¹ In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. ³ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. ⁴ So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

Hebrews 1: 1-4

As part of our Sunday liturgy, we follow the scripture readings from the Revised Common Lectionary.  We don’t include all four readings (OT, PS, Gos, and NT) in our liturgy, but we do use the Psalm for our call to worship, and I select one other reading as our scripture reading.  This year, we’ve been sticking (so far) to the OT readings.  And our OT reading today was from Jeremiah: 

³¹ “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
    “when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
    and with the people of Judah.
³² It will not be like the covenant
    I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
    to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
    though I was a husband to them,”
declares the Lord.
³³ “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
    after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds
    and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.
³⁴ No longer will they teach their neighbor,
    or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
    from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness
    and will remember their sins no more.”

Jeremiah 31: 31-34

What Jeremiah is talking about is a new covenant that surpasses the Mosaic covenant that the people were familiar with.  This new covenant would not have the shortcomings of the Mosaic covenant (though the faults were not with the covenant itself, but with the people), but it would surpass this old covenant, accomplishing what it could not – that is, the redemption and restoration of creation.  (And here, you will have to excuse my poor phrasing or inaccurate theology, which is for the sake of emphasis regarding today’s passage). 

This is very much what the writer of the Hebrews is saying in our passage today.  Hebrews 1:1-4 says:

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. ³ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. ⁴ So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

Hebrews 1: 1-4

As we noted last time, inasmuch as Hebrews is an epistle, it does not begin in the way we expect New Testament epistles to begin.  And this has led some to speculate that perhaps the salutation has been lost.  However, this is purely speculation and the first verses that we in fact have seem to me to perfectly introduce what’s going on in the rest of the letter; or perfectly introduce the concerns that the writer has throughout the letter.  In other words, I’m arguing – not on my own, but following others – that the first verses that we have are the first verses that we are supposed to have.  So let’s consider those first verses. 

Structurally, there are a couple of opinions or perspectives that I want to share with you.  The first is by Peter O’Brien – and to be clear, I’m not convinced by this, but I find it interesting enough to share with you.  O’Brien sees the first four verses structured as a chiasm: 

• A. vv. 1–2a The Son contrasted with prophets
  • B. v. 2b The Son as messianic heir
    • C. v. 2c The Son’s creative work
      • D. vv. 3a–b The Son’s threefold mediatorial relationship to God
    • C′. v. 3c The Son’s redemptive work
  • B′. v. 3d The Son as messianic king
• A′. v. 4 The Son contrasted with angels.

Now this is noteworthy because we see the use of chiasm (among other literary devices) numerous times throughout the book of Hebrews (depending on who you read or listen to).  That being the case, it would seem reasonable that the author might have intentionally structured these verses as a chiasm.  And we know that frequently (though not always), chiasms are structured so that the key point is found in the middle – here, it is verses 3a-b: 

“^1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word…”

Hebrews 1: 3a-b

Locating v. 3a-b at the center of the chiasm highlights the perspective that the author’s primary concern is the supremacy of Christ.  That is, this passage represents a high Christology – Jesus Christ is the radiance of God’s glory, the exact representation (or imprint, or image) of God’s being. 

So O’Brien’s perspective has a lot to commend it.  However, as I said, I’m not convinced that this is the best rendering of these verses.  Instead, we might follow F.F. Bruce (though this isn’t exclusive to Bruce – indeed, it seems a pretty common interpretation).  Bruce sees the first four verses as quite simply divided into two parts:  verses 1-2a and 2b-4.  We might say that verses 1-2a describe Jesus Christ as the new revelation, or (following the motif we read in Jeremiah) the revelation of the new covenant.  And vv. 2b-4 then describe Jesus as not just the next revelation (for example), but the pinnacle of God’s revelation, or the pinnacle of God’s redemptive work. 

So, it should be obvious that though this perspective sees a different underlying structure, it perceives the same, or at least largely similar, thematic emphasis.  We might say that different opinions on the structure assume a different route, but they arrive at the same destination.  That is, the supremacy of Christ. 

Of course, we don’t have to commit to either interpretation of the structure of these verses.  Indeed, in many ways, the structure doesn’t matter except that it helps us understand what is going on.  Or to put it another way, one’s opinion on the structure doesn’t matter unless it helps us understand what the author is trying to say. 

As an aside, it’s worth mentioning that I share these things with you, partly because I find them interesting and I hope you will too; partly because it’s worth understanding that equally godly people (if we can quantify such a thing) have differing opinions and arrive at different conclusions; and partly because I want us to understand that people are always studying these things.  That is, it’s not as if we arrive at an interpretation (or whatever) and now were done.  The people of God are always trying to better understand the word of God. 

