternal life. You too will have the righteousness that comes from God through faith in Jesus.

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our Hebrews series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Twitter: @ccclancaster. You can also download our Central Christian app in the iTunes App Store.

September 11, 2023

Through The Son

Hebrews 1.1-4

It’s been said before that here Paul presents Jesus as Prophet, Priest and King. And He is that. But also so much more. Jesus is greater than the OT revelation because He fulfills all that the OT anticipated. We will see this more next week, but He’s also greater than the angels both as the Son of God and the promised Messianic King, the Son of David. He is Creator and Sustainer, Savior and Redeemer. Jesus is greater.

That’s good news for folks that are suffering. Sometimes we too can be tempted to throw in the towel when things get hard. Maybe we thought the Christian life was the easy life. But if Jesus suffered and all the saints who have followed after God from the beginning have suffered, why would we assume that we are immune to suffering…especially suffering for our faith?

But knowing that Jesus is greater should encourage us. He’s greater than our circumstances and whatever the trial we may be walking through today. He doesn’t often save us from the trial, but He will save us through the trial if we will trust in Him. Perfecting and purifying our faith. Making us more like Jesus. Until we get to see Him again.

Jesus is greater. And if you haven’t experienced that yet…if you haven’t trusted in Jesus yet, please make today the day. It’s as simple as recognizing that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. Believing that Jesus is the Savior that God promised. He lived a perfect life. He died a sacrificial death on your behalf and was raised the third day conquering both sin and death, so that by faith in Jesus you can have forgiveness of sins and eternal life. You too will have the righteousness that comes from God through faith in Jesus.

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our Hebrews series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Twitter: @ccclancaster. You can also download our Central Christian app in the iTunes App Store.

October 8, 2015

Sacrificial Love and Hope – Hebrews Chapter 1

I love to read.

I have read many, many books in my time, too numerous to count.

Some books hook you right away – others take time to build the story.

I vividly remember the opening of one particular book:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us…”

That is the opening sentence to “A Tale of Two Cities”, by Charles Dickens.

Great concept, great book – a classic.

A wonderful tale of sacrificial love and hope, found in a troubled time.

The Book of Hebrews is majestic in its opening verses – here we find some of the most powerful verses in all of scripture pertaining to Jesus.

In Hebrews, we also read about sacrificial love and hope in a troubled world – maybe, just maybe, Dickens got the idea from the Bible.

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom he also created the world. 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…” Hebrews 1:1-3 (ESV)

Right away we know this book is about someone special – the Christ, the Son of God.

As we work our way through Hebrews, we cannot help but feel that this book is written primarily to a Jewish audience.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary describes it this way:

“On the whole, the most plausible backdrop for the Epistle to the Hebrews might be a Christian church, largely Jewish in membership, in a city such as Cyrene. Under repeated pressures from their unbelieving fellow Jews they were tempted to give up their Christian profession and to return to their ancestral faith.”

By going back to the old religion and rituals, the Levitical system, the Jewish audience would nullify the work Christ did on the cross.

Chapter 1 teaches the deity of Christ as powerfully as any place in Scripture.

He is fully God and fully man.

The person of Christ, as God and man, constitutes the basis for His saving work.

Because he is God, He is able to save us, for only God can save.

Because He became a man of flesh and blood, He is able to save us, for one of our human race died in our place and overcame death in His resurrection.

Yes indeed, He is Jesus, “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.”

In Jesus, we find sacrificial love and hope in a troubled time.

Amen!

Jim

Sources used for this blog – Gospel Transformation Bible