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The Hebrews Commentary Project
Contents:
Hebrews 1:3
- Del Blanchard
- Jim McClarty
- Michael Cruz
- Mark McCulley
- Joe Terrell
- John D. Romann
- David Summerford
- Maurice Bergeron
- Kevin Hartley
- Tim Clifton
Hebrews 1:3
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 on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
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1. Del Blanchard
Who being the brightness of his glory, (1:3a)
Moses asked God to show him his glory and God responded with this:
I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee: and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy.
(Exodus 33:19)He went on to say that no man could see his face and live. I think this is the glory that the first part of Hebrews 1:3 is talking about.
..the express image of his person, (1:3b)
The glory in the Son. The very express image of his person and glory in mercy and grace. The Son said:
And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. (John 17:11)
And also;
And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: (John 17:22)
The Father gave the Son glory and he gave it to us. So we stand perfect in the sight of God with the glory he gave us. No wonder the Cathedrals can belt out, "Oh what a savior, Oh, hallelujah," and you start to float on air.
...and upholding all things by the word of his power (1:3c)
Could this be hinting at the Sovereignty of God? What would happen if he stopped upholding all things? Does God uphold some things and we uphold some things? How about our salvation? Do we uphold some part of that? Well that's not what this implies at all. I wonder how a free will believer handles a verse like this.
When he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: (1:3d)
Now, when we helped him purge our sins, we let him sit down on the right hand of the Majesty on high, Right? We make him stand up now and then too, Right? To put the finishing touches on this finished work of purging our sins? I don't think that is what the verse said. I think that is the impression we get from a lot of people these days. Pastor Kent Clark put it something like this:
Could you imagine the shame and reproach that would fall on Christ if when we get to heaven, we stand there shaking like an unpardoned criminal and the LORD says, "Poor pitiful thing, I couldn't quite pay for all of them" (sins).
Now if we have some problem giving the glory to God for salvation from start to finish then we indeed do have a problem. What did we do in this matter of salvation? How could we add anything to something that God himself said was finished? I am glad it is this way. It is certain. We don't have to guess.
Del Blanchard
rockyflats@gorge.net
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2. Jim McClarty
This verse is like a gold mine. I'll try to be concise, but I expect we all will struggle with brevity on this one.
Who (Jesus), being the brightness of His (God's) glory, and the express image of His (God's) person... (1:3a)
From the earliest Hebrew scriptures, God had been practically hidden, speaking only to select prophets and appearing only occasionally - as often as not, in judgment. He was not to be approached by the common people. And, when He was approached there were definite rules and criteria that had to be met once a year, only by the High Priest, only with a blood sacrifice, only in accordance with the covenant rules. (And, these things will all be addressed in the Hebrews letter, portraying the better Priest, sacrifice, covenant, etc.) But, through Christ we see God "unfolded," exegeted, perfectly expressed and approachable by the lowliest of men. The unapproachable God of Mt. Sinai comes from behind the veil and everything we need to know of God, everything we long to see of His person and character, everything we could hope of His charity and grace, are present in this man, Jesus. He is all we need to approach God without fear, knowing we'll be accepted in Him, "being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person."
Philip saith unto Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us."
Jesus saith unto him, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself; but the Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; or else believe me for the very works' sake." (John 14:8-11).
and upholding all things by the word of his power... (1:3b)
Psalm 29:4 declares: "The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty." With God, words are things. Whatever He speaks - is. It IS on the basis of the power and authority of the One who speaks. From nothing came everything. And the one who spoke the words of creation, humbled Himself and took flesh, becoming the Word incarnate. Yet all things continued (and continue) to exist based on the unchangeable authority of the Word which declared them to be so. It's this power that's the foundation of our faith. Just as He spoke light into the cosmos, He also speaks light into darkened men. And the power of that Word makes it so. He spoke the stars into the Heavens, and spoke salvation into my heart. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom.10:17).
