This morning we are taking our first look at the book of Hebrews. We are splitting up Sunday mornings into two series, one on Hebrews, the other on the book of Romans—which we’ll get to in mid-July.
When you think about Jesus, how do you picture him? Given recent holidays, perhaps your first thought is the baby in a manger, or maybe your church has a cross on the front of the building, so you’re thinking about the passion of Christ.
The author of Hebrews introduces us to Jesus like so:
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature,
and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.— Hebrews 1:3
I find it fascinating that even though none of us have seen him as people did two millennia ago, so many people still view him through the lens of Isaiah 53:2b, which says “he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.” That’s not wrong, and in so many ways it is important for us to press on that fact. That’s not the whole picture though. Three men got to see the whole picture one day while Jesus walked the earth. In Mark 9:2-3 we read:
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.
Throughout the book of Hebrews, the author weaves together these various threads of who Jesus is, what he did, does, and will do, and finally what that all means for us.
The infant, the boy in the temple, the one turned water into wine, who raised paralytics and sinners, and the one who holds the universe together. As Graham Kendrick once sung, “This is our God, the servant, he calls us to honour him.”
He is so deserving of our honour. I have just one point this morning. Holy, holy, holy, is our God. He is high above all things, and yet came down to place himself lower than the angels.
Let’s pray.
Praying through the Bible
Lord God,
O that I might see your radiance.
Glory be to God in the highest.
You uphold the universe.
You uphold the universe.
How great must the word of your power be?
Yet, you, the radiance of the glory of God,
Came down to make yourself known to us,
That we might know you.
And that you might die in our place.
After this, having made us pure.
Making me, a sinner, pure,
You sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
It is finished,
It is finished,
It is finished.
Amen
Today’s Readings
Whether you’re ready to sit and read these now, or you think later might be a better fit, I recommend looking through your plan for the day now. If you follow this Bible reading plan, you’ll finish the whole Bible by the end of the year. We’re starting this morning with just 26 verses, across four chapters of the Bible. When will you sit down to read or listen to them?
Hebrews 1
Psalm 9
Psalm 10
Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah; Eber, Peleg, Reu; Serug, Nahor, Terah;
Abram, that is, Abraham.
1 Chronicles 1:24-271
Recommended Media to Start Your Day
I just have one recommendation for you today, if you like this devotional, I highly recommend checking out the person who inspired it, Charles Spurgeon.
releases a weekly quote or portion of writing from the “Prince of preachers”, ordinarily on a Saturday, and those short quote always contain so much gold. I highly recommend you go and check that out today.
1-2 Chronicles are two of the most overlooked books of the Bible, despite covering great swathes of history, and God’s faithfulness throughout. Each day I’ll share a short portion of these books, so by the end of the year, you’ll have read through them in their entirety.
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