Sermon: The Glory of Christ

You take a copy of God's word this morning and turn open to the book of Hebrews. You want to use a Pew Bible right there in the Pew in front of you you can turn open to page 101. and the Pew Bibles and

this morning We're beginning Hebrews so exciting. And do three verses this morning as we begin this book together. Hebrews chapter 1 and we're going to look at verses 1 through 3 together this morning. Hebrews chapter 1 verses 1 through 3

before we read the word together. Let's go before the Lord and ask for his blessing upon the reading and preaching the word.

Father we come before you this morning. Because the psalmist said like children that don't know when to come out of the rain. We are native instruction.

Need to hear your voice. So we pray that even as you spoke to the prophet with that still Small Voice that you speak into each of our ears this morning. They're not be a person in this place or who is joining us even. My live stream this morning. Does not hear your voice. We pray that it would not stop with entering our ears, but that it would go. to our minds the truth would seep into our hearts. It would stir our souls.

That we would find that we have encountered you the Living God this morning. Speak to us. We pray by the power of your spirit and the name of your blessed son. Jesus the Christ we pray. amen This is the holy inherent sufficient word of God. long ago at many times and in many ways God spoke to our fathers by the prophets But in these last days he has spoken to us. By his son. Who may appointed the air of all things? Through whom also he created the

world. He is the radiance of the glory of God. And the exact imprint of his nature. And he opposed 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 the grass withers and the flower Fades the word of God is forever. Thanks be to God. amen

well I've heard a number of jokes over the last few weeks since I announced you that we were doing the book of Hebrews. Most of them have gone along the lines of something like this. What is this going to be about a 10-year series? It could be but it won't be I promise we will move through this book and we'll seek to do so, we'll take some different chunks as we go through and try and go through it a little faster clip than 10 years,

but I'm excited to walk through the book of Hebrews. and the reason is this is because you can't read or study the book of Hebrews. apart from Christ being front and center The writer of Hebrews puts in front and center you can't escape him. and my great hope is that as you and I go through the book of Hebrews together over this fall and the spring and probably The Following fall and maybe spring and that we will all come to know and see and Delight

in this Lord and Savior more together. That is my great. Hope for us. First just a little introduction to the book who wrote the book of Hebrews. Will there have been different takes through the centuries I in the early centuries of the church many believed that the Apostle Paul had written the book. There is surely Pauline language in the book of Hebrews, but I tend to agree with most Scholars. Of recent time and even the Middle Ages and

time of the Reformation that believed that no Paul probably didn't write this book. The reason being and not least among them. Is that Paul when he writes one of his books. He always signs it that he wrote the book that this is a book from the Apostle Paul is servant of the Lord Christ Jesus or something along those lines and there's no such salutation in this book. There's also some of the language in this book is not exactly how Paul would go about stating

something or how he would organize it as he does in other letters, but it's very clear that Paul had an influence upon the person that wrote this book because there is Pauline language all over the place. It's clear that the person New Politics clear that they new pulls disciple Timothy as they will speak of Timothy later in this book. and so different people have been thrown out over the years Barnabas has been a A person that many have

said that's who wrote This Book others have pointed to Apollos or pointed to Luke or pointed to Clement all who had close relationships with the Apostle Paul. I tend to lean towards Apollos for a couple of different reasons, but really The the answer to the question is who wrote the book of Hebrews in I think the third Century Church Father origin probably said it best when he said this who actually wrote the epistle only God knows and that's probably

about right and we won't know until we are in glory. What we do know is that the author of Hebrews is writing to Jewish Christians? And he's writing to Jewish Christians that are facing all kinds of suffering for the sake of Christ. And so he is writing to them to continue to hold on to Christ. Don't lose your grip on Christ persevere in Christ and don't turn back to the Jewish faith. In chapter 10, he will remind them

of how they persevered in the past when they were quote publicly exposed to reproach an Affliction and he says quote. Joyfully you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property. They're being persecuted. however, none of this community appears to be persecuted to the point of martyrdom as of yet as Paul will say in later in the book that there are none that have shed their blood chapter 12. And yet it appears that they are

scared of this Prospect. They see it on the horizon because in chapter 10, the writer of Hebrews will admonish them to stop forsaking the fellowship the Saints some of them are not coming to corporate worship. No doubt out of fear of being put to death and he say no you must gather together with God's people do not forsake the weekly Fellowship of the Saints. And because of all of this, I think it's probably right that this book was written somewhere in