By the way, I like the "all things." I know myself well enough to know that I'll mess this thing up, given half a chance. But it's not my failing grip on Him that is my confidence. It's His UN-failing grip on me that assures me - "upholding ALL THINGS by the word of His power" ....and, I'm in the "all things." Thank God.
when he had by himself purged our sins... (1:3c)
I went to a church recently where a lady stood up and announced, "Jesus has done all He can do, now it's up to you to make up your mind to come to Him." What a pathetic Jesus they worship - one after their own imagination, and not the One who is revealed in scripture. This verse says, "BY HIMSELF." He didn't need my help, and I wasn't there to help Him. Even the ones who were there abandoned Him; I can't pretend I'd do any better. He was on the cross alone. He bore the weight of God's wrath - alone. He rose from the dead without anyone's choice or decision in the matter, and certainly none of us helped Him get up. He ascended into Glory, presented the sufficient sacrifice to secure the eternal future of His people, and He did it without anybody's help or intervention. The glorious truth of His humility and His sovereignty is that He "purged our sin," cleaned up our bloody mess, and accomplished our redemption - alone.
But, wait, it gets better.....
...sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. (1:3d)
IT WORKED!!! He did it alone, and God accepted it! The price is paid! The atonement is complete! He accomplished everything He came here to accomplish, and God was so pleased with it, He gave Jesus the seat of greatest honor, at His right hand. But, wait, it gets better still...!
We are the recipients of this glorious victory,
and
We will be placed in similar honor:And, before Him shall be gathered all nations; and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth His sheep from the goats. And, He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." (Matthew 25:32-34)CONCLUSION: This is one of those "key verses" which encapsulates the very crux and core of Biblical soteriology. It's expressed again in 2 Cor.5:19,
To wit, That God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
I will never be able to grasp such a wonderful thing. I will always marvel at it.
Hebrews 1:1-3 declares:
a) God - who was originally alone, self-sufficient, the only being whose purpose for existence can be found in Himself - spoke His words to prophets. They, in turn, told those words to God's people.
b) He now speaks to us by His Son - alone. The Son has the words of God and with His arrival on the stage of history, the prophetic speech which led up to Him has ceased. He, alone, has the authority to speak for God.
c) Christ, alone, was appointed by God as heir of all things. He, alone, will occupy the judgment throne and He, alone, will bring some people to glory.
d) He, alone, made the worlds and all that is in them. "Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding!" (Job 38:4)
e) Christ, alone, is the express image of God in human form. No other man could lay claim to such a notion. He is unique. The ONLY begotten of the Father.
f) He, alone, upholds all things by His power. No one else could say such a thing. I can't even guarantee my next breath. But, He keeps the universe intact by the power of His speech.
g) And, He - yep, alone - purged our sin. He paid the price. He accomplished our salvation. He swept the floor clean. He took our debt and gave us His righteousness. He, alone, had a righteousness which was acceptable, and He, alone, bore the grief of our sin.
h) He, alone and lifted up, sits on the right hand of the Father. He, alone, is to be praised as the Majesty on high. He, alone, is to be counted worthy of worship and glorified as God who became man.
Only a God as infinitely gracious and eternally loving as our God would have conceived such a thing. Christ came to reveal the essence and "glory" of God to us, and - in so doing - He took it upon Himself to do for us what we could not do. The Very Word by whom all things exist and consist bore the brunt of God's righteous anger, put away our sin and became the surety of our eternal redemption. Have you ever heard such good news?
I could go on and on praising such a Savior ...but, I'll leave that up to you all. We serve a wonderful and glorious God.
Jim McClarty
McClartyfam@juno.com
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3. Michael Cruz
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 on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (1:3)
The first half of the verse is essentially a reiteration of the Lord's words in John 14:9. If we have seen Christ, we have seen God the father. The human tendency is to look at Christ and see his humanity as an example for believers to follow. And He should be an example as is evident from such passages as Phil 2. But the most important lesson to glean from seeing Christ's life is that when we look upon Christ, we indeed look upon the image of God. And since Christ is in essence God, He has the ability of God the Father to sustain the universe by His power. God's word entails more than the Bible itself which is most assuredly the word of God; it also involves the will of God. Several times in the first chapter of Genesis, appears the phrase: "And God said, 'Let there be....'" And of course these things were done because as God said them He also willed them. In the second verse of Hebrews we saw that it was through Christ that He created the world. So when God said, "Let there be light," Christ was the means by which He brought it forth.
In the other half of the verse we see, when He had once and for all atoned for the sins of His elect, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. He sat and shared in the glory of God because the atonement was definite, complete, and provided a pleasing aroma to God (Gen 8:21, Eph 5:2). It was finished (John 19:30). And since it is finished and acceptable to God the Father, there is nothing that sinful men can add to make it any more acceptable to God.
