V HEBREWS 1:1-3

                         PORTRAITS OF CHRIST PART 2

 

INTRODUCTION: Studying book Hebrews - 2nd week of study Portraits of Christ!     Read v.1-3 Pray

A.)    One of things intrigues me about ABSTRACT ART  is it's subjective - up to interpretation:  Creative ? or just bad ?

     1.)     Person talented ? or just fortunate that some people enjoy that stuff

 

B.)    Take William Green 23, a student of Royal College Art:  he       revealed his painting technique

     1.)     large fresh white canvas on floor - then does following in order:

          a.) pour paint and a tint of printer ink on canvas

          b.) jump up down on paint, dance, skip

c.)  ride bicycle over paint on canvas - skidding to                                  

     scatter paint (later use bike to spread paint further)

          d.) soak the canvas in paraffin

          e.) shovel sand on painting to give added texture

 

C.)    His paintings sell for over  $300.00

 

 

Contrast that by guy who hobby miniature works of art: he once painted painting - winter landscape 1 - 65th of square in area

A.)    Brush consisted of single human hair - magnifying glass to see it!

 

 

God is also a Painter But  when God paints does it with words - and when He revealed masterpiece - wasn't abstract or miniature!

A.)    God the Father was revealing to any all that desired to know      Him - the Way was in His Son!   Last days spoken in thru His Son

 

B.)  Now you recall the purpose of this letter – Writing to discouraged JEWISH believers - / thinking of going back into Judaism – CONTRAST

  1) Before He does that – PORTRAITS OF CHRIST

C) In these 3 verses the writer of Hebrews gives us these - descriptive    snap shots of that reveal 7 things about Jesus  Looked at 3 last week ! 

     1.)     His Possession - Heir of all things

     2.)     His Creatorship - created the world

     3.) His Administration - upholds all things by word of power

 

D) REMAINING 4 TODAY !!!  

     4.) His Radiance - Brightness of His glory

     5.)     His Being - express image of His person

     6.)     His Sacrifice - He by Himself purged our sins

     7.)     His Exaltation - He sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high!

 

C.)4 Portraits reveal His Glory, character, His work, His reigning & rest!

 

Begin w/ His Radiance – Brightness of God’s Glory

A)Brightness means "the outshining"; or "the RADIANCE "

 

B)No man has ever seen God/ The Lord told Moses No man can see me & live

1)     Moses was allowed to see the Backside of God – passed by – part of God’s glory – Left His face shinning for days

 

C) The Sun out in space gives us a good illustration of this.

1)   We could never know the glory of the sun by looking at it because we can't look at it directly -- it would blind us if we tried.

 

D) But we see it’s Brightness / it’s outshining - from the rays of the sun we get light and we get heat, even healing from it.

1)   That is the way we know about the sun.

 

Now in somewhat the same way we would know very little about God apart from the revelation that God has given in His Son.

A)The Lord Jesus Christ is the brightness we see. No one has seen God, but we know about Him now through Jesus Christ.

 

B) Just as the rays of the sun with their warmth and light tell me about the physical sun, so the Lord Jesus reveals God to us today.

 

C) Now some Bibles translate Brightness as REFLECTION – not accurate.   

1)   There is a vast difference between Radiance & reflection – as different

    as the functions of our sun & moon .

 

D)The moon reflects light where as the sun radiates light. Because it is it’s source .

1)   Jesus does not simply reflect God’s light & Glory He is a part of it .

He is the Brightness of His Glory !!!!

 

Speaking of brightness:  "Police in Charles City, VA barely broke a sweat in nighttime apprehension of a drug dealer

A)Reason: Wearing L.A. Gear's battery powered       sneakers that flash red lights when the heel hits ground

 

B.)Deputy Sheriff: "Everytime he took a step we knew exactly where he was!"

 

Guess what? Every time Jesus took a step - man could know - where God was! 

A.)  John wrote John 1:14 - "We beheld His glory, the only      begotten of the Father full of grace and truth"

 

B) The word "full" means that you just could not have any more.

1)       When John looked at Jesus he saw a normal man – on the outside - / No Halo / didn’t glow – Judas / No booming voice /

 

C) He wasn’t the Best Looking – had no special beauty or form to make us notice him;

     1)John saw a normal guy on the OUTSIDE

 

D) But what caught John's attention was the glory that he saw inside. That is what he says was remarkable. / Attraction

Have you ever walked around a campground at night & seen lights inside the tents glowing in the darkness shinning thru the fabric?

A)That is descriptive of what John saw when he saw Jesus: he saw a glory inside. 

 

B) He saw it in the very ways that Jesus conducted Himself – John says here  how it was manifested – Full of Grace & Truth !!!!