the late sixties ad right before Nero's persecution of the Christian church, but they can see it. on the horizon as this writer is writing to the church. He is writing to them as a preacher and many have taken this over the centuries that this is really just one long sermon is what it is. The sermon that he is delivering to the people that he is caring for. And it's interesting at least to me what it is that he encourages this beleaguered group

of Christians with what is he going to encourage them with to persevere? How can they continue to persevere? He does it not by exhorting them. He doesn't get them all of these exhortations. He doesn't bring all kinds of practical things to Bear but rather what he does is he points them to the greatness and the glory of Jesus? That's what he does. And that seems very instructive. When her hearts are fainting when troubles come when it feels

like oh there are troubles on every side and it feels like the world is caving in on me, even when it feels like the society or cultural world that I live in as opposed to everything that I believe as a Christian. What is the answer?

the writer of Hebrews would say the answer is for you and I to look upon and to think upon and meditate upon the greatness and the glory of Christ

the writer does that hear in the opening few verses he's setting the stage. By bringing out the greatness and Glory of Christ, and he does that by stating six things about Jesus. Jesus is the revelation of God. Is the heir of all things? He is the creator. He is the sustainer. He is the Redeemer. And he is the Lord and we're going to walk through those this morning, but what I'm going to do so you don't get freaked out about 30 minutes into the sermon. I'm

spending almost all of my time on that first one. That he is the revelation of God because we will have time in the rest of the letter to explore. the rest of them he is the revelation of God. The writer of Hebrews jumps right in as I said, there is no salutation. There is no greeting. He puts Christ front and center and all of his greatness and all of his glory and these opening verses by saying long ago at many times in a many ways.

God spoke to our father's by the prophets. But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son. We're going to see a lot of this as we go through the book of Hebrews there is going to be contrast. Jesus is going to be contrasted with what has come before him. He and he will be shown over and over to be better to be greater to be more. In fact that we're better greater will be used over 25 times in the book of Hebrews to say Jesus is

better. He is greater than that, which has come before him. He is far superior. The writer of Hebrews is trying to point out. He is far greater than anyone in anything else. He is in a word. simply great and glorious look at the contrast. Long ago verse now these last days long ago and then he poetically States many times and in many ways God spoke to his people by and through the prophets such great prophets as Moses and Elijah and Jeremiah and Elisha

and Samuel and Hosea and Jonah and then there are the Minor Prophets like Edo and shimmy. I He spoke in many ways. He will speak through visions and he will speak through dreams and he will speak through Thunder and he will speak through Miracles and he will speak through signs, but here's the contrast. In these last days. He's spoken to us by. his son There's a great dividing line in history. And the writer of Hebrews is saying the Great Dividing line

in history. is Jesus

the revelation of God

Here's what God spoke before what we could roughly equate with the Old Testament and what he is now spoken in these last days by son what we could roughly equate with the New Testament. Right of Hebrews and saying this is not disparaging the Old Testament the Old Testament is God breathe. It is God's word is inerrant. It is infallible. It is true. It is right God cannot lie, but he is making it clear that in the coming of the sun god fulfilled

with the Old Testament but demonstrated in Shadow.

This is fulfillment language. These last days fulfillment of what was prophesied and told long ago these last days they begin with the life and the death and the burial and the resurrection of Christ. The son becoming flesh is not only the dividing line of all of human history. It's also the Fulfillment of all that God promised his people that is spoken. He's spoken authoritatively in the person of a son. His son is the the

revelation of God.

now to understand Christ as a revelation of God. We have to think about something that we tend I think take for granted. And it's easily I think lost. Oh no. We take for granted the fact that God has spoken to us. God speaks to us. And the fact that God speaks to us reveals to us. Who God is?

To first if you think with me about this the fact that God speaks means that he is living.

He is living. It is an act of life to speak no life. No speech. Second God speaking into this world not only proclaims that he is living but that he is also loving he speaks because he loves he didn't have to speak to us. You realize this, right? He didn't have to speak to you and I but he chooses to speak to us. And why does he choose to speak to us? Because he loves us and it's an absolutely shocking love. That a God who is so high above should condescend

to speak to us who are so very low. if before coming to church this morning, I was driving on my way to church and my cell phone ring and I picked it up and I answered I said hello. This is Jason. On the other end of the line I heard. This is the White House. Please hold for the president.