Michael Cruz
a_la_cruz@technologist.com
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4. Mark McCulley
who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person... (1:3)
Sometimes we do well simply to avoid heresy. I hope to do so in considering the relationship of the Father to the Son. I even hope to avoid all the controversy about the Sonship of Jesus before the incarnation. But I do want to think of the subordination of the Son to the Father, and even ask whether it is possible to speak of a submission of the Father to the Son.
When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the one who put all things in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all. (I Corinthians 15:28)
As I cannot think of a time when God was three “persons” but not Father, Son, and Spirit, I cannot conceive that God “all in all” might mean no more Father and Son. But what I can or cannot conceive matters little. Does the Son, being the glory of the Father, mean the Son has always been and will always be subordinate to the Father? Of course I am not speaking of ontology, of “essence,” or “worth to be worshipped,” or any such thing. I am asking about role and function, and it gets practical if I ask if we ever pray to the Son in the name of the Father. Do we even ever pray to the Son?
As my wife is my ‘brightness” (and those who know my wife AND ME will be quick to agree), I would desire that I too could be the “brightness” of my wife. But is the Son the brightness of the Father so that the Father is NOT the brightness of the Son? Surely we can make a distinction between the brightness and the glory, or between “the only true God” and “Jesus Christ sent” (John 17:3), without denying the equality of the Son with the Father, but will that distinction always involve a role for the Son of subordination?
We can say that the Son is “the image” of the Father's person without denying that the Son is a “person.” We find similar language in I Cor 1:24 (the Son is ‘the power of God and the wisdom of God”) and in Colossians 1:15 (the Son is “the image of the invisible God”). The Son is the brightness and the image of the Father, but this does not mean that the Son is only the "effect” and the Father the “cause.”
I don’t think the Father and Son relationship is about cause and effect. The glory is the brightness, and the brightness is the glory! The Son was not merely an instrument of the Father: the Son himself “upholds all things by the word of his power.”
The Son himself is the Glory living with us:
Immanuel (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23).To live in the new covenant is to have the Glory living in us. In other words, the Son lives in us!
But the Son is now (permanently, I think) incarnate. The Son still is and will always be “the express image of" the Father. The Son also is not only the image but also created human in the image of God. The Son shows us both the glory of God and the glory of humanity. One way the Son does this is by being Helper, by being a servant who washes the feet of human creatures. Thus the Son shows us how to be human. Thus the Son shows that the glory, even of God, is to save and serve human creatures! Thus the Son shows us there is no competition between the interests of God and the interests of human creatures. It is we, in our sin, who imagine a conflict between God’s pleasure and our pleasure.
Human creatures will never become God. But the Son has become a human creature. God is immortal and cannot die. But the Son has not only died but has been raised from the dead and now sits on the “right hand of majesty on high.” The lamb sits on the throne, but the Father is at the center and the Son is at the right hand. So the Son teaches us not to be anxious or to compete to be at the center: nothing else matters except God being at the center and on the throne!
I think we all know there is a glory which the Son has now which is not SIMPLY “the glory that I had in your presence before” (John 17:5). In John 13:31, we hear the Son say not only that God has been glorified in the Son of Man, but also that “the Son of Man has been glorified.” There is a glory for “having accomplished the work,” (John 17:4,5). Presumably the Son sat at “the right hand of the majesty” before the work, but the Son sits now at the right hand with the (additional?) JOY which is His because he endured the cross and despised the shame (Heb. 12:2).
Who is to condemn? it is Christ Jesus, who died, who was raised, who is at the right hand....(Romans 8:34)
Who is sufficient to write of these things? But when I try to stop, I don't.
Isaiah 53:10-12:
he shall see his offspring
and shall prolong his days
he shall see light
he shall find satisfaction...
I will allot him a portion with the great...In Philippians 2, when every tongue confesses that the Son is Lord, the Father will get the glory.
But I am reluctant to say that the Father will ever be "all in all" without the Son. The body of the Son (us! the ecclesia) is the "fullness of him who fills all in all" (Ephesians 1:23).
Permanent incarnation, permanent subordination: I will be glad to hear your reactions at the end of the week.
May we pray to the Son?
In what sense would we ever say that the Father submits to the Son?
The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus; (Acts 3:13)
When will we learn that our glory is the glory of another?
