Christmas 2007 (Part 4)

This post is the fourth in a multi-part series on Hebrews 1:1-4.

Go to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

As we’ve seen in parts 1-3 of this series, if we’re going to listen to God this Christmas, we must listen to the words of Scripture. We must remember that God has spoken in the past. One of the main reasons the author emphasizes God’s past revelation, however, is to highlight His present revelation. We must not simply remember God’s voice from the past, but we must also realize that God is speaking now!

Verse 2 states that “in these last days, [God] has spoken to us by His Son.” The “last days” are right now for us just as they were for the original readers. God not only speaks now, but he also speaks “to us.” How many times do we hear a good sermon and think, “That’s a good word! So and so needs to hear that, I wish she were here.” We are so quick to pick up on the message that God needs to get across to everyone but us. We need to hear and heed God’s word to us!

God speaks now, God speaks to us, and God speaks through His final word, Who is His Son. This is a singular revelation as opposed to many ways of revelation in the OT…

Remember the guy that missed all the different ways God was trying to speak and help him escape from the flood? Well, there was another man who was hiking in the mountains when he tripped and fell over the edge of a 100 foot high cliff. After falling about 10 feet he miraculously grabbed hold of a root which halted his fall. Hanging on for dear life, he called out, “Help! Is anybody out there?” A voice answered him saying, “Yes, I am here.” The man was a bit spooked and called out, “Who are you?” The voice responded, “I am God. Let go of the root and I will catch you.” The man paused to think for a few moments, his fingers slowly sliding from the root, before desperately screaming, “Anybody else out there?”

The answer given by the book of Hebrews to the man’s final question is an emphatic “No!” Jesus is God’s final word. Even the OT revelation is now to be interpreted in light of who Christ is and what He has done.

That Jesus is our final and authoritative place to listen for God’s word is the message of Hebrews. To an audience facing persecution and the temptation to abandon the distinctives of the Christian faith, the author cries, “Listen to Jesus! Look at who He is! Look at what He’s done!” As we struggle to grasp the true meaning of Christmas, we need to hear the same message!

So who is Jesus according to this passage?

• Jesus is heir of all things (v.2b)
• Jesus is the One through whom God created the world (v.2c)
• Jesus is the radiance (or brightness) of God’s glory (v.3a)
• Jesus is the exact imprint of God’s nature (v.3a)
• Jesus is the One who upholds the entire universe (from atoms to galaxies) by the word of His power (v.3b)
• Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high (v.3d)
• Jesus is greater than the angels (v.4)

WOW! Jesus is qualified to guide and direct our lives!

What has Jesus done? In verse 3, it’s almost easy to miss, but it’s really the center of attention for this part of the verse…Jesus has “made purification for our sins.” This is a statement foreshadowing the author’s development of Jesus as our great High Priest and Sacrifice.

Only Jesus came from heaven, offering himself up as a flawless sacrifice for our sins and tearing the curtain of the temple in two, forever making it possible for us to know God. Without the sacrifice that Jesus made on the Cross, it is impossible for us to know God and it’s impossible for us to understand the meaning of the baby in the manger whom we celebrate at Christmas. We can’t get to heaven any other way because “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12).

Who has the authority to speak in your life? Who are you listening to this Christmas season? Which voice out of the crowd claims your primary attention when you are facing some of life’s toughest choices?

Who do you listen to?

· Who do you listen to when you have to decide whether to work late to get ahead or spend some much needed time with your family?

· Who do you listen to when you can either be “cool” or you can be obedient to Jesus?

· Who do you listen to when you’re frustration tempts you to raise your voice in anger to your spouse or your children or your friends?

· Who do you listen to when you have to decide whether to be harsh or gentle with your tongue?

· Who do you listen to when you’re alone, on the Internet “surfing the Web,” and you know that there’s a virtually limitless supply of pornography just three clicks away?

· Who do you listen to when someone asks you to listen to damaging gossip about someone in our church or in your workplace without confronting that person first?

Who do you listen to?

Pray that, in the power of the Holy Spirit, the ear of your life will be focused solely on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus is supremely qualified to give us all the loving help and guidance we need in life! He is God’s last and final Word sent to the world as a baby laid in a manger. We can hear him speaking through the pages of Scripture. O that we would grasp the intense love of our qualified intercessor and Lord. What each of us needs this Christmas is a word from God, born in a manger so long ago! May we hear Him...and listen!