The Majesty of Christ

Hebrews 1:3

October 15, 2000

 

How would you have encouraged a group of believers facing persecution and trials? Would you tell them to "buck up," "put your best foot forward," "make the best of it," "try, try, again"? Though our study in this epistle will eventually take us to many strong exhortations, all of them are based upon the foundation the writer sets in these opening verses. If you want to press on in the Christian life in the face of the most difficult odds, then immerse your thoughts in Jesus Christ. See Jesus Christ for who he is and grapple with what he has accomplished. You will find yourself strengthened, directed, and nurtured.

 

Throughout the epistle this same message rings true. "We must pay closer attention to what we have heard" (2:1). "But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone" (2:9). "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession" (4:14). "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. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart" (12:2-3) [Italics added for emphasis]. In every case of motivation, exhortation, and instruction, these believers are first given a clear view of Jesus Christ in his person and work, then the exhortation is set forth.

 

One of the major issues facing the church today is a growing lack of understanding who Jesus Christ is. Instead there is a clamoring for an array of applications detached from the foundation in Jesus Christ. Such an error can lead to legalism, deception, and frustration with Christianity. In addition to this there are novel ideas being passed along concerning Christ: ideas that have no foundation in the Scripture. The 4th century church father, Athanasius, taught that a false doctrine concerning the person of Christ would inevitably lead to a false doctrine concerning the work of Christ. An improper understanding and view of Christ's person and work undermines the entire system of the gospel. Spiritual growth and Christian discipleship has its basis in a proper view of Christ. Eric Alexander has stated, "True worship derives from a proper view of God's glorious atoning grace in Christ. The more superficial we are in dealing with this the more superficial our worship." Everything goes back to our view of Jesus Christ!

 

Do you see Jesus Christ as he is revealed in Scripture? Does this revelation shape your thinking, order your Christianity, and anchor your resolve as a Christian? Consider with me the majesty of Christ.

 

I. The majesty of Christ's person

 

The writer has already declared that God has spoken to us ultimately and with finality in Jesus Christ. There is no further revelation beyond Christ. Because he is Son with all of the nature of God, heir of all things visible and invisible, and the Creator of the world, there is no need for additional revelation. Now the writer adds to this truth by setting forth Jesus Christ in the wonder of his majesty. His focus is on the person of Christ. We distinguish for purposes of study between the person and work of Christ. Attention to his person helps us to grasp something of his personality, nature, attributes, and character. To have no concept of his person is to make the work of Christ seem overplayed or inconsequential. Focusing upon his work helps us to see God's redemptive actions through Christ. To give attention to his person without thinking on his work is to merely delve into theological speculation that has no ultimate purpose. But the text does both. In the loftiest of terms he sets forth the wonder of who Jesus is, then in simplicity explains what he has done redemptively to the glory of his great name and for our eternal benefit.

 

1. In his glory

 

How would you describe Jesus Christ? "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." That is considerably different that identifying the color of his skin or hair and shape of his face. He has already set Christ forth as Creator and heir of all things. Now the writer uses a participial form of the verb "to be" (eimi) to demonstrate the absolute and timeless existence of Jesus Christ. Here are things by which you can always describe him.

 

"Radiance" translates a word that means either in its active sense "to emit brightness" as the brightness exists in the object or in the passive sense "to radiate" as the rays of the sun shine forth. Some translate this as "reflection" but that does not convey the idea set forth. Marvin Vincent states, "The Son is the outraying of the divine glory, exhibiting in himself the glory and majesty of the divine Being" [Vincent's Word Studies, IV, 382]. By this he does not mean that Jesus Christ has no glory of his own so that he must act as a mirror to reflect a greater glory outside of his own being. Instead, the radiance of divine glory resides in Jesus Christ and the outraying, as Vincent calls it, exhibits the reality that he is God. He is not simply a "ray" shining forth from God, but not God himself. Rather the radiance of God is evident in Jesus Christ.

 

The word "glory" might help us to understand this. "Glory" is a term used in both Old and New Testaments. It refers to the brilliant radiancy from the person of God. "Glory is the expression of the divine attributes collectively. It is the unfolded fullness of the divine perfections" [Vincent]. When Jesus walked among his disciples his glory was in a sense contained. But on that occasion of his Transfiguration the glory of Jesus Christ was "unfolded." The word used to describe, "transfigured" is the root for our term metamorphosis. When a caterpillar metamorphosizes into a butterfly then what is true of the caterpillar in nature becomes evident in reality. The caterpillar has the nature of butterfly. The process of metamorphosis makes this evident. Jesus was transfigured or metamorphosized before the disciples; what was true of him in nature and being became evident in their sight. Glory, in this case, is the outshining radiance of the divine character.

 

This is another way of saying that Jesus is God. Our text became pivotal in the battle against heretical views concerning Christ in the early centuries. Athanasius wrote, "Who does not see that the brightness cannot be separated from the light, but that it is by nature proper to it and co-existent with it, and is not produced after it?" (Philip Hughes, The Epistle to the Hebrews, 42). What he affirmed through this text was that by declaring Christ to be "the radiance of His glory" the writer was stating that Jesus Christ is by nature God, that he exists co-equally with the Father. The glory of the Father is the glory of the Son for they exist together as one God.

