Hebrews 1:1-14

Hebrews is about the person of Christ - His deity, humanity, supremacy, priesthood, sacrifice, and glory. The book contains more than 20 names and titles for Jesus, with the most common being Son and “priest.”

1:1 | God spoke at various times - to Adam, to Noah, to Abrahm, to Moses, and to the prophets - and in various ways, from thunder and lightning to the voice of a trumpet; in a still, small voice or in visions and dreams; in human form and angelic visitations; through foreshadowing and parable and more.

1:2-3 | All prior revelation pointed to God’s final revelation in Jesus. By His Son, God the Father provided the perfect vehicle of expression: He translated deity into humanity, and this revelation was absolute, infallible, and authoritative (John 1:14). The world in its entirety was given to Christ as the heir of all things (Ps. 2:8). As executor of the divine will, one day He will return to enforce its every clause.

1:2 | God committed the actual work of creation to Jesue (11:3; John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-16). Worlds can also be translated “ages,” which points to Christ as the Creator of time as well as the physical aspects of creation.

1:3-4 | God’s very nature - His glory and the express image - is revealed perfectly in Jesus, because Jesus is God (John 1;18; 14:9; 2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:15-19; 1 Tim. 3:16). The Son - who existed before time, was at the beginning of time, and will be at the end of time - is the One who upholds all things by the word of His power and thereby controls history (Col. 1:17).

1:3 | The right hand suggests a place of authority and power.

1:4-14 | The Jews believed angels were the highest beings next to God.

1:4 | In Bible times, a person’s name was the outward expression of who they were, encompassing not only a person’s proper name but his or her identity - including rank, authority, fame, and character (Acts 4:12; Eph. 1:20; Phil. 2:9-10). The more excellent name Jesus inherits is “Son” - He is the eternal Son of God.

1:5 | While Scripture sometimes refers to angels as “the sons of God” (Gen. 6:1-2; Job 1:6), nowhere does God say of angels, You are My Son, today I have begotten You (Ps. 2:7). Only to Jesus does the Father speak in such personal, familial terms (2 Sam. 7:14; Matt. 3:17; Luke 1:35; Acts 13:33).

1:6 | The title firstborn does not mean that Jesus was created but refers to His exalted status and authority as the Ruler of all creation (Ps. 89:27).

1:7 | This quotation from Psalm 104:4 further reflects Christ’s superiority over the angels. They are but His ministers.

1:8 | When God the Father refers to Jesus as the eternal God in this quote (Ps. 45:6-7), it is one of the Bible’s most irrefutable proofs of the deity of Christ.

1:14 | Although angels are not superior or equal to Jesus, they occupy an important role in the lives of believers today as ministering spirits (Ps. 34:7; 91:11-12; 103:20).