At any rate, it seems to me that what the author is trying to say – in the tiniest of nutshells – is that the previous revelation, the previous covenant, the previous promise has been surpassed.  It has been surpassed by that which can never be surpassed.  Because in Jesus Christ we find God’s final word and God’s final work.

Of course that could probably be said better – or more could be said about it.  But we’ll leave it there for now.  And what I want to suggest is that it’s this supremacy of Christ that is the central theme, the primary concern, of the author of the letter to the Hebrews.  And it is likely why he begins the letter in the way that he does.  And in the space of a couple of verses, he makes multiple theological declarations as to what the supremacy of Christ means or entails.  So, if we take a closer but very brief look at vv. 2b-4, we read: 

The Revelation of Jesus Christ (2b-4):

• …^2bwhom he appointed heir of all things,
• and through whom also he made the universe.
• ³ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being,
• sustaining all things by his powerful word.
• After he had provided purification for sins,
• he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
• ⁴ So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

And if we can simplify, what the author declares or proclaims is that Jesus Christ is: 

• The heir [that is Son] of God – that all creation belongs to Him
• Creator
• God’s glory and image
• Sustainer
• Redeemer
• King
• And superior to angels

This last point serves as a transition or introduction to the passage that we’re going to look at next week.  But it also serves, for our purposes, as an introduction the author’s basic rhetorical approach throughout the book.  That is, the author’s main point seems to be (again) the supremacy of Christ – that Jesus Christ is God’s final word and final work in redemption.  And it seems that he needs to make this point precisely because the recipients of the letter (whoever they may be) think or believe something else. 

Now we can’t be sure if the author is dealing with issues that are actually prevalent within the audience or if he’s just dealing with a theoretical question.  That is, we’re not sure if the recipients of the letter to the Hebrews are actually worshiping, trusting, or looking to something else.  Or if they simply need to shore up their theology of Jesus Christ, the Son of God – that is, if they just need a higher Christology. 

But the author’s basic rhetorical approach throughout the letter is that Jesus Christ is greater than this other thing.  We mentioned this in brief last week, but the author demonstrates at length how Jesus Christ is greater than: 

• Angels [the revelation delivered by angels]
• Moses
• High Priest (i.e. Jesus is the superior High Priest)
• Etc.

At this point, it should be noted that the traditional perspective on Hebrews has been that the immediate context for this situation is something like the Judaizers.  That is,  it is believed that there are those within the congregation or community that are encouraging or advocating for a return to a form of Judaism.  For example, they may be requiring new Christians to practice Levitical sacrifices, ritual washing, to follow the laws of Moses, or etc.  From this perspective, then, the author of the Hebrews is arguing that Jesus Christ and the work accomplished through Jesus Christ is superior and sufficient.  To return to Judaism (for example) would be going backward in God’s salvation plan. 

And again, while this is a perfectly workable theory on the interpretation of the book of Hebrews, more and more scholars of Hebrews don’t believe this is the case – or at least it isn’t necessary or certain from the text. 

As we touched on last week, we don’t know that the audience for Hebrews is necessarily Jewish (and even less, Judaizers).  And as we said today, we don’t know for sure that the author of Hebrews is using this approach (of “Jesus is better than x”) because he is refuting an actual belief or position in the community, or if he is simply using a rhetorical device to highlight his theology. 

But the point that he is trying to make could not be more clear:  Jesus Christ is the climax of God’s salvation plan.  He is the end towards which all of salvation history has been moving.  And he is the fulfillment of all of God’s purposes and promises.  We need look no further.  There is no greater hope.  Jesus Christ is all in all. 

I imagine most or all of us have no problem with this theologically.  That is, we are schooled well enough (so to speak) that we would not argue this point.  And we have no hesitation in saying that Jesus is all.  The question is, are we prepared to actually live as if this is true?  The question is, “Is Jesus Christ where we actually find our hope?”  “Is Jesus Christ truly the answer to the questions we are asking?” 

Because much like this introductory paragraph to Hebrews suggests, we are prone to look anywhere but at Jesus.  We are looking at “prophets [from] many times and [from] various ways.”  And worse, we are using these prophets (these ideas, these philosophies, these worldviews) to evaluate Jesus, to make sense of Jesus, instead of recognizing that Jesus alone is the true revelation from God.  Jesus alone allows us to truly make sense of the world. 

So what we are encouraged to do, what we are required to do by the writer of Hebrews (and what we will try to do as we work our way through the letter), is to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus alone; to put our trust in Jesus alone; to find our hope in Jesus alone.  Because it is in and through Jesus alone that God has saved us.  And it is in and through Jesus alone that God’s promises to us are fulfilled.