 

C) Grace = God’s undeserved Favor – Those who deserved Judgment Jesus gave Blessing / offered forgiveness

1)   grace is "the generosity of love." Grace is love giving itself.

 

Truth is the manifestation of reality, the unveiling of what is actually there

A) It is the stripping off of all the illusions, veils, shams, phoniness, the facades, and getting down to what is actually there.

 

B) It is RIGHTEOUSNESS & RIGHTNESS PERSONIFIED

   1) All that is Right Just / true / Perfect – was seen in Jesus

 

C) Jesus was full of both grace and truth. He was the ultimate revelation of RIGHTNESS & REALNESS 

1)      And he is the fullest expression of love giving itself, pouring out, reaching out to others.

 

Great Example Woman caught in Adultery –   Law of Moses said …..

 A)That was the truth: Jesus  sees thru the set up !!! Grace steps in – He who is w/out sin let Him throw the first stone  -  All stood still

 

B) Writes in the Sand – all leave …….  Now the woman is at the feet of the only man left Jesus who was w/out Sin who could have STONED HER –   

1)   Instead Grace is displayed – Niether do I ….you Go & sin ….more

 

C) That is the glory that John saw in Jesus over & over again !!!!

      1) 1st His RADIANCE -  The Brightness of His Glory

2nd His Being: Express image of His person:

A) Phrase used describe Exact representation / it was  used in the  Greek Lang. for the   impression made by a dye or stamp on a seal

 

B.) The design on the die was reproduced on the wax. Jesus Christ is the reproduction of God.   AFFIRMATION OF HIS DEITY

1)   Christ not only was God manifested, He was God in substance.

         He is the perfect, personal imprint of God in time and space.

 

C) Col 1:15 - He is the image of invisible God!  

1)     When Paul uses this word, he lays it down that Jesus is the perfect manifestation of God.

 

D) He perfectly represents God to men in a form which they can see and know and understand. 

 1)Nature: reveals God’s power; creativity / the fact God exist - but of His

   Character, His  love; His person /  Heart- sent Christ/ Spoken thru Christ

 

E) Col 2:9 - All the fullness of God dwelt in Him in bodily form!

     1.)     There we have mystery: Jesus fully God; fully man

 

The story is told of a prince and his family who were captured by an enemy king.  When brought before the enemy king, the prince was asked, by the enemy king "What will you give me if I release you?"

"Half of my wealth," was the prince's reply.

"And if I release your children?"  "Everything I possess."

  "And if I release your wife?"/   the prince said "Your Majesty, for her I would give myself,".

 

The king was so moved by the prince's devotion to his family that he freed them all.  As they returned home, the prince said to his wife, "Wasn't the king a handsome man!" With a look of deep love for her husband, she said to him, "I didn't notice.  I could keep my eyes only on the one who was willing to give himself for my sake."

God’s Purpose in sending Jesus – Express image of His person – Revealing His God’s Character – So we would fall in Love w/ Him !!

Brings us to next portrait - HIS SACRIFICE; He by Himself purged our sins!

A.) Purge = to make clean / to thoroughly cleanse

 

B) There we were – Sinners – filthy disease / Pigs in the Mud – Blackened 1) Jesus goes to the Cross blood – Cleansed

 

C) BY HIMSELF  – No help from us / or anyone else – He went to the Cross ALONE to deal w/ our sin !!!!!!

1)   Sins are Wiped away = PURGE

 

Longfellow - worthless sheet of paper, write a poem - make it worth $6,000 - that's genius.

Trump  sign his name piece of paper make it worth a million dollars - that capital.

Uncle Sam can take gold, stamp an eagle on it, $20.00 that's money.

Artist can take a 50 cent piece of canvas, paint a picture on it worth $1,000 - that's art.

God can take a worthless, sinful life, wash it in the blood of Christ, put His Spirit in it, and make it a blessing to humanity - that's salvation.

 

D) After the Cross / Buried in a grave / 3 Days Rez. – 40 days seen by Many

  Then He ascended – rightful Place at the right hand of the Father

 

Leads to next portrait - - Consider HIS EXALTATION:  He sat down at the right hand majesty on High

A.)    Jesus sitting down right hand father - signifies 3 things. 

 

B) First: Sign of honor. President seat in the Whitehouse / oval office

1)   Senator seat in the Senate / Congressman …. In the House of ….

        Judge on the Supreme Court/

 

C) Those are all seats of Honor – Person is elected to/ Selected for !!!

1)  Jesus talked about Right hand of the host – seat of honor – don’t try to sit there – Host move you – let him put you there .

