Ever since Adam and Eve sinned and hid from God in the Garden of Eden, God has been pursuing mankind with a message of love and redemption. Through the centuries God has tried to communicate with man in many different ways. The first 4 verses of the inspired book in the Bible which we call Hebrews say, “God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds. His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself made purification for our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; having become so much better than the angels, as he has inherited a more excellent name than they have.”
These verses tell us that no matter how God may have spoken in the past and no matter who He spoke to, complete and full revelation comes only through His Son, Jesus Christ. If we want to hear God’s message in its fullness, we have to listen to Jesus.
Not only is the message given through the Son superior to previous messages, God has spoken to us by His Son, “at the end of these days.” Other translations say that God has spoken in “these last days.” In other words, we are living in the final portion of history. There is no assurance whatever that God will give us another message if we reject the revelation He has already given us through the Son.
What makes the Son superior to other messengers through whom God spoke in the past? Verse 2 says that the Son has been appointed “heir of all things.” Jesus, himself, said, “…All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18 NIV)
The point is this: We are never going to find a messenger who has more authority than Jesus. There are lots of religions; there are lots of traditions which claim to have messengers from God, yet not a single one of them has as much authority as Jesus. Are we prepared to accept Christ’s word as final?
Not only is the Son, God’s heir, God created the universe through Him. John writes, “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” (John 1:3 NIV) Just think about the incredible power that implies! Think about the incredible majesty and splendor the universe displays. No other messenger can begin to compare.
Jesus not only has the authority to speak for God, there can be no distortion in the message. Verse 3 says, “His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance,”
What does the expression “his glory” mean? God’s glory is the manifestation or display of His character. For example, Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God…” (NIV) And, Romans 1:20 says, “…God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made…” (NIV) So, when we read about God’s glory in Psalm 19, it seems to be talking about the character qualities mentioned in Romans. Thus, when we read Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (NIV) it means that we have failed to display the same character traits that God does. For example, our goodness falls short of God’s goodness. We are not as merciful as God. Our truthfulness does not measure up to His truth, and so on.
But the Son does measure up to God’s character. He not only displays God’s glory or character, He possesses it within Himself. While we fall short, the Son is the “…exact representation of his being…” (Hebrews 1:3 NIV) The resemblance is so close that Jesus could tell His disciples, “…Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father…” (John 14:9 NIV) If you want to know what God is like, all you have to do is look at Jesus. Since Jesus, the Son, has all of the attributes of God, can we doubt that He is the One who sustains the entire universe with His powerful word?
Jesus not only has a superior character to all other messengers because He shares the attributes of God, He also has a superior position. He is seated at “…the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3)
Later in the book, Hebrews portrays priests as standing to do their work (10:11). But verse three says that after Jesus provided purification for sins, He sat down. This points to the fact that the work of purification is completed. Nothing more needs to be done. Jesus finished the task.
Angels have some of the attributes of God such as holiness, but no angel has been given as high a position of honor as the Son. Only Jesus is seated at God’s right hand.
Some religions claim that their message or book was delivered by means of an angel. Even if that is true, Jesus has the higher position and honor. The message which comes through Him takes precedence over any other.
Not only does Jesus have superior authority, a superior character and a superior position, He also has a superior name. No angel has a name which is as great as His. Philippians 2, verses 9 and 10 say, “…God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,” (NIV)
What is this name which is superior to all others? We know from Philippians 2:11 that the name Jesus was given is “Lord”. This means that He is the supreme ruler. We already saw that He has all authority. We will never find a more authoritative message than the one Jesus brought. You can search the world over. No other system, religion or philosophy can provide you with what God has given us in Jesus Christ, His Son.