The
Infinite Glory of Jesus Christ
Our greatest need is to come to know the Lord
Jesus Christ and dwell in his holy presence.
In the presence of the Son of God all the glories of the old covenant
fade into utter insignificance. The superiority of Christianity over Judaism and all other
religions is the super abounding excellency of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Hold
before Him any person or object and they all fade away. Even the glories of
Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration fades from view as Jesus was transfigured
in an infinitely greater glory.
When we compare Jesus with the prophets, angels, Moses, Joshua, the
Levitical priesthood, patriarchs, etc., each in turn fades away and we behold the glory of
Jesus Christ alone. There is none to compare with Christ. The writer of the epistle to the
Hebrews gives seven wondrous glories of Jesus in the opening verses of chapter one.
Jesus Christ is the very Son of God. What greater glory can there be
than that! God the Father on three occasions broke through time space and declared,
“This is My beloved Son.” The
Father never said that to an angel. It is through the living Son that God, entering into
the heart and dwelling there, will speak to us.
Jesus Christ was “appointed heir of all things” (Heb.
1:2). It
is a testimony of His “dignity and dominion.” In everyday life the heir is the
successor to his father in all that his father has. In the relationships
within the Trinity, the supreme sovereignty of the Father is by no means
infringed upon the sovereignty of the Son, or visa versa. By the title “heir of all things” Jesus
is the possessor and disposer of all things in His creation (Matt. 25:31-32; Rev. 22:1;
Rom. 8:16-17).
Jesus Christ is the Creator and Sustainer for “through whom also
He created the world” (v. 2 NET). Only God can create. Christ was appointed heir of all
things in the beginning because He was their Creator (Jn. 1:3; Col. 1:16). “All
things were created by Him and for Him.”
Jesus Christ is the “radiance” of God’s glory because
He is God (v. 3). He is in no manner inferior to the Father, but in every way His equal. The “brightness of His glory" refers to the
Shekinah glory of God that dwelled in the tabernacle and the temple (Ex.
40:34-38; 1 Kings 8:10). Whatever excellency was in the Father, the same
likewise was in the Son, and that in the most transparent manner. Jesus Christ is the irradiation of
God’s glory. Christ is to the Father what the rays of the sun are to the sun. He is
the radiance of God’s glory. It is therefore impossible to separate Christ’s
glory from the nature of God. Apart from Christ, sinful man could not perceive the
brightness of God’s “glory.” Without Jesus Christ we are in the dark,
utterly in the dark concerning God. It is in Christ that God is revealed (Jn. 17:5).
Jesus Christ is the “exact representation” of God’s
nature (v. 3). The “exact representation” signifies to engrave and is the noun
form of that which is engraved like the stamp on a coin that is minted. Jesus Christ being
God perfectly expresses God. All that God is, in His nature and being, is expressed and
manifested, absolutely and perfectly by God incarnate. Jesus “is the image of the
invisible God.” He has explained Him (John 1:14, 18; Col. 2:9). In the person of
Jesus Christ the Invisible became visible. If you want to know what God is like take a
long hard look at Him in His Son, Jesus Christ. When you see Christ you see the glory of
God. Literally, Jesus is “the exact representation of the very substance of
God.” It is the impress of the divine essence possessed by absolute Deity. He is the
perfect reflection of God because He is God.
Jesus Christ “upholds all things by the word of His power”
(v. 3). This is a divine work. In the original “uphold” means “to carry or
support.” “The whole universe hangs on His arm; His unsearchable wisdom and
boundless power are manifested in governing and directing their complicated movements of
animate and inanimate, rational and irrational beings, to the attainment of His own great
and holy purposes; and He does this by the word of His power, or by His powerful word. All
this is done without effort or difficulty. He speaks, and it is done; He commends, and it
stands fast,” wrote John Brown. He guides this universe to its divinely ordained
destiny. The Lord Jesus, “by the word of His power,” sustains the universe and
maintains its coherence in all its parts.
The very person of the God-head who appeared on the earth, as
servant
is the sustainer of the universe. “He himself is
before all things and all things are held together in him.” (Col. 1:17
NET). The
winds and the waves obeyed Him! Sickness, death and demons fled before Him.
Jesus Christ “made purification of sins” (v. 3). Only God
can deal with our sins. This is even greater glory than being the Creator and Sustainer of
the universe. What a loving God—He purged us of all our sins! “Purged,”
literally is, “having purged.” The work is finished. This was a single definite,
once-for-all act. The blood of the sacrificial animals could not lift up and take away our
sins, but the blood of the Lamb of God did (Heb. 10:4).
Jesus Christ was the high priest and the atoning sacrifice that was
offered up for our sins. Our great high priest says to us, “You are clean from all
your sins this day before God.” “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us
from all sin” (1 John 1:7 NET). All of our sins are taken away. He is the perfect sacrifice
of infinite dignity because He is the Son of God.
When Jesus Christ “had made purification of sins, He sat down at
the right hand of Majesty on high,” and the Father gave Him the name that is above
every name (v. 3; Phil. 2:11). Jesus, who is also prophet and priest, reigns as King in
the place of highest honor in heaven. He sat down because His work of atonement was
finished. The evidence that all sins of the believer have been put away permanently is
that Jesus is seated in glory. “He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on
high.” The position of the highest honor and glory belongs to Jesus Christ forever
and ever. This is the greatest proof that He finished the work of redemption and
“purification of sins.” God exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above
every name. Jesus Christ received the most elevated exaltation when He arrived back into
heaven. Let us exalt Him in our hearts to the praise of His glory, too. It is then that we
draw with confidence upon Him to do a divine and supernatural work in and through us. Let
us not be careless of having an intimate personal relationship with God in Christ.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
Click for printer friendly page
SELAH INDEX
CLICK to E-mail SELAH! to a friend.
|
![[Valid RSS]](../gra/valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed"){kind=small}