And then after about 15 seconds, I hear a voice on the other line side say is this Jason hilopolis? Yes, this is Jason. Well, this is President Joe Biden. I was just curious how you slept last night. And wanted to encourage you to have a good morning at University Reformed Church this morning. If I got that call it would be shocking. And I would tell you about it. If I was at the gas station this morning and the gas station

attendant came out and talked to me not so shocking. I love gas station attendants. But I wouldn't tell you about it. and so high Speaks to one that is so low. It's meant to grab our attention. I meant to stop you. love he loves us with a shocking love.

It's not only.

That is speaking shows that he lives and that he loves. That leads to our third set point here him speaking reviews that he is merciful. Apart from him speaking. We would be trapped in the utter darkness of our sin and the other darkness of this Fallen World. Apart from him speaking.

If you're on a raft in the middle of the Pacific Ocean because your ship had gone down and you were in that raft and it is Darkness above and it is Darkness below and his Darkness around. And there are sharks. You wouldn't know which way to paddle. How do you know where to go? Feel alone you'd feel lost.

Rightly feel hopeless. But then let's say you heard a strong voice in the middle of that Darkness I said. I see you.

And I'm coming to you. Now that be a reason to Rejoice you hear that voice. You describe it as an act of incredible Mercy. Hear such a voice and such Darkness. And it coming to you.

He speaks. God shows his merciful and speaking to us.

The greatest revelation of his life of his love of his Mercy is demonstrated though in these last days. Because he spoken to us by his son his only son. Before he spoke through it a mayor into intermediaries prophets, but now he has come to us in his son in the person of his son and he speaks to his people. Thinking upon the greatness and Glory of Christ. We are first to see that he is the revelation of God. The prophets gave Revelation from God but he is the revelation

of God. The prophets were as John the Baptist will say the penultimate prophet. He will say in John 3. The prophecy says are from the earth and they speak in an Earthly way. Whereas the sun John will say the Sun is from above and he speaks of what he knows from eternity past. Paul saying second Corinthians 4:6 for God who said let light shine out of Darkness has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of

God in the face of Jesus Christ. John will say in the opening chapter of his gospel. He will say in chapter one. No one has ever seen God. The only God who is at the father's side. He has made him known. That is you can only know God by the son of God.

The only makes him known.

the church And the Old Testament knew God.

But they only knew him shrouded in thick Darkness. God appeared in Exodus 20 on Mount Sinai with the nation of Israel. Once they come out of the Exodus and this great apocal moment and the history of Earth and the history of the Covenant people of God We're told that Moses went up to meet with God and what did he do? He went up to meet and it says Moses Drew near to the thick Darkness where God was he descended and thick Darkness?

And First Kings 8 when Solomon finally builds this Temple to God, it's going to be the place where God dwells among his people in the land. He's going to be with them. How do they know that God is there well, he descends in this thick dark cloud upon the temple. They saw him but they saw him in perfectly. And it's for good reason it was meant to be instructive so that they would long for the day to come when they would see him

as he is. Jesus will say Abraham Abraham of all people Abraham longed to see my day. See me.

If we would know God as he is. We must see him in Jesus.

John 14, it's one of those verses that For a lot of you it's the first verse you ever memorized John 14:6. Jesus says I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. And then he immediately says if you had known me you would have known my father also in Philip jesus' disciple will say in response Lord. Show us the father and it is enough for us. And Jesus responds in this way to Philip.

Have I been with you so long and still you do not know me Philip Whoever has seen me. Has seen the father.

that is the sun is as the writer of Hebrews says in verse 3. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. A glory descended in a cloud upon Mount Zion and on the Tabernacle and on the temple and it showed that God had come down though. We had no body though. He has no form. They knew he was there because of the brightness of his glory. Would Shine for all the sea the radiance of the glory of God.

Hebrew word Glory Is the Hebrew word kavod? Those words that it sounds like what it means. Kavo. You can hear it. means heavy the glory of God is it's heaviness. is weightiness is otherness

Jesus is the radiance. the glory of God

I was thinking about this this morning driving in. early this morning to church and the sun was Rising and I was driving down Holt Road Both vacation destination. So of course beautiful sunrise this morning. Driving down Holt Road in the Sun in the sky and I was trying to stare at it. And there was this Corona all around it, and it was just blinding.

We know the Sun by its rays that shine upon us. And so we know the father by the radiance of the glory of the Sun. shines upon us

my favorite accounts in the Bible is when the three inner disciples are taken up on the Mount of transfiguration with Jesus and Jesus has all his time with them and his Earthly Minister. He is shrouded his glory. And he takes John and Peter and James up that mount. And then he lets them see his glory. Glory that he was say in John 17 as he's praying the glory that I had with you father before the world existed. and Peter is so

taken by seeing the glory of Christ that he's ready to camp out for all of eternity there. Let's pitch tents. Let's have a palooza up here.