When will we learn the glory of "being lifted up" on a cross? (John 12:32)
Mark McCulley
mcculley@redrose.net
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5. Joe Terrell
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 on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (1:3)
The Son of God is the perfect Speaker for God, because He is God. Scientists have studied the sun with all manner of instruments and are able to give us an analysis of its chemistry, size, temperature, physics, etc., but nothing can reveal the sun to us with quite the same effect as the beams of light that come to us from the sun. They warm us, lighten our days, and are even capable of helping maintain a sense of happiness and well-being in us. In the same fashion, prophets and preachers through the ages have been able to tell us much about God in theological terms, but no one can reveal God to us with quite the effect of that One who is the "Brightness" or radiance or "beams of light" of God's glory.
God's revelation of Himself to us is not complete in the sense that there is nothing more to know about God. But, in the Son, God has revealed all we need to know as it relates to our relationship to Him. In Christ, my knowledge of God is immediate and experiential. I may read books about the sun and become expert in isolated facts about its structure and nature; but it is when I walk outside and its beams of light strike me and warm me that I come to truly "know the sun" and gain an appreciation for its existence and nature. In like fashion, I may read books about God (even the Bible) and become expert in the isolated facts and doctrines of God; but it is only when the Son of God, Himself, strikes me that I truly come to "know God" and gain an appreciation for Who and What He is. The Pharisees read the books; the sinners and publicans walked in the "Sonshine."
There is a lesson to be learned here: the knowledge of God is truly the knowledge of a Person, even the Lord Jesus Christ. The knowledge of God is not an intellectual exercise, but a personal one, a spiritual one. God may be known by the simple-minded as well as by the genius. By God's grace some children have been better experts in the Divine being than mighty theologians. I have often been humbled by the depth of the knowledge of God possessed by those my intellectual inferiors, but obviously my spiritual superiors, for their knowledge has come from walking in the light of Christ.
The Son is the express image of God's Person. In the law of the OC, there was a prohibition of making images for worship. This prohibition extended not only to making images of false gods but any attempt to make an image of the true God. Here we see why: God would make His Own image. The image of a thing is that part which we can see. Jesus Christ is that aspect of God we can see. Before this image we may, yea, MUST, fall down and worship as did Thomas and say, "My Lord, and my God!" All that I need to know of God is revealed in Christ. Yea more, all that is profitable for me to know of God is found in Christ. We cannot (dare not!) peer into the essence of God to sort out the relationship of His Persons, nor need we: that is a glory we cannot bear: none can see His face this way and live. Rather, we look at the Son, and worship God as we know and experience Him there.
Two aspects of Christ are next spoken, which show us the essential revelation of the glory of God in Christ. He upholds or sustains all things. This is the natural consequence of His having made all things and the very essence of His sovereignty. There is no glory apart from sovereignty! The one who learns God by the Prophetic office of the Son learns that God is the sovereign ruler and sustainer of all. Book learners may speak of the free-will of man, but those who learn God by walking in the Sonshine are are disabused of such nonsense.
Next, the writer speaks of Christ's Priestly work. For theological purposes we may divide the three mediatorial offices of Christ: Prophet, Priest and King. But we would do well to note that in describing the prophetic office of Christ, the writer mentions a priestly work! How wonderful to find that the great Revealer of God reveals God by a gracious, sin-removing sacrifice of Himself. How such a revelation works hope in the heart of one polluted with sin. How the soul is encouraged to venture itself on God when it sees this revelation of His nature. If "show me your glory," is answered by the Son of God making purification for sin, unbelief in His grace should melt away and vanish!
But this work is shown more glorious still, for it is not an ineffective work. He did not merely make purification possible, but actually "purged our sin." The success of His work is proven by, "he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High." And there He waits. Not in anxious worry and grief over the lack of success His work produces, but in utter calmness and rest, assured with Divine confidence that "all his enemies shall be made a footstool for His feet," and all His people shall "be made willing" and "shall be with Him that they may see His glory."
This is the Son's revelation of God: sovereignty and grace, two inseparable truths. As mere doctrines they kill; they puff up the mind with a self-satisfying sense of doctrinal mastery. But, when revealed in the sin-purging sacrifice of the Son of God, they become heart-melting truth. When Moses said, "show me your glory," God spoke of His sovereignty, justice and grace. But, in order that Moses might bear that revelation, God put Him in the cleft of the rock. That split rock is Christ and Him crucified. Our great Prophet speaks to us of unbearable truth by the sacrifice of Himself. In the broken body and shed blood of the Son of God, we may safely view the glory of God. We can see God's face and live.
