New Salem Baptist Church

The Supremacy of Christ

April 7, 2024

Read Hebrews chapter 1.

The book of Hebrews is written anonymously. This should not be too surprising for, although the letters of the apostle Paul all identify him as their author, all four gospels are anonymous. Yet, we know who wrote each of the gospels according to the very earliest traditions of the church.

Who wrote Hebrews? We do not know for certain, but let me give three pieces of information that point to the apostle Paul being its author.

First, just as with the gospels, the earliest traditions of the church identify Paul as the author. Some of the oldest compilations of New Testament documents place Hebrews after 2 Thessalonians and before I Timothy. In other words, Hebrews is placed among Paul’s epistles. And, some of these actually have the title of Hebrews as “The Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews.”

Second, the epistle ends with the words, “Grace be with you all.” This is a distinctive way that Paul ends his letters (see Colossians 4:18, for example).

Third, the author refers to Timothy as he so often does in many of his letters (13:23).

The book of Hebrews was written to confirm the Christian faith to those Hebrews who had made a profession of faith already but were being tempted to return to their old religious ways. The book is full of both warnings and encouragements to remain faithful. Thus, the book is very relevant and applicable to us. We may not be of Hebrew lineage physically speaking, but we are Hebrews in heart.

A Hebrew is a “water-crosser.” Just as Abraham had crossed the Euphrates river to reach the good land and how the Israelites crossed the red Sea to escape the world of Egypt, so we have crossed the waters of baptism. We are real Hebrews!

The warnings and encouragements in this book are for us! The theme of Hebrews from the divine side is the supremacy of Christ over all things. The theme from our side is to make it our goal to enter the rest that God has prepared for those who are faithful. The author of Hebrews makes it clear that some will enter the rest and some will not. Succinctly, the rest is the next age. Specifically, the rest of which the author writes is the kingdom that God has prepared as a reward to the overcomers.

And so, we must:

• Pay closer attention to what we have read and heard, otherwise we may drift away (2:1)
• Receive the help of Christ Himself when we are tempted. He is available to deliver us! (2:18)
• Hold on to our confidence (3:6)
• Not allow our hearts to be hardened (3:80
• Recognize that we can, as genuine believers, fall away from the living God (3:12)
• Fear God (4:1)
• Be diligent to enter that rest (4:11)
• And many more warnings and encouragements.

[Read chapter one.]

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ^[1]

The first matter to which I would bring to your attention are two words in verse one: “God spoke!” God spoke!

We have a speaking God. The idols of men are dumb. They have no ability to speak.

• If God did not speak, he would be mysterious and we would be ignorant.
• If God did not speak we would not even exist, for he spoke the universe into existence.
• If God did not speak, all we would know about him is  that he is creative, powerful, and intelligent. All we could know about him would be through what we observe by what he created.
• If God did not speak we could not know the way of salvation.
• If God did not speak, we could not love him because he would be too mysterious.

But, our God has spoken!

When God speaks three things accompany his speaking. When God speaks there is light. The first recorded words of God in the Bible are “Let there be light.” (Gen 1:3) This is the first thing that God said with respect to the universe and there has been light ever since. When God speaks, light comes.

¹³⁰   The unfolding of your words gives light;

it imparts understanding to the simple. ^[2]

²³    For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,

and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life, ^[3]

Once we receive God’s words we have light. We gain knowledge and understanding. When we have the light we, too, must speak. Not speaking about the Lord may indicate that one does not have the light. God speaks because He is light (I John 1:5). When you have the light you must speak. Seeing wonderful things stirs a person up to speak of those things. Think of children who go to DisneyWorld. They see and experience many wonderful things there. When they see their friends they cannot help but tell them.

God is this way. He is a treasure trove of marvelous things and he shares some of these things with us. We ought to be this way. When we see the light we then speak. The living word of God makes a person living! Living people speak. If we do not speak we have not received the light.

The apostle wrote:

¹³ Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak,^[4]

Genuine belief, coming from the word of God, always results in speaking.

The second thing that comes with God’s speaking is life.

The first chapter of the gospel of John is all about the Lord Jesus. He is called the Word (1:1) and in verse 4 we read:

⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men.^[5]

Jesus said:

⁶³ It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.^[6]

When God speaks, life attends!

Living people speak. What a person speaks reveals what kind of life they have. If you possess the life of Christ then you will speak Christ. If you have a worldly kind of life then you will speak of earthly things like politics, news items, hobbies…anything except Christ. Our speaking should be like God’s speaking

¹¹ If anyone speaks, it should be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, it should be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. ^[7]

When God speaks, life comes. We, too, ought to speak so life can be ministered to others.

