This time of year, we say out with the old and in with the new. We have said out with 2006 and in with 2007. We are hopeful that the old days were good, but the new days and year will be even better. When I was growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, music was outstanding, or so we thought. We blasted out music on eight track tapes and we had 45’s and records. The years have passed since then, we moved onto cassette tapes, and the sound was better. Years continued to pass and they came out with CD’s. Recently we can now download music from web sites like I-tunes.com and load them onto our I Pods and the music is better than ever. When we look at the old way of listening to music, I believe that most of us would say that I pods are the better way to go. Out with the old and in with the new.
When I was growing up, I also had a girlfriend or two that lived 1-4 hours away from me. I went to Cran-Hill Ranch in Rodney, Michigan and I was able to find a girl to date for the week and I fell in love or so I thought. The camp was a one-week camp, so we would sort of date and at the end of the week, we parted our ways. I remember those great times that I had when I went home. I wrote a letter, addressed it, and sent it on its way to the new love of my life and I would wait for at least a week or two to get a response. I was not allowed to call because it cost too much. Today a teen could go to a camp, find a girl, and part ways and they could get onto a computer and communicate with her via e-mail or on instant message. For me I had to wait 1-2 weeks for a response, today they can get an answer in a few seconds using instant message or 1 day using e-mail. Which way is better. I say out with the old, in with the new.
We could say the same thing about telephones. I remember sitting next to the phone and if I wanted to talk to someone I had to stay put in the same spot for as long as the conversation lasted. Today we have cordless phones and cell phone and I can go anywhere I want to talk to someone. I can walk anywhere in the house and I can get in my car and get on the cell phone and drive from here to Detroit and get a hold of anyone I want as long as I have a signal. Which way is better? I say, Out with the old and in with the new. Today we are going to look at a scripture that has that same kind of thinking to it. Out with the old and in with the new. We are going to begin a series of messages on the book of Hebrews. I have set aside 8 weeks for us to look at this book and so I do not anticipate getting through this entire book. I want to begin by reading Hebrews 1:1-4.
Hebrews 1:1 - 4 (NIV) In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
The writer of Hebrews is unknown today. Many people would say if I had to guess, I would say that Paul wrote this book to the Hebrews. The early church father Origen is remembered as saying that “Only God knows who wrote Hebrews.” Hebrews opens out by saying in the past God spoke to our forefathers through the Prophets. At many times and in various ways. In the past is a way of saying in the old times, kind of like when I had two mail a letter. It refers to the old times, the Old Testament, or the Old Covenant that God made with His people. God would communicate a message to a person, like Moses or Elijah, Isaiah or Hosea and they would have to receive the message and send it to the people. For example, God saw how the people from Nineveh were disobedient to the Lord and this greatly disturbed the Lord. He talked to Jonah and told him to go and preach against it and if they repent, I will spare their lives. Jonah received the message, he became like the Israelites, he was disobedient to the Lord, and he ran away from God. The rest is a whale of a story. Jonah ran in the other direction and so the message had trouble getting through to the people whom needed to hear it. Jonah boarded a ship headed to Tarshish, a great storm began to brew, and Jonah is thrown overboard and lands in the belly of a great fish. I don’t know about you but that would get my attention! He says Lord, I hate the smell of fish guts and so I will do what you ask, even though I really do not want too. The great fish spits Jonah out onto the beach and he delivers that message to the people of Nineveh, they receive the message from the Lord and repent and God forgives them and everyone is happen. I said all that to say that the old way had some problems. Out with the old.
If we look at the first part of Hebrews 1:2 it says: “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…” This is the “In with the new” part of what we are looking for. The last days is a reference to the times following Jesus departure from this earth. After he came in a manger as a baby, lived his life, died on the cross for our sins, and was resurrected from the dead.
The writer of Hebrews is saying that the old way was not working. The way where God told a prophet a message, the prophet would tell the people, they would say sorry and after a short time they would go back to their evil ways and God would have to tell another prophet another message, and the cycle went on and on and on. These same prophets were even told that the new way was coming, or that the Messiah was coming named Jesus. God said that I have to do better than the old way and so he sent the new way named Jesus to this earth. The same God who spoke through the forefathers had now spoken through Christ. Thus, there is continuity between old and new times. In the Old Testament, it created an expectation that God was still going to reveal himself more fully. The prophets spoke of the coming Messiah and his kingdom; Jesus is that Messiah and he initiated God’s kingdom. The Jews accepted the Old Testament, but most rejected Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. The recipients of this letter to the Hebrews were mainly Jewish Christians. They were well versed in Scripture and had professed faith in Christ. Through doubt, persecution, or false teaching, however, many were in danger of giving up their Christian faith and returning to Judaism. They had accepted the new way and were in jeopardy of going back to the old way of belief. Lets continue and look at what verse two and three says about the new way that they were considering giving up.