Joe Terrell
terrell@rconnect.com
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6. John D. Romann
And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high; (1:3 NASB)
One place to start is to identify who is being referred to by the pronoun "He" as it is used throughout the verse. Below I have replaced nouns referring to God the Son with (Jesus Christ) and nouns referring to God the Father with (God the Father).
And (Jesus Christ) the radiance of (God the Father's) glory and the exact representation of (God the Father's) nature, and upholds all things by the word of (Jesus Christ's) power. When (Jesus Christ) had made purification of sins, (Jesus Christ) sat down at the right hand of (God the Father) on high;
Now some comments on the verse phrase by phrase; in some places I have commented myself, but mostly I have included related scriptures that are inspired commentary.
And He is the radiance of His glory (1:3a)
One can think of the Sun as it provides light and heat to the earth and it might give us a glimpse of the radiance being referred to here. As heat radiates out from a stove or radiator (in this case without the use of a fan), so God the Father radiates His glory toward us through His Son.
...the exact representation of His nature (1:3b)
...in whose case the God of this world had blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4)
...upholds all things by the word of His power (1:3c)
"And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." (Colossians 1:17)
When He had made purification of sins.... (1:3d)
This one phrase, "When he had made purification of sins," is the reason we cry out to Christ and must trust completely in Him. Christ has done what we cannot do. Christ has satisfied a righteous God and has made payment on our behalf (propitiation).
Romans 3:25,26,
Whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.Romans 5:8,
But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.Titus 2:14,
Who gave Himself for us, that HE MIGHT REDEEM US FROM EVERY LAWLESS DEED AND PURIFY FOR HIMSELF A PEOPLE FOR HIS OWN POSSESSION, zealous for good deeds.Hebrews 9:14,
How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?Hebrews 7:26-8:1,
For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever. Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
He sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high; (1:3e)
Hebrews 10:12,
but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God,Hebrews 12:2,
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.Mark 16:19,
So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.2 Peter 1:17,
For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, "This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased."It is good to know that Christ is at the father's right side. Are any of you are familiar with Kent Clark's "Acquitted in the High Court of Heaven," where Mr. Advocate refers to the Judge as "Father," and the Judge refers to Mr. Advocate as "my Son"? It is a wonderful thought to know that the one who represents us is an insider.
One more reference to Jesus at God the Father's right hand, but this time He is standing:
Acts 7:55-56,
{55} But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; {56} and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.I don't know if Christ stands up to receive each of his sheep, but He stood up to receive His servant Stephen.
John Romann
jdr@teleplex.net
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7. David Summerford
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 on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (1:3)
- WHO
We are reminded at first that we are in the midst of a discussion about the second member of the Godhead identified in verse two as "The Son." Verse two ended by enumerating the attributes of God mirrored in Jesus. This continues in verse three with a two fold view:
a) His heavenly attributes (brightness),
b) His earthly ministry (purging sin).
b1) The earthly view (nothing comely Is. 53) needs to be interspersed
with the heavenly, lest we forget his majesty.
- BEING THE BRIGHTNESS OF [HIS] GLORY
a) I am the Light of the World (I am= Jehovah).
b) At the mount of transfiguration his face shone as the sun
Matt. 17:2.
c) Rev. 1:14
- THE EXPRESS IMAGE OF GOD
What is God like? God is like the healing Jesus touching the blind eye and making it see. God is like the patient Jesus dealing with Peter. God is like the determined Jesus who must needs go through Samaria. God is like the tender Jesus calling the children to bless them. God is like the forgiving Christ crying out, "Neither do I condemn thee...go and sin no more."
What is God the invisible Spirit like? To find out investigate closely his express image.
- WHEN HE HAD BY HIMSELF PURGED OUR SINS HE SAT DOWN
a) The sitting did not occur until the purging...God is a God of order and his plan of salvation has an order to it as well.
b) Like David slaying Goliath, the work of redemption is a one man affair.
Let everyone who denies the sovereignty of God in salvation read and re-read this description. How much atoning for sin have I done?...none..Jesus paid it all.
c) There is strength in this word "purged." It suggests a grievous stain...not something easily white washed or covered over. Sin was not swept under a rug, it was purged from us completely (as far as east from west. Ps 103).