Glory of Christ

Revelation. We are told that there will be no sun in the new heavens and the new Earth. Why because Jesus Will Shine in all of his glory. He is the radiance of the glory of God as Paul says in Colossians 1. He is the image of the invisible God you want to know who God is what God is like than you look to the son of God. They're the same and substance equal and power and Glory as our catechism says and the writer of Hebrews is trying to

point this out to you and I just in these opening verses. And the Greek there is no his before son as you have it there in your ESV Bibles. There's no his there's no possessive article there. In fact, there's no article there at all. There's no definite article like the sun. There's no article. And yet he uses an article before the prophets the prophets. In Westcott in 19th century New Testament Scholars points out that without the article what

the author is highlighting. Is that the Sun? Has an eternal relationship with the father. He is. He is. He is we're told in verse 3 the exact imprint of his nature that is if you were to take a stamp and you stamp it on a thing whatever that stamp is, it leaves that impression there. And as God is very God. So the sun is very God. He is no counterfeit. Is exact imprint of his nature? Everything that you see in God every attribute that

is in God is very being his very essence. It is in the Sun. He is as we confess in the Nicene Creed of the essence of the Father God of God light of light very God of very God. He is the revelation of God

No more Revelation is needed. And let's be clear. No more revelation will be given.

Is given you all that you need in his son?

For coming to saving faith. When I was in high school and early college to my shame. Oh briefs me I used to tell people over and over. I will never believe in God. Until I hear him speak to me.

Won't believe God till he speaks to me. What a fool that young man was.

Not had spoken to me.

He spoken to you.

He spoken in a son.

It can't give anything more. He can't give anything else. This is why it is such an Abomination that there are Peddlers out there. But there are frauds out there that are saying that they have new revelation that they have something new from God that they can add to this book. It undermines who he is.

Is the revelation of God?

Paul say in Romans 10 faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.

If you and I make the claim that something more as needed from God than Jesus is insufficient revelation of God. And if Jesus is an insufficient revelation of God, then he is not God and if he is not God there is no hope of Salvation with this God.

Oh, but he is the revelation of God.

His great beyond great. And he is glorious Beyond Glory.

He is the revelation of The God Who Lives who loves and is merciful. Second he follows with he is the heir of all things all things exist for him. As Paul was saying in Romans 11 All Things are from him and through him and to him not going to spend time here this morning just to dress this last week all exists for him. He is the revelation of God and because he's the son of God he is rightfully the heir of all things.

All things are for him. All things are to him. Third and fourth Christ is the creator of all things. And he is the sustainer of all things. Not only are all things created by Him. And for him, but all things are sustained by him the same son created all things. He says through whom he also created the world. That word for world is a word that is expensive there in the Greek that we will translate as ages. Right after Hebrews is making it clear.

The Ages were created by Him. But as everything you can possibly imagine. everything that you know all things created by Him everything you can see also what you can't see from the smallest atom to the most distant galaxy everything in the Physical Realm, but not just things in the Physical Realm. But even in the spiritual realm every Angel every fallen angel you are very Souls all created by Him. and for him

not only all things get their existence from him, but all things continue to Exist by him. He's a sustainable verse 3. He upholds the universe by the word of his power. the laws of gravity work this morning because he upholds the laws of gravity by the word of his power this morning. This Pulpit does not Crush underneath the unbelievable strength that I have this morning. Because God. In Christ sustains this Pulpit this morning.

your heart beats this morning because Christ sustains it let alone gives it form and helps it to maintain its structure.

He sustains All Things by the word of his power if there was a moment even a millisecond. That he stopped sustaining everything would disappear.

often thought about this with Christ as laid out on the cross

you think even as he is on this tree of torture that That that cross remains because he sustains it even as he is taking his dying breath. but the nails that Keep him pinned to that cross. They have substance. They still have formed because he's sustaining them.

That those people that are at the foot of the cross that are mocking him and passing by and driving him.

They can walk. They can even mock their sound coming out of their mouths and it's floating through the air because he sustains it.

It's a great Christ.

glorious Christ

chorus Christ is fifth and sixth. Redeemer and Lord

He says in verse 3 after making purification for sins. He Sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. This is not a distant Creator and sustainer. He draws near to his people. He not only speaks to us. He atones for us with his very person. He dies in our place this glorious son. And after his suffering in this way, we are told he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Listen. This is so very important because

the levitical priest never sat down. Morning and night all day long 24/7. They are offering sacrifice after sacrifice after sacrifice because there was more that was needed Jesus offers his sacrifice upon the cross and as he cried out it is finished. No more. one sacrifice for all

does Redeemer he sits down? the right hand of God redeems and he rules the sun is Lord even as he is Redeemer.

