Hebrews-God Can Be Known

[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. [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, [4] having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.  Hebrews 1:1-4

One of my favorite people is a coworker.  I’ve been so lucky in my professional life to have to have people I can share life with.  They say adults usually make a lot of friends at work because adult friendships are more about proximity and it can take 200 hours spent together to make a consider someone a fried, so it makes a lot of sense that you will “go there” with coworkers as you often spend more time with than your family on a weekly basis! 

Being a Christian in public education means I often have a different viewpoint than my coworkers.  I deeply believe that learning is critical and that being literate can change the opportunities in someone’s life.  I hope that learning about others through social studies can build compassion and empathy. Science and math are important for new discoveries that can aid in human flourishing, medical care and environmental needs. 

At a recent medical procedure, my doctor asked what I do for a living.  “I work in education,” I told him.  “I’m a teacher.”  Tears welled up in his eyes and he told me how much respect and appreciation he had for me and for everyone who chooses that.  He explained the difference it made in his life. “Without people like you,” he said, “I wouldn’t be where I am today.”  Cue the violins!  These moments happen so rarely those of us who teach get very excited!  Most days it’s the exact opposite, hard work without appreciation.   

How is this connected to Hebrews?  I’m getting there…I teach because I deeply value education.  As a first generation college student, it profoundly changed my lifestyle from those of my extended family.  When I think about my worldview in respect to my career, I’ve found it’s often not the importance of academics that often separates me from my coworkers, but what I think the secret sauce is to actually changing a life.  I teach because it’s a way for me to serve my community and help transform it by the opportunity being educated brings.  But it’s not the ultimate answer to society or the thing that if everyone experiences will change who they are.  Many well meaning teachers see education as the ultimate way to change a human heart.  I know that Christ alone can transform.  

So along comes a new coworker who I hit it off with.  She and I have a similar childhood story of trauma and have both done counseling.  We are working on boundaries and love connecting on personal growth in this area.  And in the past few years we’ve been through some stuff.  Though on the surface we’ve had similar paths on processing our past, mine goes deeper as at the root of my healing journey is my faith.  I believe in the trinitarian personhood of God who exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  She believes in a benevolent spiritual force called “the universe.”  She also thinks our description is the same—I may use traditional Christian language but it means the same as her idea of a good, yet detached spiritual force for good that is looking over us.  Yet how can a spiritual force be “good” if it only helps when things are going well?  What kind of “god” could be good if it didn’t meet our deepest need or enter into our pain? Her god seems to approve happily from a distance when she is doing well but be powerless to help her when she needs rescue. 

Our culture has an obsession with spiritual mysticism.  Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that He cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” There is an understanding that there is more than the material world.  God in creating man in His image has implanted a sense of beyondness, an inkling of the supernatural.  Biblical theology explains the sense of wonder men behold as natural revelation.  Romans 1:19-20 says, “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.  For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.  So they are without excuse.” God makes His existence obvious and stirs the sense of eternity crafted in the essence of man.  

Romans goes on to say in verse 21, “For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts are darkened.  All that has been created points to the existence of a powerful being, but in our sin nature, those who hearts not yet pierced by God’s light in Christ, perceive the source as a benevolent yet impotent spiteful force instead of the personhood of God. 

As covered in the last blog post in the introduction to Hebrews, we learn that this epistle argues the superiority of Christ to Jewish Christians that were tempted to abandon Christianity in favor of returning to the religion they were raised with.  In Jewish culture, the appearance of angels was always revered as they were messengers from God.  They came in power; men’s typical response was to them was awe-filled wonder, as evidenced by they open their greetings with “fear not” when speaking to humans.  Their presence is startling and elicited unease. In Revelation 22:9, John is given a vision and begins to worship the angel and is reminded he is only a fellow servant. 

This first chapter teaches the readers that Jesus is better than angels.  It should remind us today that Jesus is better than any spiritual mysticism that we may cling to and the personhood of Christ speaks better than any spiritual messenger or prophet.  

In Hebrew 1:1-4, we see who Jesus is and what He does.  Far from being an ineffective spirit that hovers helpless over the earth, hoping for the best, He is in control.  Following Jesus is better than spiritualism, because He can be known and work intentionally on our behalf. 