- SAT DOWN ON THE RIGHT HAND OF THE MAJESTY ON HIGH
a) A woeful scene was the night of betrayal. And on the night Jesus prayed for the Glory to be restored that he once had (John 17:1 &5). That prayer was answered.
b) Likewise facing death the voice came from heaven in assurance: "I have glorified it..I will glorify it" ( John 12:28).
c) The soldiers mocking called him a king, crowned him with thorns etc. God ensured that the title would remain over his head as he died. But then, O Glory! He ascends to where the proclamation is no mockery but a statement of adoration.
d) And..if your eschatology is as mine...one day soon it shall be fulfilled that the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of Lord and of his Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.
e) Like Stephen who saw the Lord standing beside this throne...we shall be glorified to enjoy him forever in the brightness of his glory (full circle).
AND UPHHOLDING ALL THINGS BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER
a) We are introduced to the word of power in Genesis 1 when God SAID, "Let there be light," and there was light. The message to the Hebrews is that Jesus shares in creation (Heb. 1:2) and also shares in this power of the word.
b) Jesus spoke to the tempest and it ceased.
c) Jesus rebuked the devils and they fled into the swine.
d) Never a man spake like this man.
e) Lazarus come forth.
f) Of utmost importance for our assurance; Jesus told the disciples in John 14... "Ye believe in God believe also in me...If it were not so I would have told you."David Summerford
davsum@g-net.net
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8. Maurice Bergeron
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 on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (1:3)
Who being the brightness of his glory. (1:3a)
This is quite a revelation when we consider how God declares in Isaiah that He will not give His glory to another. But our Lord is not just another. According to this word from God, Christ the son of God, is the brightness of HIS glory. A marvelous oneness!
To Him (Christ) is the honor of revealing God’s glory to all of creation. I am of the opinion that whenever God displayed, revealed or communicated something of His own character in any age, He has always worked through His Son. We know from scripture that no man has ever seen God;
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:18)
Some have assumed that it was God the Father who spoke to Adam in the garden, Moses on the mount, Isaiah in the temple, and Daniel in his dream, and the many others who were humbled by His presence. If no man has ever seen God, then how could God, who is everywhere, within and without of the creation, reveal Himself except through a mediator? The mediator being His Son. The writer of Hebrews did not reveal something new concerning God’s dealings with His creation, but rather something true ever since the beginning.
Thot:
It almost comes across to the reader that if there be no Christ then it follows that there would be no brightness to behold. You may ask, Was He then born out of necessity? No my friend. He is One. Who among us can understand these things?I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. (Isa 42:8)
And the express image of his person. (1:3b)
In Christ we have God. We see God revealed in Christ, and for those who have the privilege, they shall for all eternity be captivated by what is being revealed of God through His Christ. So He has said, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father."
One of the things concerning the person of Christ that has made me to sit and wonder is the fact that it was only the demons who immediately knew who the Annointed of God was while He tabernacled among men. Take for instance the following passage:
And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? (Mt. 8:29)
What does this say of man’s lost condition in comparison to the angels that sinned? They know Him when they see Him and there is still found no room for mercy. On the other hand, we, while in our lost condition, cannot see Him, yet he heals us of our blindness and then reveals Himself to us. You explain it! All of this makes me wonder how much did these rebel creatures see of God's glory in Jesus? They knew enough to know that this same Jesus would one day torment them.
And upholding all things by the word of his power. (1:3c)
He is no Savior if He is not the Creator. He cannot be one without the other. Think on this: All things were made by Him simply through the power of His spoken word. Sounds rather simple, but the truth is, it is mind boggling.
when he had by himself purged our sins, (1:3d)
Now if what we have considered just before be mind boggling, then consider the fact that not one of His elect have eternal life apart from the blood of Christ. He could create all things without the shedding of His blood but he could not purge us of our sins and make us into new creatures (a new creation) apart from His shed blood. The blood of God.
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. (Re 19:13)
Sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. (1:3e)
The right hand was always the place of honor. His seat there indicates his glory, and also that the work of redemption had been accomplished.
Thot:
In the blood of the Lamb
God’s glory we see.
And that...
for all Eternity.Maurice "Moe" Bergeron
ic@mdc.net
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9. Kevin Hartley
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 on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (1:3)
Commentary:
Where can one go to find a line straight enough to plumb the depths of the richness and glory of eternal Sonship? Consider the glorious facets of our Godhead demonstrated by the inconceivable and unapproachable truths that are contained in this one sentence of the first three verses of Hebrews chapter one. Where can one begin to measure such words? They contain glorious gems of the triune being, the eternal nature of the godhead, of the one essence and the three persons. They contain fascinating insights into the eternal plan of redemption; the creation, incarnation, atonement, and the ascension. They contain a wonderful portrait of the humanity and deity of the Christ. They speak of His sovereign kingship, His consummate prophetical office, and His excelling High Priesthood. Where should the plumb line fall? Should one come as the Patristic fathers, as Athanasius, as Chrysostom, to seek to prove His eternal being against Sebellius and Arius and the other apostates? Or is there another approach more plausible and necessary for us who read this book?
