Sunday Worship 5 March 2023 : “The express image of His person”

Text: Hebrews 1:1-4
5 March 2023

INTRODUCTION

1. The Doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ

a) Biblical Christology
b) Many deep and profound features to discover and to appreciate

2. The Biblical material

a) Prophetic
i) Future predictions (Old Testament)
ii) Fulfilment realised (New Testament)
b) Gospels
i) The life of the Lord Jesus
ii) His ministry
iii) His teachings
iv) His death and resurrection
c) Epistles
i) Exposition of the significance
ii) Defence
iii) Appreciation and Application

THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS

1. Writing to both Jews and Gentiles

2. Focus on the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

a) Theological
b) Personal
c) Practical

THE MANY TITLES OF THE LORD JESUS

1. Rabbi/ Teacher

2. Master

3. King of the Jews

4. Messiah

5. Son of God

6. Son of Man

(The Lord’s favourite term for Himself)

THE EXPRESS IMAGE OF GOD

1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,

2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

Hebrews 1:1-4

1. In the past, when God communicated

a) He spoke through the prophets
b) To the forefathers of Israel

2. In the present, God has spoken

a) By His Son
b) Two special terms:
i) Son of God
ii) Son of Man

3. Who is the Son?

a) The Heir of all things
b) Co-creator with God

4. A special feature highlighted

a) He has the brightness of the glory of God
b) He is the express image of His person (God)
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me [f]is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”
16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
John 1:14-18

5. The greatness of the Son

a) Power
He upholds all things by the word of His power
Hebrews 1:3b
b) Purging of our sins
He has personally purged us of all our sins.
Hebrews 1:3c
c) The right hand of God
He has sat down at the right hand of God’s majesty on high.
Hebrews 1:3d
d) A more excellent name
i) He is so much better (greater) than the angels of God.   (Hebrews 1:4a)
ii) He has obtained a more excellent name!   (Hebrews 1:4b)
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11

CONCLUSION

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.

11 He came to His [c]own, and His own did not receive Him.

12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 1:10-13

1. Let us receive the Lord Jesus appropriately

2. Let us seek to be true and faithful sons of God