Theme: The Birth Announcement of our
Savior
1) A Proud Father Glorifies in His Son’s
Birth
2) A Willing Son Glorifies His Father
Word
Hebrews 1:1-12 God, who at various times
and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in
these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all
things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His
glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word
of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right
hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as
He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5 For to which
of the angels did He ever say: "You are My Son, Today I have
begotten You "? And again: "I will be to Him a Father,
And He shall be to Me a Son "? 6 But when He again brings the
firstborn into the world, He says: "Let all the angels of God
worship Him." 7 And of the angels He says: "Who makes
His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire." 8 But to
the Son He says: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter
of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness
and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil
of gladness more than Your companions." 10 And: "You,
LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are
the work of Your hands. 11 They will perish, but You remain; And they will all
grow old like a garment; 12 Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will
be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail."
Think about the highlights of life that
people most often mention. We talked about a big one last weekend with the announcement
of an engagement and marriage. Right up there with that is the birth of a
child. Usually, peoples’ greatest memories involve one or both of those things.
It’s fitting that following the Sunday that we saw the beautiful depiction of
the desire that Jesus is for believers, we would see today an amazing
description of that Child born on Christmas. This section is no ordinary
summary of Jesus, however. It is framed by the Holy Spirit through the words
and promises He authored long before Jesus came.
The book of Hebrews was given that name
because it was written to Jewish individuals within the NT church. These people
were extremely familiar with the Old Testament books and therefore Hebrews
contains an astounding amount of quotations from the times of the psalms and
prophets. These prophecies act like a fingerprint which can be traced
throughout history. The one who matches the promises, is the Chosen One of God.
With remarkable accuracy, Jesus Christ fits the fingerprint identity of the Old
Testament. As we read the opening of Hebrews, it’s almost as if God the Father
is introducing us to His Son. We get an inside look into the identity of the
Child born in Bethlehem, just as the shepherds did who first saw the Jesus.
As we might expect with any ordinary
birth announcement, the Father displays great pride and glory for His Son.
Consider all of the honorable qualities bestowed upon Jesus:
·
Made the worlds (v.2,10)
·
Express image of His power (v.3)
·
Uphold all things by His word (v.3)
·
Purged sins (v.3)
·
Sits at the Father’s right hand (v.3)
·
Begotten in eternity (v.5)
·
Worshipped (v.6)
·
Eternal Throne (v.8)
The writer calls to mind for the reader
why God takes such pride in His Son. The text phrases this as how the Father “appointed
Jesus as heir of all things” and later in verse four how Jesus has received
this inheritance. Paul wrote in a similar way to the Colossians when he called
Jesus “the express image of the invisible God and the firstborn over all
creation (Colossians 1:15).” Jesus received these distinguished titles
because His Father glorified Him.
When a child is born, one of the
proudest moments for father and mother is seeing a child that is theirs. A
child that looks like them and will grow up to be like them. Jesus was the
greatest example of that when it came to the eternal God. When someone witnessed
Jesus they would see the exact representation of God the Father. But, that
could only happen if Jesus was born, because we sinful mortals could only gaze
upon a Savior who came as one of us.
God’s glory for His Son also comes into
play as it pertains to revelation. The writer opens by calling to mind the many
ways that God revealed Himself in the past. He doesn’t take the time list them,
but for the reader knowledgeable in Biblical record, many examples come to
mind.
·
The burning bush
·
The pillar of fire and cloud
·
The ark of the covenant
·
The still, small voice
·
The bronze serpent
·
The direct testimony to the many prophets
·
Manifestations of angelic beings
God revealed His will in many ways, but
that all was building up to one point – the birth of Jesus. The text affirms
confidently, “God has now spoken to us by His Son.” There is no greater
revelation from God than the fact that He sent His Son to earth. We can focus
on many different topics and themes in the Scriptures, but nothing is more
powerful than the work of that Son. This is why, in all we do, we seek to
reveal Jesus to one another and to those outside God’s Church. He is the
Father’s greatest witness, not just because of His many powerful attributes,
but ultimately because of what He did for the world and its problem with sin.
