Hebrews 1:1–4 and 2:1–4
“In the past, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So, he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?
This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders, and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.”
Who Were the Early Readers?
While the book of Acts and most of Paul’s letters are written to and about first-generation Christians, Hebrews is primarily written to followers of Jesus who were at least one generation away from the birth of the church in Acts 2.
Those early apostles and leaders of the newly birthed church were eyewitnesses of Jesus. Some of them were with Him when He died and then actually talked with Him and touched Him and ate with Jesus after He rises from the dead.
Some of them literally saw Him ascend into the clouds. Being an eyewitness left a powerful impression and they were passionate followers of Jesus through severe persecution and trials.
This next generation was hearing the stories from the eyewitnesses but was a step removed. That’s all good until you encounter opposition—either the opposition of internal doubt or external opposition like persecution for your faith.
Hebrews is a letter to those who need encouragement to keep on following Jesus. This is a letter to Christians who are starting to lose their passion, who are drifting, who are entertaining thoughts of quitting, who see the appeal of an easier life.
So that’s the reason the letter was written and the context for this letter. The opening is all about Jesus.
Jesus is God’s Final Word
Hebrews 1:1 says, “In the past, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways.” Think about all the ways that God has communicated. Almost from the beginning of God’s dealings with humankind, God has spoken His truth through prophets. They were God’s representatives who were the human mouthpiece for God. They were the primary way of communicating God’s message, but there were certainly other ways.
God spoke to Moses out of a burning bush. He spoke to Balaam through a donkey. He spoke to a pagan king in Daniel’s time through a hand literally writing on a wall at a banquet. Often God spoke through angels and through dreams and visions.
God’s message through these various means was always accurate but it was incomplete. God always had more to say. The coming of Jesus was not only the culmination of God’s expression, but Jesus’ coming to earth was the fullest and final expression of God to us.
The prophets were used by God to let us know certain things. As the full and final expression of God, He wants us to know Him. Through Jesus, God wants us to know who He is.
The writer frames it this way, “In these last days”. From now to the end of human history, there is no fuller expression of God than Jesus. Jesus is the embodiment of God. If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. If you want to know God, enter into a relationship with Jesus. Jesus is God’s final word.
Jesus is Superior to All Others
From verse 2 to the end of chapter 1, we have this impressive list of all that Jesus is and all He’s done that clearly establishes that Jesus is better, that He is superior to anyone or anything.
He is appointed by God as heir of all things
Everything that belongs to God belongs to Jesus. We’re not waiting for anyone greater than Jesus. When God spoke through prophets and angels and a donkey and dreams and visions, it all pointed to Christ. It was all focused on Him. When you’ve got Jesus, you have God’s best.
The writer goes on, “Through whom He made the universe.” Google tells me that the diameter of the universe is about 93 billion light-years. One light-year as a unit of length is equal to just under 10 trillion km. Run the numbers of 10 trillion times 93 billion and you’ll get the diameter of the observable universe. Scientists tell us that the universe never ends and that it is constantly expanding.
According to NASA, if the solar system was shrunk down to the size of a football field. Our sun, the largest thing in our solar system, is the size of a dime on a football field. The inner planets including earth are the size of grains of sand. Mars would be the size of half a grain of sand. You get the point. It was all created through Him and by Him.
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory
In Exodus 24, God calls Moses to come up to Mount Sinai. God wanted to speak with Him. As Moses goes to speak with God, a cloud settles over the mountain. The Israelites down below see what looks like a large fire burning on top of the mountain. That glow is the radiance of God’s presence.
In chapter 34 as Moses comes off the mountain with the stone tablets, it says that his face was radiant. It was so bright that he had to cover his face with a cloth just to be around others. The blinding glow coming off his face was just a reflection of the radiance of God’s presence.
Jesus is that radiance. He is clothed in human flesh as the covering for the radiance—otherwise, when He came to earth, no one could have looked at Him or been around Him.
He is the exact representation of God’s being
Jesus is literally the precise reproduction of God’s being in every respect. The phrase used in Hebrews describes what happens when a signet ring is used. The impression the ring leaves is exactly what is on the ring.
He sustains all things by His powerful word
Not only was Jesus active in the creation of the universe, but He is also active in sustaining creation. Think about the delicate balance of nature. Our earth spinning at precisely the right speed, the sun, moon, stars precisely located to sustain life. Jesus holds it all in check. He sustains all things by the power of His word.
Get where the writer is going? Point after point, he’s saying that Jesus is God. Jesus is fundamentally different from any other prophet. He didn’t just give the Word of God He is the Word of God. He is the full expression of what God communicates to us.
If that isn’t enough, he adds in verse 4 and following that Jesus is superior to angels. Angels serve as messengers of God. It’s amazing when an angel is dispatched by God to speak to humans. We have Jesus who is superior to angels.
Why it Matters
In chapter 2 verse 1, a few words into the verse there is a “therefore”, “We must pay the most careful attention, therefore to what we have heard”. What comes next is the “why” behind having an accurate understanding of who Jesus is.
So that we do not drift away
Drifting is never a good thing. When your car drifts into oncoming traffic, or when a plane or a ship drift off course, there are going to be serious consequences.
I have found that when it comes to a person’s spiritual life they usually don’t veer off the path—it’s usually a slow drift. They pursue some interest and start to lose focus on spiritual growth. Or, as was probably the case for the original recipients of this letter, the persecution and the difficult circumstances of their lives were pushing them off course. They were drifting away from Christ.
Later on, in Hebrews 12, he’ll write, “Fix your eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” The antidote to drifting is to stay focused on this amazing, one-of-a-kind Jesus who he has described in 1:1–4.
How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?
Our eternal salvation that is secured for us by Christ is of such great value that we dare not treat it lightly or cheaply. Jesus is superior to all things and I can have full confidence in Him and in the salvation that I have in and through Him.
Don’t neglect it. Don’t toss it away for anything, because anything else will not and cannot satisfy. Because of who Jesus is, I won’t drift and I won’t neglect the salvation that was given to me.
— Notes from Pastor Marvin Wojda’s sermon on April 10, 2021
CLICK HERE to watch the Hebrews Intro sermon on YouTube.