A Powerful and Jam-packed text (a meditation on Hebrews 1:1-4)

Talk about a jam-packed couple of verses! Full of theology, description, insight and inspiration! Read along with me from Hebrews 1:verses 1-4.

"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 thing, through whom also he 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."

Wow! So much there! In just a few verses, we have a beautiful exposition on Jesus. What all do we learn in this powerful, jam-packed text?

We learn that God's old way of communicating with the "fathers" (of his people and nation) by way of his prophets, has been replaced. He is now speaking through his very Son. Yes, Jesus, God incarnate, came down from Heaven and became one of us; Emmanuel. He became fully human. Yet still divine. As He interacted with mankind, especially his diciples and followers, He shared the words that his Father, God, Majesty on HIgh, wanted the world to know. As His followers absorbed His words and later began spreading them far and wide, as the parchments were written, inspired by God, the origins of the Holy Bible, His Word was spoken and made known.

How does that reality affect us today? Are we in awe as we read Scripture? Do we recognize it as being "spoken" from our Creator to us, His creation? Are we intentionally sharing it? Helping to get the word out, to get the good news, the Gospel, to more and more and more people?

Jesus is "heir of all things". I am not sure what all this really means. God ordained Him, His son, to inherit all of creation, a creation that someday, (at some "God-the- Father, appointed time), Christ will make new!

Christ has created before! He was there with his Father participating in the creation of the world. A world He was later sent to save.

He is the "radiance of the glory of God". I love that! Can you imagine. How can someONE BE radiance? How great the radiance must be when we are talking about the "glory of God"! Enough radiance to not need a sun. Enough radiance to dispel all darkness. Enough radiance to shed light on God's majesty forever! Unfathomable brilliance, glowing luminence, beautiful light! Our new eyes will be able to take it all in without squinting. Any beauty that we behold as we look upon a sun-clad day in this present realm, is but a simple foretaste of the radiance we will behold!

Christ is the "exact imprint of his nature". What does that really mean? He is part of the trinity. He IS God. He looks, thinks, feels, exists just like His Father. And so much more. We can not comprehend what all this means. Someday it will be revealed. But for now, we take comfort and find awe in the fact that Jesus came to Earth, that He brought God to us!

He upholds the universe. What does that mean? He keeps it from spinning out of orbit? He controls the seasons, the weather, the dynamics of living, the time frames of time frames, the "everything"? Yes! Again, it is all more then our mere, finite, human minds can process. But suffice it to say, Christ is soveriegn and over all things!

Let's consider the phrase "the word of his power". His word. Is power. He speaks. It happens. He speaks. The earth is created. His word has more power then all the rocket arsenals that exist today. It has more power then a moving song, a deadly tornado, an atomic fusion, a raging sea. After all, all of those things take place and exist because he does. His Word can "do it all" no matter what it is.

Let's take this a little further. John says that Christ is THE Word. The Bible is the Word of God. Amazing connection. Powerfulness beyond our ability to grasp.

His Word changes hearts. It changes lives. It restores, redeems, nourishes, provides. His. Powerful. Word.

He made purification for sin possible. Only by Him. The perfect, sacrificial Son of God. The lamb. Only by His love, might and power, can we each, personally know, the purification of our own dark sins when brought into his light and washed by His blood.

He now sits at God's right hand. At the right hand of the "Majesty on High". There is much we could study regarding what he might be doing there. Of course, "His ways are past finding out". But we do know that He is interceding to the Father for you and for me. He is exercizing his Lordship, granting power and grace "from on high", communing with his Heavenly Father, the three in one, and waiting for the Father's command....

To come and bring God's children, Christ's bride....home!

Powerful words jam-packed in those first few verses in Hebrews!

May the Lord bless your day as you continue to meditate on them and (as we were instructed last Sunday), let them change you!

The powerful Word. Our radiant, soveriegn Lord!