Who is Jesus? (Hebrews 1:1-2)

What is the point of the Book of Hebrews? It can be used for many purposes, that is true. For example, we could do a series on the well-known chapter about the life of faith Chapter 11. Or we could use it to do a study on the nature of angels. Or we could consider the several warning passages it contains about the danger of giving up the faith. Yet I would suggest that the point of the book is that it is designed to help us to look at Jesus.

The unknown author of the book tells us in 12:1-2: ‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.’

The author uses the common New Testament illustration of a race to depict the Christian life. Obviously a race has a start, a continuation and a finish. The race starts personally when a sinner believes in Jesus and ends when the earthly life of that believer closes. In between, no matter how long the race, it has to be run step by step. A runner has to think about something as he or she runs a race. This author tells Christian runners that they should pass the time thinking about Jesus.

Whatever else we would want to say about the Book of Hebrews it is certainly about Jesus. There are different ways by which New Testament authors consider Jesus. For example, we have the biographical details recorded in the four Gospels which basically follow the story of his journey on earth. And the way that Paul and others in their letters explain aspects of Jesus that were being denied in the churches to which they wrote. The author of Hebrews uses the method of contrasts to describe Jesus.

When it comes to contrasts, we can contrast someone with what is obviously inferior in order to highlight his strong points. Or we can contrast someone with what is best in all that has gone before in order to indicate his superiority. The author of Hebrews uses this second method — he contrasts Jesus with various features of the religious life of Israel, the good things that they possessed, to show how far superior Jesus is to even details and instructions that had been given by God.

Normally a book has an introduction or a preface in which the author describes what he or she is going to say in the book. The point of the introduction is to let the reader know what the author is going to describe or state. It is obvious from this introduction that the author of Hebrews wants to write about Jesus, but he does not really give us an introduction. Instead he immediately turns to speaking about Jesus. 

I wonder what we would choose to say about Jesus if we were wanting to get people to think about him. We can see what this author mentioned first, which is that Jesus is greater than all the Old Testament prophets. And he is greater than them even although there are no books by him. Indeed we can say that all the books are about him in one way or another. 

I don’t know if we have ever had a surprise in reading a book. You might say to yourself, ‘This writing is so good and suitable for me, it seems as if the author is actually speaking to me.’ That response is what the author of Hebrews wants from you because he is being guided by Jesus to write about Jesus who will speak to those who read the letter.

Jesus is a contemporary speaker

The book of Hebrews was written in the AD60s. That seems a long time ago to us. The writer says that God had spoken long ago through the prophets. If he had Malachi in mind, he had prophesied several hundred years before Jesus was born.  

Or maybe what he meant by ‘long ago’ was when God first sent prophets to speak on his behalf. The first prophet that is mentioned is Enoch and he spoke long before the flood that came in Noah’s time. Then Noah himself was a prophet, as was Abraham. Of course, the author means to include also all the prophets whom God sent to Israel and Judah. The most recent several centuries previously. That is like us recalling someone who was a contemporary of Christopher Columbus. 

But has God not sent someone more recently than Malachi? The answer is yes, he had spoken through his Son, and he has no successor.

Jesus is a complete speaker

The writer points out that God when God spoke through all those Old Testament prophets, he only did so partially, despite the fact that there were many of them. Each of them only predicted part of the plans that God had regarding the salvation he intended to be made available for sinners. We know that when we read what they said. 

For example, Enoch spoke about God coming to judge sinners, Noah spoke about the flood that was coming, Moses predicted that God would send a prophet like him, Isaiah described the Messiah’s unique birth as well as his rejection and subsequent exaltation, Zechariah mentioned that the Deliverer would be both king and priest, Malachi announced that the Messiah would have a forerunner. Those details were mentioned by other prophets, including the ones just mentioned. But the point is that none of them said everything.

Peter actually says that the prophets did not fully understand what they were saying when they spoke about the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. They were aware that they were speaking under the influence of the Spirit, but such was the profundity of their words that they could not grasp fully what they were saying. All they could do was say in one way or another, ‘Thus says the Lord….’

In contrast, when Jesus comes, he says, ‘But I say unto you….’ On more than one occasion he took the books of the Old Testament and showed unto his disciples how each of those books spoke about him in some way or ways. As we recall with regard to the two on the way to Emmaus, their hearts warmed within them as he explained those details about himself. He was able to take what seemed unexplainable and made it plain. He could use them to show how he is both God and man, he could show them how he would both suffer and receive great glory, he would inform them how he could fulfil simultaneously the roles of prophet, priest and king. The prophets spoke partially about what the Messiah would do, Jesus spoke completely about his mission.

