Christ's Supremacy

The men with whom I meet on Tuesday mornings have chosen to study Hebrews.  So for the last couple of week in addition to Jeremiah, I have been working through Hebrews.

I am still in the early stages of the study – note that this is not the first time I have studied this book, but I do not look at the earlier studies until I have worked through the book again.  I am testing some possible structure for the book and some possible key verses.

Hebrews 1:3 may be the key to the book.  Read through that.  One thing I do know about Hebrews is that it is about “better.”  Do a search for that word in Hebrews at Bible gateway and you will see what I mean.

Chapter one shows Christ as better than the angels.  But look at what Hebrews 1:3 says about Him, He is:

• The radiance of God’s glory
• The exact representation of His nature
• The one who upholds all things by His word.
• The writer says that He sat down.

There is a lot here but I want to point out two things.  First, the word that is translated “exact representation,” is charakter (that is not misspelled it is Anglicized Greek).  It is the Greek root for our English word character.  In the original it is the tool that is used to make an impression of something.  Like part of typesetting.  It is interesting that we use that now to describe moral qualities.  Christ exactly represents the Father.

Secondly, the text says, “He sat down.”  This is the first of four references to Christ sitting down, Hebrews 1:13, 10:12; 12:2, are the others.  The point is that Christ’s work is finished.  In contrast to the priests of the old covenant who stood daily to offer sacrifice, Christ’s sacrifice is complete.  There is no need for Him to stand any longer.  His work is complete and in Colossians 2:9 – 10, we are told that His work completed us.

That is an overwhelming picture of His supreme sufficiency.