EJ100 #4 Hebrews 1:1-4

Today's Essential Jesus reading: Hebrews 1:1-4.

Context

The letter to the Hebrews begins with a majestic description of the supreme revelation of God in Christ.

Content

The author of Hebrews describes Jesus:

• Jesus is God's Son;
• through him, God has spoken to mankind [see also 2 Peter 1:16];
• Jesus was appointed by God as heir of all things;
• through Jesus, God made the universe [John 1:2; Colossians 1:16];
• Jesus is the radiance (expression) of God's glory;
• Jesus is the exact representation of God's being (nature);
• Jesus sustains all things by his powerful word [remember Colossians 1:17?];
• Jesus has provided purification for sins (described in detail in the rest of the letter to the Hebrews, especially chapters 8-10);
• then Jesus sat down at the right hand of God in heaven;
• as a result, Jesus became superior to the angels to the same degree as his name, which he inherited (from God, see the third dot point above) is superior to the name of angels.

Connect

"After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven" (1:3). Sitting down indicates resting from a particular work, in much the same way as God rested from the work of creation on the seventh day [Gen 2:2]: the work is entirely complete, so the worker sits and rests from his work.

The work of Jesus in purifying me from my sins is completed. There is nothing left for either Jesus or myself to do. I know this because he has sat down in the presence of the LORD God Almighty, the King of heaven. What a marvellous blessing to reflect upon!

There is nothing I need to do to make myself cleaner in God's eyes. I am already purified from my sins; "without blemish", as Colossians 1:22 says. This means that:

no matter how frustrated I feel about my own corrupt conduct,

no matter how depressed I become about my own degenerate deeds,

no matter how disturbed I am by my own wicked words,

no matter how apalled I am by my own pervasive sinfulness,

in God's sight, I am cleansed.

Thanks be to God!

Why do I love and worship Jesus?

I love Jesus because he has purified me from my sin, and I am cleansed in the sight of God my Father.

Thank you Jesus for cleansing me,

washing away the crimson tide of my sin,

making me whiter than snow in your sight.

Thank you that you have completed this task.

I don't need another wash,

not even a quick going over.

I am pure, because of what you have done.

Amen.

Tomorrow's reading: 1 Peter 2:4-10.