Thirdly, when God speaks there is power attending!

⁴ The voice of the Lord is powerful;

the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. ^[8]

Whenever God speaks, it is sure to happen because his power accompanies what He says!

Back to verse 1 and 2:

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.^[9]

God spoke many times and many ways to those in ancient times, by the prophets. He spoke in many ways, that is, by dreams, by visions, by speaking directly, through angels, through prophetic acts that demonstrated what would happen in the future.

But now in these last days he has spoken to us through his Son, What are the last days? The last days of what? The author refers to the days that the Lord Jesus had come as “the last days.” Thus, the last days are the last days of the age of law. They are the last days of the old covenant when Jesus came speaking.

Jesus is the Speaker and Jesus is the Creator! God created the world though Jesus, according to verse 2.

This first chapter of Hebrews displays the supremacy of Christ over all things. What a Savior we have!

³ 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, ^[10]

Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God! Do you want to know what God is like? All you have to do is look at Jesus! He is the exact representation of God’s nature! Jesus represents God perfectly and exactly!

When the text says that he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty, this means that Jesus has all authority and power because sitting to the right hand of a Sovereign indicates that.

From verse four through verse fourteen, the author displays the superiority of Christ over angels. That cult called Jehovah Witnesses teach that Jesus is just a created being and is actually the angel Michael. But God’s word says that Jesus is not an angel. He is far superior to angels. It always amazes me that people will believe what their religious organization teaches rather than the plain words of God in Scripture. Why trust the words of men when you can trust God’s words absolutely?

⁵ For to which of the angels did God ever say,

       “You are my Son,

today I have begotten you”?

Or again,

       “I will be to him a father,

and he shall be to me a son”? ^[11]

Jesus is God’s Son in a unique way. Angels are called sons in a general way (Job 38:4).  All mankind are called God’s offspring in a general way (Acts 17:28). Those who have been born again are called the children of God in a special way. But only Jesus is called the Son of God in a unique way. That is, he shares his nature and glory.

⁶ And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,

       “Let all God’s angels worship him.” ^[12]

Yet, we are only to worship God, never a creature:

—for you shall not worship any other god, for Yahweh, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God—^[13]

For the Father to command the angels to worship Christ shows that he is divine. Further, he is the radiance of his glory and possesses glory. Yet, God says:

8 “I am Yahweh, that is My name;

I will not give My glory to another,^[14]

This shows that Jesus is God. Verse 8comes right out and declares that he is!

⁸ But of the Son he says,

       “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,

the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. ^[15]

God the Father is calling Jesus “God”! How wrong are those cults that lower Jesus to merely a man!

⁹ You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;

       therefore God, your God, has anointed you

with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” ^[16]

Again, the Father calls Jesus “God!” We can do no less. Jesus was anointed with the oil of gladness. Oh! This is a good prayer!

“Lord, Jesus was anointed with the oil of gladness. I call upon you to anoint me with the oil of gladness too! Anoint me, Lord!”

Verses 10-12 again identify Jesus as co-creator of the whole universe! Angels had nothing to do with creation. They were merely observers of it.

¹³ And to which of the angels has he ever said,

       “Sit at my right hand

until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? ^[17]

Jesus is now at the right hand of God the Father, co-ruling the world. He will be there until his enemies are made his footstool. This will happen during the Millennium.

In verse 14, angels are identified as ministering to us so that we can inherit our salvation in its fullness.

[Application and Conclusion] What are we to do?

We have seen that our God is a speaking God. We too must be speaking. We ought to speak light, life, and power into the lives of others. If we believe we must speak, otherwise we may have never truly believed. Maybe our belief is just an intellectual assent to the facts of the gospel. That is not saving faith. God spoke and we must speak his word after him.  Let anyone who speaks, speak the oracles of God!

If we have really been born again then Christ lives in us. And Christ speaks!

Finally, we must see the divinity and superiority of Christ. When we see this we can worship him not just in the meetings of the church, but all day, every day! I worship Christ as soon as I awaken. It is only for a matter of seconds because I must get ready for work at a very early hour. But, I take the time to worship him because of who he is!

God is now speaking to us in the Person of His Son. He was speaking to the Israelites in the last days of the Old covenant, but he is still speaking to us in the new covenant through Christ.

Let us be vessels of Christ’s speaking!