 

The psalmist declares, "The heavens are telling of the glory of God" (Psa. 19:1). By this he insists that to see the wonder of creation is to begin to grasp something of the majesty of the God who created it. But the writer of Hebrews goes farther. "And He is the radiance of His glory." The heavens "tell" the glory of God, but Jesus Christ is the glory of God. We gaze upon the hidden transcendence of God in the fullness of his being by seeing Jesus Christ.

 

2. In his nature

 

But while the radiance of God's glory is Jesus Christ, there is a distinction between Jesus Christ and the Father and Spirit. "He is...the exact representation of His nature." The term used for "exact representation" means an impression or stamp. It was the impression made by a die upon a piece of metal or a seal in hot wax. It means that when you see the impress made by the die or seal then you see visibly the exact representation of the die or seal. "The Son leaves the exact impress of the divine nature and character" [Vincent 383].

 

The word "representation" might throw us off track, as though it means something less than the original. But the writer is demonstrating the distinctness of the Son in his person compared with the Father. This is where our minds begin to boggle! The Father is God. The Son is God. The Holy Spirit is God. Three equals One in this sense. This one God is revealed to us in three distinct persons. John gives this same truth in the prologue to his Gospel. "The Word (Logos) was God" is an equivalent to "He is the radiance of His glory," i.e., "Very God of Very God." But John also wrote, "The Word was with God," showing the distinction in the persons of the Father and Son existing as distinct persons with distinct responsibilities in the Godhead. How else can we explain, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us"? Or how can we explain that Jesus' death satisfied or propitiated God if there is no distinction in the persons of the Godhead?

 

There is another problem that is resolved by this statement. If Jesus is less than God-so that the implication in "exact representation" implies something less than God-then we would commit idolatry to worship or obey him. The entire epistle is extolling the greatness and majesty of Jesus Christ above all other beings, people, and institutions. As such he is worthy of our worship, obedience, and trust.

 

"He is the exact representation of His nature." "Nature" translates a term that means "something which stands underneath" or "foundation." He refers to the real nature of God that underlies the person who was born of Mary and walked the shores of Galilee, eventually dying on the hill of Golgotha and then rising from the dead. So when we speak of the Father and the Son we are not referring to different natures or substance as though the Son is inferior to the Father in his divine nature. This was what the 4th century monk Arius insisted on and that eventually led to some of the great creeds of the Church to counteract his heresy. Arius could not agree that Jesus had both the nature of God and the nature of man in one person. The trouble he created actually helped the Church to work through the difficult doctrine of the Trinity.

 

Here were troubled believers, embattled with Jewish religious pressures on one hand and the threat of Neronian persecution on the other. And the one who was writing to help them plunges headlong into the depths of theology. What comfort and help is this? When we begin to look away from the things pulling us in a hundred different directions and gaze upon Jesus Christ, we find the perspective of our world coming together. We realize that the One who is the visible, glorious manifestation of the attributes of God and who is distinctly God in nature, yet also distinctly man, we are encouraged as we ponder that he died for us. And he continually lives to make intercession for us (7:25). But where does all of this come together? The next statement shows us.

 

3. In his power

 

Jesus Christ "upholds all things by the word of His power." The other statements speak of what Jesus is in his nature as God, both in his pre-existence and in his incarnation. But now he speaks of the constant action of Jesus Christ in light of what seems to be the unraveling world about us. He "upholds all things by the word of His power."

 

We might have a mental image of Atlas bearing the world on his shoulders as we hear this statement. But that does not convey the meaning of the word. It is not a static bearing of the world as though it is some gigantic burden he bears. But it is a word describing the dynamic of God the Son in relation to all things. There is "movement" in this term-a movement that helps us to understand that he is carrying all things forward on their providential course. "It is concerned, not only with sustaining the weight of the universe, but also with maintaining its coherence and carrying on its development" [Vincent 383]. He is both Creator ("through whom He made the world") and administrator of his creation.

 

When we begin to fret about how life will turn out for us, let us think again about how our Lord and Redeemer "upholds all things by the word of His power." Nothing passes out of his oversight and direction. He has no alarm system in heaven for emergencies or surprises, for there are none with him. No plunging stock market or troubled Middle East threatens his administration or encumbers it in the least. He is still moving everything forward to accomplish his good providence. This means that in spite of how we might be viewing our circumstances and difficulties, we are to take comfort and find strength in knowing that Jesus Christ is sustaining everything about us by his own powerful will.

 

How does the Son accomplish such a mighty feat of administrating all creation? Does he have a bag of tricks or skillful tools he rumbles through to find just the right one to pry the direction of the world according to his course? "He...upholds all things by the word of His power." Jesus Christ speaks; the world responds! Later the same writer tells us, "By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible" (11:3). The same word for "word" is used in both passages. It refers to "the expression of his will" and is "essentially a dynamic word; that is to say, it is always and inevitably a word which effects its intended purpose" [P. Hughes 46]. He who creates and "upholds all things by the word of His power" can bring you through the severest tests of life.