Secos the most quoted of all Testament prophecies one of those Revelations from long ago. This is fulfilled in Christ. Jesus Psalm 110. The Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool He reigns

It's great and glorious Christ reign.

It's the revelation of God. air of all things the Creator the sustainer Redeemer and Lord

You Jewish Christians that are being persecuted that are losing your possessions that are fearful of being martyred for the faith. And you are tempted to turn back to the Jewish faith. Remember this.

contemplate this let me put before you this how great and glorious is the savior that you have claimed. Let this be your strength.

Yes.

You and I are to see Christ above all.

Never ails you we are to see Christ above all.

Let me just close with two applications this morning with two questions.

First is for those of you in this room this morning. In a room this size. There are a dozen of you maybe dozen.

You don't know this Christ. the revelation of God You don't know him as the Son of God. You don't know him. Is Redeemer and Lord? Don't know him as your Creator and your sustainer though. He is.

It's my question for you.

Would you dare? Would you dare this week? to read one of the Gospels gospels are Matthew Mark Luke John in the New Testament the very beginning of New Testament. Would you dare just to read one of those? You read John it takes you all of two hours. You could sit down and read it in two hours. You want The Abridged version go to Mark. It's an hour and a half.

Would you dare to read it?

If he is the revelation of God. You want to know?

I dare you to read it.

You're Christian my question for you is this

You consider?

Seeing the greatness. and the glory of Christ your highest privilege and greatest responsibility

Do you?

And does that cause you to seek for greater and greater views of his glory? This is what the writer Hebrews is aimed at. He wants these Jewish Christians to have. More and more a view of the greatness and the glory of Christ. If there is one thing that I could give to you as your pastor, this is what it would be above all else. I just want you to have more and more of a view of Christ. That you would see his greatness and His glory

more and more because it shapes everything else.

It's a boom for your pains. Some encouragement for all of your sorrows. It's strengthen your weakness. It's the joy that your soul is longing for.

You've probably been to a sports game or a concert or And Art Exhibit or maybe you were at a restaurant or walking down the street when someone famous walked by. and the whole crowd kind of moves and everybody's kind of doing one of the just jockeying for position just to get a better View.

Do you live your Christian Life jockeying for position to get a better view of Christ?

Are you seeking to throw off every encumbrance every sin because sin clouds your view of Christ.

Are you being diligent? Are you being disciplined? Have more of a view of Christ you rise or leech more into read your Bible and to pray because you just want to see more of Christ.

You meditate on him throughout the day. Do you find yourself stealing away a little moments of prayer throughout the day because you just want to know and see more Christ. As you find his greatness and His glory to be a delight.

Are you serious?

Are you as serious?

About getting a better view of Christ as you are about finishing that degree. We're taking off that extra five pounds. Finishing this project at work.

Are you even more serious about this?

You see our lives tell us.

Whether we truly see it as a privilege and a responsibility.

To see more of the greatness and Glory of Christ.

Genome once said this he said what are all the stained glories? The Fading beauties of the world of all the devil showed Our Savior from the mount what are they in comparison of one view of the glory of God represented in Christ and of the glory of Christ as his great representative the more we see of him More we will Delight.

I will be your Everlasting Joy.

You find Christ's great and glorious. A love the psalmist says at one point. He says one thing have I asked of the Lord. One thing if I asked if Lord, what would that be? One thing have I asked of the Lord and that will I seek after?

That I may dwell in the house of the Lord. to gaze upon is beauty

is that what you asked for? That what you seek.

I hope is is that we will seek that together as we go through the rest of the book of Hebrews. And then we'll have a more full View. this glorious beautiful Majestic Christ together Let's pray.

Father we exalt you this morning.

Thankful that you are a God who has chosen to reveal yourself to sinful creatures like us. And pray for every single heart and soul in this room. That's with us live streaming this morning that there would not be one. in this day without seeing greatness and Glory of Christ and O Father forgive us where we not counted as a privilege and do not count it as a responsibility to seek after. Those of us you have condescended in

your love to give. this great view to oh, we would see more of our savior that we might know more of you. To your glory and praise now and for all of eternity. It's in the strong name of Christ the Savior this revelation of God's name we pray. amen