Saturday 18 December 2010
- Bible Book:
- Hebrews
"Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds." (vv. 1-2)
Background
We don't know who wrote the Letter to the Hebrews, but it seemsto have been written to encourage Jewish Christians to persevere inthe face of persecution. The author seems worried that, because ofthis persecution, some of them are losing confidence in God andshrinking back from their faith in Jesus.
So the letter starts by taking readers back to basics, affirmingwho Jesus is, what he's done and his glorified status in heaven.This is the central focus for the entire letter - the doctrine ofthe person of Christ and his role as mediator between God andhumanity.
Readers of Hebrews might notice echoes of John's Gospel in thecosmic language of today's passage. The introduction to John'sGospel (John 1:1-18) speaks of Christ as the Word ofGod, through whom all things were made, who became flesh and livedamong us. And in Hebrews we hear of God speaking to us through "aSon", through whom God created the worlds.
Jesus is, literally, God's greatest word - the most profoundexpression of who God is and what God means for humanity. Theprophets brought warnings and teachings, but Jesus is the exactimprint of God, God's glorified heir through whom all things havebeen created. For Jewish Christians facing persecution, it wouldhave been easy to speak of Jesus simply as another prophet in along line of God's messengers. If Jesus could be seen as a prophetrather than the Messiah, his threat to the Jewish institutions wasminimal.
But for the author of Hebrews that was simply not an option. Jesuscould be seen as nothing less than God's exact representation onEarth, and he achieved nothing less than to purify humanity fromits sins. That is so much more than any prophet could everaccomplish and is the reason for Jesus' elevation above the angels,to sit at God's side in heaven (verse 4).
To Ponder
Do you think of Jesus as a prophet or assomething more than that? Why?
Are you ever tempted to 'shrink away' from yourfaith because of what people might think?
Re-read today's passage and then look at