D) God the Father has put His Son Place of Honor One day world recognize Phil 2:11 - "Every Knee bow ……. tongue confess Jesus..- King of …Lord…

 

 

Question  - do we honor Him in our lives, homes, and church? How ?   

A) We Honor Jesus – thru worship :

 

Psa. 66: 2 Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious.

3   Say to HIM “How awesome are Your works!

 

B)Now those seat of Honor – Bring w/ them a certain degree of Privacy

    1) I couldn’t just walk into the Whitehouse – George do lunch

 

C) But here is the Amazing thing – Jesus sits in the place of the Highest Honor & because of Him I have Access there whenever

1)   Sit at His feet - exalt Him/ Honor Him in worship

 

One Reason we were created - worship -

Tozer Where there is not worship there is discord from the broken strings.  

 

A) In other words - When life is filled with worship - harmony - fulfilling purpose but if not discord - life missing key element

 

B) Not into worship – singing/  lifting hands - weird - same people –

     Charger  game - yelling, jumping out seat!

 

C) Worship normal response - grateful child"

 

Life ought not merely to contain acts of worship; it should be an act         of worship. John Blanchard

 

D)Living worship takes place when allows our lives to be governed by King of Kings!

 

 

We Honor Him w/ our Possessions & our  giving :

Prov.3:9  Honor the LORD with your possessions,

     And with the firstfruits of all your increase;

 

A)Lord take this car / use it for your glory – bring people church

    Home place where your name exalted / people over

 

B) Giving to God’s work – First fruits – He is honored by that !!

 

C) Isa. 29: 13 Honor God w/ our Speech – Respectful to His name

    1) gracious words

 

Brings us to second aspect - Sitting down - sign of authority

A.)    All things subject to Him! He sat down as a ruler

     1.)     Savior vs. Lord- Submitted to His Authority in our lives

         

B) Is He the head of OUR CHURCH ?  Why give such a strong place to the study of His word.  – Guidebook – walk in DOERS NOT HEARERS

 

C) Is He the Head in our Homes / Is He the Head of our lives

 

The captain on the bridge of a large naval vessel saw a light ahead on a collision course.  He signaled, "Alter your course ten degrees south." The reply came back, "Alter your course ten degrees north."

The captain then signaled, "Alter your course ten degrees south.  I am a captain." The reply:  "Alter your course 10 degrees north.  I am a seaman third-class."

   The furious captain signaled, "Alter your course ten degrees south.  I am a battleship."  The reply:  "Alter your course ten degrees north.  I am a lighthouse.

 

Life can be so much more peaceful just listened to Him!

 

 

 

Third aspect - He sat down to rest.Work was Finished!

A) This is in great contrast to the priestly procedure under the Old Covenant. There were no seats in the Tabernacle or the Temple sanctuaries.

 

B) The priest had no place to sit because his work was never Done !!

 

C) His responsibility was to sacrifice, sacrifice, sacrifice, over and over again. So the priests offered sacrifices daily-and never sat down./ No Rest 

 

D) But Jesus offered one sacrifice, and said, “It is finished.” He then went and sat down with the Father. It was done.

  1) What could not be accomplished under the Old Covenant, even after centuries of sacrifices, was accomplished once & for all  by Jesus Christ

 

E) Romans 8:34 Seated – make intercession for us

 

Now here is beauty of it - Because He is at rest, I can be at rest in Him!

A.)    Heb 4 - "Encouraged to be diligent to enter that rest"

 

B) Listen - JESUS is not stressed out!  Good to know? He is not freaking out - He is at rest!  Because He is at rest I can Rest – what that mean ?

 

C.)    Nothing I do improves my standing - my standing is perfect!  All because of what He did - I am in Him!

1)   Means I don't have to feel like read more; pray frequently; praise fervently; witness more faithfully –to be in better Stand w/ God.

 

D) No I do those things out of a Response to what He has done for me & a DESIRE to Know Him More !!!!!

 

Here we have God’s portrait of Jesus Christ. We have seen the preeminent Christ in all His offices.

A.)    Seen Him as Prophet - the final spokesman for God

B.)    Seen Him as Priest - Atoning and interceding

C.)    Seek Him as King - controlling sustaining and seated on throne

What does this mean to us? It means everything. To reject Him is to be shut out from His presence into an eternal hell.

A)But to receive Jesus Christ is to enter into all that He is and has. There are no other choices

 

B) Question: Have you responded to the words of God's final spokesman?

    1) Jesus declared - John 14:6

 

C) Have you accepted His Priestly work in atoning for your       sins! 

      1) Have you made Him your king! Life submitted to His Authority ?

 

D) Do You Honor Him w/ Worship, Giving/ Speech