Part 2
Here we see the other side of this birth
announcement. The Father’s Glory for the Son is the Son’s Glory for the Father.
There is more to the Christmas story than a distant God’s promises about a
coming Savior. It is also about that Savior’s very upholding of His Father’s
will; accomplishment and victory in the space of time and history. Without
Christ’s willingness to serve and suffer, there would be need occasion to glory
about His birth.
Here is where the writer paints a
beautiful picture of the relationship between God the Father and Jesus. It can
be a difficult relationship to understand because of its complexity but it also
shows us the great length to which God would go for our salvation. On the one
hand there are phrases which indicate the Father bestowing glory upon Jesus
which serves as an indication of the humility which Jesus assumed when coming
to earth. But, at the same time, the writer conveys how Jesus earned all the
glory which he received. True enough, Jesus was appointed heir by the Father
and did receive an inheritance. But, Jesus also has the power to uphold all
things by His Word, and He actively purged our sins by His life, death, and
resurrection.
You see, Jesus did receive things
from the Father, but not without reason. It’s only because Jesus stepped
into our place and consciously made the choice, and completed the work on our
behalf, that He receives such honor from the Father. Therefore, the writer
speaks at length about how these attributes and actions make Jesus better than
the angels. We obviously agree. With such a thorough discussion of His deity,
Jesus surely far surpasses the angels in power and glory. But, if we don’t
pay attention, we might miss the import of the Christmas story at this very
point.
The glory that the Father displays for
His Son is indeed connected to His Son’s deity, but also to His Son’s humanity.
The incarnation, suffering, and humiliation of Jesus are also parts of His
nature which make Him far superior to the angels. That’s why Psalm 2 is quoted
right away as the first OT reference in our text. "You are My Son, Today I
have begotten You ". Those words of King David, spoken by inspiration,
pointed to the Son’s mission to become the begotten of the Father; born in the
manger and lifted up upon the cross.
In many ways in the times past God spoke
to His people, but in these last days He has spoken through His Son. If the
Father’s oration of His Son was only about power and authority, it ultimately
would not be a picture of Jesus. A tale of that stature would indeed be spoken
of one greater than angels, but not one greater than sin, death, and hell. To
accomplish victory over Satan, that powerful Savior, the express image of the
Father, had to be born in humble conditions. The rudimentary, common, and lowly
Christmas story is at the heart of eternal life for all people, because it
fills in the ultimate title of Jesus. He’s more than omnipotent, omniscient,
and omnipresent. He’s also the Son of Man.
In order to give the greatest glory to
His Father and to earn that same approval from the same, Jesus had to do the
unexpected. Base power was not enough for our salvation. Instead, what seems to
be simpler but what was also impossible for us to do was needed instead.
Seeking the interest of others over yourself. Forgiving sins and wrongdoings.
Returning kindness for wickedness. Speaking good when revile would make sense.
Curbing a lust of the heart instead of easily giving in. Honoring God in heart
and action. These are the kinds of things Jesus did, and it wasn’t about
supernatural miracles. These things happened in the dirt and filth, the reality
of this world. In settings as simple and crude as a smelly stable, course
straw, and the Judean countryside; with implements as rough as: nails, a cross,
and a crown of thorns.
It is in the birth of Jesus that this
eternal, Almighty, and seemingly distant God came down before men and became
the God close at heart; the King among His people. God surely went to extreme
lengths to get this message to people, from the very inception of sin. But,
there is no louder or clearer message than the coming of His own Son. And that
is how He speaks to us today. Truly, what honor and glory the Father has for
His Son, and what honor and glory the Son has shown His Father.
What does all this mean for you and me?
The greatest gift this Christmas is that God allows us to have the very same
glory and honor. Not to our credit or because we earned it in any way. But,
because Jesus is ours by faith. His glory becomes our glory. His holiness
becomes our holiness. His honor to the Father becomes our honor to the Father.
His inheritance becomes ours.
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