 

II. The effectiveness of Christ's work

 

Coupled with his person is the work of Christ. His person qualifies him for his work. For how could he be adequate for his redemptive work if he was less than God? And how could he represent humanity if he was not man? I have found great help in the way that James P. Boyce, our early Southern Baptist leader, expressed it:

This one person was, therefore, able to suffer and bear the penalty of man's transgression, because, being of man's nature, he could become man's representative, and could also endure such suffering as could be inflicted upon man; yet, being God, he could give a value to such suffering, which would make it an equivalent, not to one man's penalty, but to that of the whole race [Abstract of Systematic Theology 291].

The Hebrews' author moves from the majesty of Christ in his person to the effectiveness of Christ in his work.

 

1. In his accomplishment

 

What did the work of Jesus Christ accomplish? Some suggest that Jesus really came to give us an example of service and piety; and that in following such an example we find life. But our text tells us differently: "When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." The incarnation is assumed in this statement, as well as the mission of Jesus Christ. "When He had made purification," demonstrates that he came to earth for a specific purpose: "You know that He appeared in order to take away sins" (I John 3:5). He was doing something specific: "Father...I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do" (John 17:1, 4). Jesus Christ came to earth according to the purpose of the Father with reference to dealing with sin and the fall. It was a work of restoring what had been lost in the fall. It was a work of redemption, delivering sinful men from the eternal bondage of sin. It was a work of reconciliation so that the enmity between God and man has been removed in Christ and a new relationship is established, so that believers are called "the household of God" (Eph. 2:19).

 

But for all these things to happen Jesus Christ, out of the richness of God's mercy, had to make purification of sins. "Purification" is a common, rather simple term as opposed to those words that carry more of a ceremonial flare. It just means that he cleanses or purifies from sin. And how did he do this? At the cross he became the final, ultimate sacrifice before God to bear our guilt and shame. Just as the high priest would offer the blood upon the mercy seat to propitiate or satisfy God's justice and therefore remove the guilt of sin, Christ offered himself "once for all" as satisfaction before God.

 

The use of the middle voice in "When He had made" suggests two things. One is that Christ himself made the purification of sins. It is not Christ plus something we do or the church does for us or what baptism might do for us. It is Christ alone! The tense of the verb shows that his action is completed and there is nothing more that can be added to what he has done. But a second idea conveyed in the middle voice is that it is done with reference to the benefit and satisfaction of the person doing the action. In other words, while the purifying work of Jesus Christ benefits us, it also redounds to his glory. That is why Paul is so adamant in the whole work of redemption that it is "to the praise of His glory" (Eph. 1:6, 12, 14).

 

The troubles we face as believers are all temporal. They have a terminus even when it is hard for us to see the termination point. But forgiveness of sins is eternal. Our writer is urging us to go beyond the temporal and gaze upon what Jesus Christ has done for us. He has already made purification for sins. We are to rest in that purification, glory in His work, find motivation for faithfulness and holiness, and enjoy the journey to the celestial city because we know that we are forgiven.

 

2. In his completion

 

I've already pointed out that the verb tense points to a completion of this work of purification of sins. But there is yet another statement that arrests our attention and strengthens us in the battle of this life: "when He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." The scene that would come to the remembrance of the Jewish-oriented audience would be that of priests scurrying around in the temple, carrying out their duties. Priests would go through the ritual baths, put on their holy garments, offer bloody sacrifices, and sprinkle atoning blood upon the mercy seat. But they never sat down. Their work was never finished. Once they completed their assignment on the Day of Atonement, they prepared for the next year. But Jesus Christ sat down. His work is finished.

 

The language points to "a solemn, format act; the assumption of a position of dignity and authority," according to Vincent [384]. It stands in contrast to the Levitical priests who were never through. Jesus cried out from the cross: "It is finished!" And that statement is echoed in our text. We get the idea that he is taking us through the pre-existence of Christ in eternity, the incarnation, his death and resurrection, and now his ascension and exaltation. At the right hand of authority, Jesus Christ has been seated as one who has finished the work the Father sent him to do. Hughes comments, "This is the seal of the divine acceptance of his work of purification, for he now is received back to the height from which he descended for our redemption. He who humbled himself for our sakes is now supremely honored" [P. Hughes 47].

 

It is this Christ who "sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high" that you know as your Redeemer and Lord. It is this Christ, fully God yet distinct in person from the Father, who has finished the work of reconciling you to God. It is this Christ, who sits at the Father's right hand in the place of authority, that "upholds all things by the word of His power," that you can trust as you face even the great trials of life.

 

Conclusion

 

Look to Jesus Christ. That was the message that Spurgeon heard that brought him to faith in Christ. But it is also the message we need to hear to sustain us as believers in the pilgrimage of this life. Look to Christ as he is revealed in Scripture. Do not create your own version of God the Son, but look to him. See him in the majesty of his person and the effectiveness of his work as your Redeemer and Lord.

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