Is it possible that we could read these first three verses of Hebrews One and miss Christ? In a sense, this is what Calvin states in his cautious re-approach to this verse. It is possible, in our efforts or attempts to prove the eternal nature of His being, that we could altogether miss the Christ of this passage simply by getting bogged down in frivolous apologies and debates over words and terms to which faith alone assents. I can read Genesis 1 - 2 and miss Christ, by looking at the details of the creative order, wondering of the omissions of so-called scientific proof, and looking at God alone and not seeing Christ. I can plumb the depths of Colossians One, to prove the trinity and eternal nature of Christ and perhaps miss the entire glorious purpose of the author in showing us Christ. Could it be that in our zealous apologetics of the ages, though necessary and beneficial to the church, we have somehow missed our Christ in this passage?
I do not dare begin to expound the riches of Christ in this passage. But perhaps I can stir your affections for Christ a bit. A study of the words, the grammatical relationships of the words and clauses, should give one an overwhelming sense of inadequacy and leave him as a helpless and vile sinner trembling in the presence of a holy God. Shall we not then gaze with most judicious delight at the person of the Son?
He is the Son of the Father. Consider first then the mercy of the Father in giving the Son, His only begotten; the One to which He testified, "This is My beloved Son, hear Him." For the apostate readers of this letter in the first century, what a testimony to their ruthless hatred of God. For them to deny the Son was to deny the blessed mercy of the Father. Christ is not given in spite of the Israel, but He is given for the Israel of God. He is the promised hope of their every prophet, their every trial, their every promise, and our every thought. How woefully sobering it is, then, to think that He, whom they of old hoped for, they did despise. Consider then the even greater horror of an apostate. Consider the one who has tasted of the sweetness of the Father's external portrait of mercy; in hearing of the Son; in knowing truths of His glorious salvation; how repulsively vile he is to, with utmost disdain, cast Him aside for old relics and images of His person. Does this not cause us to tear our clothes and sit in wonder that the hardened heart of the unregenerate can, without the benefit of sovereign mercy, cast away a mediator and God for a golden calf?
The book of Hebrews carries with it the sobering thought of judgment. While we in Christ delight to gaze at Him and revel in the warmth of His light, what a sad and troubling book it is as we see the threats and warnings to the impenitent and obstinate. Should this book for the Christian be so easily handled? Should we approach it with a slack musing that does mistreat and malign the very Christ that we long to see? Oh dear Christian, read the words of this book, as though they are bitter sweet. Marvel and weep over the bitterness of unbelief of anyone who exalts anything or anyone to equate with the person of Christ, the Son of God. Handle Him with humility. Look to yourself and wonder, wonder where it is that you have equated the Son of God with your trifling rules and laws. Let us examine ourselves and see where it is that we have played the harlot with Moses, have dirtied our skirts in the broadening of our self-righteous phylacteries, and have cast Him aside for our religion.
But Christian, do not leave this verse without the joy of seeing Christ. When you hear of Him,
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 on the right hand of the Majesty on high,
do not so casually pass Him by to get to your theological proof text. Rather stop and gaze at the Lord. See Him as the gift of the Father to the elect, who can know Him, His Father, His Spirit. Let not your carelessness in glancing at the Son cause you to render forth tearful words as Philip, saying, "Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us." Should we pass by this verse with carelessness and hear Christ say,
Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
O look to Jesus, reader, and marvel.
Do you see the One who, by His very word, did more than just sustain the creative order by His word, but rather, by His word did sustain and maintain the promise of the Father to the Son of eternal redemption? He humbled Himself, the one who "considered it not robbery to be equal with God." He upheld the redemptive plan of the godhead in coming, in dying, in arising, in ascending, and in ruling. By His might; His rule; His mediatorial merits; His priestly sacrifice, and His eternal person, He, the Son, has glorified the Father, as the God who saves. Stop for a moment and consider who this Jesus is; He is the Son of God, God of very God, Man of very Man; He is our fullness of revelation; He is our majestic Sovereign One; He is the One who has purged us of our sins, who has cleansed us from all unrighteousness. Where else do your eyes dart reader but to Jesus alone? Be not as Dinah, whose gaze and wonder to look at another did bring Israel to disgrace. O look to Jesus and marvel that the Father sent His Son into the world to live and die for sinners such as us; that we might know Him; that we might gaze at Him, and that our joy might be full. In this verse is the gospel, Christ and Him crucified. In this verse is sovereign mercy.