Hebrews 1:2 - 3 (NIV) but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
When we look at these two verses, they really tell us a lot about Jesus. In verse two, this writer calls Jesus as the heir of all things. God appointed Jesus heir of all things. A heir is someone who receives the material possessions of usually a relative. God is saying that Jesus will inherit everything in heaven and earth. Hebrews 1:2 talks about how Jesus was there when the earth was created. In John 1:2-3 it says “ He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made…”
Colossians 1:15-16 says: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
Again, Jesus is the heir of all things and he had his hands in making everything in the universe. In verse three, we can see Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of God’s being. This tells us that He is God in essence. Christ is the sustainer of the world and the purifier of people’s sins. Finally, he is the purifier of people’s sins. Jesus had said to one of his disciples, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work” (John 14:9-10 NIV).
If we know Jesus then we know the God our heavenly Father. The Old Testament the prophets could only speak to people about the coming of the Messiah, but in the New Testament, we believe that the Messiah has come in the flesh to this world to cleanse us from our sins and to help us to get to heaven by accepting this Messiah named Jesus as our Lord and Savior. He purifies us from all sin and we are allowed entrance into heaven through his cleansing blood when we accept Jesus as our Savior. What system is better the old system where we only hear about the Messiah or the new system that talks about the fact that Jesus has come. Are you willing to say out with the Old and in with the new? I am not saying that the Old Testament is not important because it is. We can learn a lot about God and the prophecies that were spoken, we learn a lot from Abraham, Moses, Elijah, David, and other Old Testament bible characters. The Old Testament blesses our hearts and enriches our lives AND WE CANNOT TOTALLY DO AWAY WITH THE Old Testament because we need the Old Testament, but we can add to the Old Testament the truths that we find in the New Testament and our lives can be that much better or fuller. We can add eternal life in heaven for those who believe in the Messiah. The first three verses of Hebrews is basically building the groundwork for the rest of this chapter. These three verses are saying that Jesus is the new and improved way to go, kind of like the cell phone is the better way to go than the old rotary dialed phone that makes you stay within 3-5 feet of the base. God use to go through man to get his message across, but when Jesus came, he came directly to this man through Jesus. The same Jesus that has always been here since the beginning of time to communicate God’s thoughts. The Jews were trying to go back to their old religious ways and the writer of Hebrews always tells us that Jesus is the better way to go.
The remainder of Chapter one of Hebrews is a discussion on how Jesus is superior to the angels.
Hebrews 1:4 - 14 (NIV) So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. 5For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”? 6And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” 7In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire.” 8But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” 10He also says, “In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 11 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. 12 You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.” 13To which of the angels did God ever say, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? 14Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
Angels, likened to the wind or flames of fire, are servants of Christ. They play a vital role in today’s world as ministering spirits sent to serve those who have accepted God’s salvation. God the Father calls Jesus Christ his one and only Son, and he orders angels to worship his Son. If God, who is above all, gives such praise to Jesus Christ, how can we praise him any less? Christ is highly exalted. His throne will last forever and ever (1:8); the earth and heaven will perish, but he will remain (1:11); he will sit highly honored at God’s right hand with his many enemies serving as his footstool (1:13). Since Christ is far superior to all the angels who worship him, we should also give him first place in our lives.
Popular Jewish teachings during New Testament times said that angels brought people’s requests to God and interceded for them. Because of all these beliefs about angels, the Jewish people honored them highly. However, Hebrews emphasizes that Christ and his work far surpass angels and their work. Jesus created the world, sustains the world, reveals God’s glory, makes God known, and provides the perfect sacrifice for sins. No angel can accomplish any of these things. Christ is far greater than the angels because the name God gave him is far greater than their names. The “name” he received is contrasted with the angels’ names. In that time and culture, names captured the essence of a person. The “name” Jesus received was “Son.” This name identified that his relationship with God, his power to forgive people’s sins, and his ability to make God known were far superior to any other created being’s. The name “angel” simply means “messenger.” And some of the angels who are actually named in Scripture have names that are inferior to Christ’s name. “Gabriel” means “Man (or strength) of God”, and “Michael” means “Who is like God?” Both names give glory to God. Of one thing we can be sure: Angels never draw attention to themselves but ascribe glory to God and press His message upon the heavens as a delivering and sustaining word of the highest order. —Billy Graham
Today’s message is about the fact that the name of Jesus is greater than any other name. That Jesus is the way to go in life. Jesus replaced the old ways. The angels are ministering servants and Jesus is even far superior to Him. We have a tendency to look in every direction for answers in life. We try to depend on our own strength to get through life and we discover that we fail ourselves. We try to fit into the world and do the things of the world and that does not help either. We need to remember that the best way to go, the way that is better than even the angels is to go towards Christ. Jesus is superior to everything and if you want to have peace in your life, then give your life over to Jesus and be obedient to Jesus. Jesus is the plan that God has for us. To my knowledge, there will be no other way for us to get right with God. The next move God will do is to send back Jesus and finish off the end of the world as described in the book of Revelations. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and He is the superior way to go. I want to suggest to you that you quit doing thing and relying on things that you know are not the best thing for you and turn to the one named Jesus who is superior to everything in this universe.
Let’s Pray!