We may ask who does God speak about, whether through the prophets or through his Son. The answer may seem surprising to begin with — through the prophets and his Son he speaks about his Son. The prophets spoke about him and in their words and messages they still speak about him; Jesus spoke about himself and his actions which he did at his Father’s bidding and for his Father’s glory.

Jesus is a convincing speaker

We know that sometimes a person can speak the truth, but his words do not affect those who hear him. The reason is that he is not able to speak with power. This is not the same as speaking with eloquence. When a person speaks with power, he affects the hearts of his listeners and causes them to adjust their lifestyles. They accept his word as one speaking with authority. This is what people said about Jesus, that unlike the scribes and Pharisees he spoke with authority. Obviously, he could speak in this way because he is divine, even as when he commanded demons to leave people or when he healed individuals with a word. He had the power to speak miracles, we could say. And he has the power to perform greater miracles when he speaks by the gospel into the hearts of sinners. He does this by the Holy Spirit who acts as his representative and works within the souls of those who hear the message of Jesus and are impressed by it in a manner that no other message can do. 

Jesus is a concerned speaker

Why does Jesus speak? He speaks because we are sinners who need to hear what he has to say to us about our spiritual needs. His message is about salvation from the penalty of sin, which he himself has paid. When he was here on earth, his sacrifice on the cross was ahead of him, but when he speaks now it is behind him. But his message for sinners has not changed. He still calls on them to repent and believe in him. 

His message is summed up in the well-known words of John 3:16. He assures sinners of the great welcome that they will receive when they turn from their sins and embrace him by faith. He told parables to describe the divine eagerness to provide salvation such as in the stories of the lost sheep and the prodigal son. Whatever the circumstances in which a person lived, such as poor Bartimaeus and wealthy Zaccheus in Jericho, he provides salvation and gives to them forgiveness of sin and eternal life. Even a person like the criminal on the cross, coming to the end of a desperate life, was welcomed by Jesus into a heavenly home. We can think of the way he brought Saul of Tarsus, an entrenched opponent of Jesus, into the kingdom of God.

No doubt, we can think of many persons who discovered that Jesus was the Saviour. Each of their stories is different from one another, yet in a sense they are the same because they all are about discovering the freeness and the fullness of his mercy. Whatever their background, whatever their lifestyle, when they turned to Jesus in repentance and faith, they were pardoned and accepted into his family and given the amazing promise that he would be with them in the way that a shepherd is with his sheep. 

Jesus is a consoling speaker

This leads to think about another aspect of Jesus as a prophet, which is to console and comfort his people. Such activity was expected of a prophet as we can see in the case of Isaiah who was told to comfort God’s people by reminding them of God’s power and presence. Jesus comforts his people in many ways. One way in which he does so is by reminding them of heaven, as he does in his well-known reference in John 14 to the Father’s house with many dwelling places, each prepared by him for his people. He comforts and consoles them through the many promises that he has given to them, promises that Peter describes as great and precious. Those promises may be connected to spiritual growth or to future glory, but they are an incredible source of comfort to his disciples who can be very weary at times. On such occasions, they need to hear appropriate words from Jesus that will strengthen their souls.

Jesus is a challenging speaker

In addition to being a comforting speaker, the Saviour is also a challenging speaker in the sense that he reminds his disciples to obey his instructions for daily life. No doubt we are all familiar to some extent with the Sermon on the Mount. He calls not to lay up treasures on earth, but instead to lay them up in heaven. We are reminded by him of the importance of prayer and of the need to search the scriptures. He calls us to put to death the sins that are strong in our hearts. We are told by him to love our enemies. He expects us to bear fruit if we are branches in the vine, that is, connected to him like branches are attached to an vine. We are expected to follow his teachings wherever we are.

Jesus is a constant speaker

The last detail I wish to mention is that Jesus speaks all the time to his people. In heaven he functions as a prophet, as a priest, and as a king. He is devoted to his roles, roles that he fulfils for all his people wherever they are in the world. He speaks to us every day, when we read his Word, when it comes to mind when we are doing something, or through other people.  It is good to hear the voice of Jesus.