In closing, let us not read Hebrews One and pass by Christ. Philip Hughes states,
To isolate the person of Christ from the work of Christ can only lead to distortion and error. That is why Athanasius and those who stood with him in the fourth century so clearly perceived that a false doctrine of Christ must inevitably result in a false doctrine of the work of Christ and consequently undermine the whole system of the gospel.1
To read Hebrews 1: 1 - 3 and not see the eternal, sovereign mercy of the Godhead in redemption, is to not see Christ. May our Lord give us eyes to see. May the sovereign Lord give us such a view of His glory in Christ our Lord. Amen.
Supplements:
1Philip Edgecumbe Hughes, A Commentary on the Epistle of
Hebrews, (Eerdmans: Grand rapids), 1977, p. 43.Kevin Hartley
kartleyk@erols.com
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10. Tim Clifton
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 on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (1:3)
Commentary:
If you had to describe someone to another, where would you begin? Here, the Spirit, through the author, will describe Messiah in such a way that the Hebrew Christian audience (as well as the rest of us) will know the answer to a common question, "Who exactly IS Messiah?" "...To whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?" will be US, in great part through this verse.
Who being the brightness of his glory... (1:3a)
This phrase links the old with the new in this way, "The LORD and the Lamb are one in the same!"
And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. (Isa. 60:3)
The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. (Isa 60:19)
And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. (Rev.21:22,23)
Again, the deity of Messiah is in sight, and shines forth gloriously!
and the express image of his person.. (1:3b)
"If you have seen me, you have seen the Father." What is God like, and how do we envision the relationship of Messiah to 'God'? God is a spirit and invisible, but Messiah here can be seen! When we see Him face to face, will we see two persons? Let me ask you if, when you see my own strong right arm, or hear my words, are you seeing and hearing me? Yes, but not in my totality. There is more to God than Messiah, but this makes Messiah no less God, and according to this verse, that part is the express image of His person. We SEE Jesus!
and upholding all things by the word of his power,... (1;3c)
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Col. 1:17)
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them. (1Sam 2:8)
"Upholding all things," and "by Him all things consist," to a student of creation is of immense interest! To my knowledge, it is a mystery what power holds the atom together and keeps the physical universe intact! Here we find it is by the word of His power! WOW! To not believe in miracles today is foolish based on the incredible miracle of God (the Son) actually keeping everything in order and together for His purposes. Thus our physical life and breath are His gifts in a general sense to all creation, and if He chooses to go further in a spiritual sense, the miracles just continue.
WOW!
when he had by himself purged our sins, ... (1:3d)
We have just beheld His glory and oneness with God, and now we see His suffering.
Two thoughts:
- The Jews were often confused, as are many of us, as to the exact nature of Messiah. In fact, some had, based on "opposing" Scriptures, speculated TWO Messiahs - a suffering one and a victorious one. Here, these first three verses in Hebrews, and especially v.3, tie the two concepts of Messiah together with this phrase. He suffered AND shines forever with the victorious glory of God.
- There is thus only one Messiah, if we had any doubts, and this one Messiah did it all by Himself! This thought is introduced here and carried further as we dismantle the former ways of the Hebrews in the book. In our world today, the thought will be no less important than it was to the first century Christians. We hear more and more of, 'we need Mary,' 'all roads lead to God,' 'you need Jesus plus ----,' etc. No my friends. There is only One Messiah and only one way to God, which is by and through Him alone, because 'by Himself He purged our sins.'
sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (1:3e)
The context here is 'positional'. This is THE place of honor to the Hebrew audience. It goes hand in hand with the pre-eminence of being 'firstborn' in Col. 1:18. And lastly it is 'permanent'!
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (Rev. 3:21)
Because Christ is God; because he suffered for us; because He is risen to His glorious position; because He will do it ALL, even the overcoming, we will sit with Him forever and ever and ever. Amen.
Tim Clifton
tclifton@hotmail.com
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