Jesus is the Son

A core belief of Christianity is the triune nature of God. One in essence, fully divine, with three personhoods who play a role in human salvation.  The Father initiations creation and redemption, the Son redeems the creation; and the Holy Spirit regenerates and sanctifies, applying redemption to believers.  Jesus is the Son.  He is better than angels because He redeems creation.  He is not a mere messenger but an acting agent.  Where angels were used by God to tell humanity of God’s forthcoming intervention, Jesus brought it to pass. 

Jesus is the heir of all things

Jesus is the lawful owner.  He will inherit all creation when He returns and restores our planet.  He owns the legal title to the earth.  In Matthew 2, Jesus teaches of the sacrifice that will befall the heir in the parable of the tenants.  In this illuminating story, the owner of the vineyard had leased it to tenants who came to collect the fruits of the harvest.  Those sent in the name of the master where beaten so finally the Son was sent, who they killed in order to steal the inheritance.  Jesus explained this story was a reflection of Himself, the cornerstone of what God was building.  His sacrifice on Calvary won Him the kingdom of God, which amazingly He will share with us!

Jesus created the world

If you struggle to accept that Jesus is the rightful heir because of His willingness to lay down His life as innocent, consider that He also created the earth.  John 1:3 reminds us that all things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything that was made.  “For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible, and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all the things were created through Him and for Him.  

Jesus is the exact radiance of the glory of God, the imprint of His nature

Jesus is divine light, illuminating an invisible God.  He showcases the glory of God, the inexpressible majesty, beauty, purity and perfection of a being so different than us.  Light is a metaphor for this glory because if you’ve ever spent time in a very dark place and the light comes on, you are suddenly hit by something your eyes aren’t ready to behold.  That is the experience frail and sinful humanity has when encountering the complete otherness of God.  Jesus is also the exact imprint of the nature of God.  Who is God like?  What is His personality and what qualities guide His actions?  Look to Jesus and see.  Jesus is identical to the Father. 

Jesus upholds the universe by the word of His power

I’ve always been fascinated by atomic structure, the intricate working of subatomic particles of electron, proton and neutron.  The nucleus, which holds the positive and negative charges are surrounded by a cloud of electrons.  The middle of the atom should somehow push itself apart as the charges of the proton and neutron repel each other.  The electrons, spinning in their orbit around this energy-charged center, should careen off smashing against other atoms, but they don’t.  Why? A strong force opposes and overcomes the physics within the cell, keeping the atom in a form of stability.  What science can observe but not explain makes sense as the Holy Sprit tells me that at the word of Jesus, the atom stays together.  Jesus stabilized the building blocks of all matter and it obeys.  

Jesus purifies us and sits down at the right hand of the Majesty on high

Jesus deals with humanities biggest enemy-death caused by our inherent sin nature.  Since the garden, where the first humans chose to disobey God, all those that follow were born with a nature bent on selfishness.  This separation from God would have lasted through all eternity but the Father sent the Son to pay this debt.  The Holy Spirit imparts this clean slate to us.  He sits down indicating nothing else needs to be done.  It is finished.  Jesus sits at the right hand of God, a poetic way to express that Jesus has accomplished His work and now oversees it all with authority.  Compare the word of Jesus as priest to the temple priests of Israel.  Later in Hebrews the author writes, “It is impossible for the blood of goats to take away sin…and every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices”  The priests could never sit down and rest because the sacrifice was never enough.  Jesus was perfect and His sacrifice is always enough when confronted with our sin.  

Why is Jesus better? He can be known.  He is not a vague spiritual benevolence that hides from humanity and hopes for a good outcome.  He came to be with us and live among us.  He speaks clearly, He owns all, He is invested in the world because He created it.  He is able to show us what God is like because he is the glory and imprint of the invisible God.  All things hold together by a word from His mouth. He loved us so much He sacrificed His life tortured by men He had made and purified us once and for all.  You and I can live without guilt or shame before God and all others who would judge us.  He sat down and ceased from His work because His sacrifice was sufficient.  Jesus is better than any spiritual reality you hope will come through in your darkest moments.  He is watching over the earth, bringing HIs will to pass, and one day will come for His bride and make all things new.  Trust in this God—He is the only one that can save.