Hebrews 1:1-4

Teacher: Rusty Kennedy
​Series: Hebrews

Rusty's Notes

Hebrews is a book about Jesus:

• Who He is and what He has done, and is presently doing, for those who have accepted Him as Savior.
• The book of Hebrews is about Jesus the Son who became our High Priest and then became king when he sat upon the throne of God in fulfillment of Ps 110:1, 4.[1]
• Hebrews confirms the supremacy of Christ to all created things, be they angels, Moses or even the Levitical priesthood.
• Hebrews will help explain the purpose of the Old Covenant sacrificial system, as well as the regulations associated with worship in both the tabernacle and the temple.
• The word better is used thirteen times in this book as the writer shows the superiority of Jesus Christ and His salvation over the Hebrew system of religion.
• Another word that is repeated in this book is perfect; in the original Greek it is used fourteen times.
• It means a perfect standing before God.
• This perfection could never be accomplished by the levitical priesthood (Heb. 7:11) or by the Law (Heb. 7:19), nor could the blood of animal sacrifices achieve it (Heb. 10:1).
• Jesus Christ gave Himself as one offering for sin, and by this He has “perfected forever them that are sanctified” (Heb. 10:14).[2]

 
Who wrote Hebrews?

• We do not know.
• It is the only truly anonymous letter in the New Testament.[3]
• We do know the author had a great knowledge of the Law and the Levitical priesthood that he was most likely of Jewish decent.
• According to 2:3 - It was first spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. The author heard the Gospel from those who had walked with Christ.
• Therefore he probably lived outside of Jerusalem since he himself did not hear this from Jesus.

 
Who was Hebrews written to?

• Hebrew Christians of Judea living outside of Jerusalem
• They were being persecuted by the non-Christian Jews (Hebrews 12:3-4 - For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up. 4 In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.[4])
• No one outside of Jerusalem had died yet because of their practices/beliefs. But Steven (62 AD) & James had already been killed in Jerusalem to persecution.
• The author also says they helped the needy. The church in Jerusalem was too poor to help.

 
When was Hebrews written?

• Hebrews 13:23 - Be aware that our brother Timothy has been released.[5]
• Timothy became a believer around 50 AD.
• Hebrews makes reference to the existing sacrificial system at the Temple which was destroyed in 70 AD.
• Pompey, a Roman General, seized Jerusalem in 63 AD.
• Revolt of the Jews began in 64 AD and full out war with the Romans developed in 66 AD.
• The non-Christian Jews were successful in their initial revolts and regulated what took place in and around Jerusalem.
• The Pharisees were insisting that Temple practices of sacrifices were to continue, and each was to live according to the Law.
• If no one lost their life for the cause, then most likely they scattered between these two dates.
• Hebrews 3 refers to the Jews’ 40 years in the wilderness and how this was very similar in time.
• They are approaching 40 years after the church was established in Acts 2. (70 AD)
• These Christian Jews were facing a dilemma of either disassociating themselves from temple sacrifices and accepting persecution from non-Christian Jews or…
•  Place themselves under the sacrificial system in Jerusalem… Denounce Christ and then later reunite after the persecution ended.
• This decision would ultimately mean a physical death.
• NOTE: They couldn’t have lost their salvation, but they would be judged with the destruction.
• Destruction came in 70 AD at the hands of Titus who picked up where his father, Vespasian, left off in 69 AD.
• Historian Josephus records that 97,000 prisoners were taken during the war.
• 1.1 million, mostly non-Christian Jews died.
• Over 100,000 Christian Jews escaped beyond the Jordan River and remained there until after the war ceased.

 

• Context, context, context.

 
THE NATURE OF THE SON
HEBREWS 1
1 Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways.

• The audience believed that God was a speaking God.
• Moses – Genesis – Deuteronomy
• David – Psalms – testified of a Savior to come
• Isaiah – Malachi
• The author is confirming the OT is absolute truth and God’s Word.
• New Covenant believers spend a lot of time doing that.
• In the OT, God spoke through prophetic speech (Hos 12:10), visions (Gen 46:2; Deut 13:1; Ezek 1:1), human mediated speech (Exod 33:11; Num 7:89; 12:8; Deut 34:10), appearance of God experiences (Exod 19:17–25), and a still small voice (1 Kgs 19:11–12).

 
2 In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him.

• That phrase ‘in these last days’ is shorthand for the whole era of grace in which we live, between the first and second comings.
• Everything the Jews knew about God in the OT was now being changed through His Son.
• Everything the prophets had foretold was now being made known through the life of Jesus.
• God went from multiple messengers to one, His Son.
• The Truth from Jesus was to prevail that of the OT prophets. He is superior to previous agents.
• Therefore, the New Covenant, established by Jesus, supersedes the Old Covenant, established by Moses.
• God is saying everything is Jesus’ and some day He will rule over all that He already owns.
• John 12:31 - now the ruler of this world will be cast out (Satan)
• “Made the universe through Him” – John 1:1 – Since Jesus is the Word of God and God spoke all things into existence, then Jesus created all things.

 
3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

• Jesus is the exact representation of His Father’s nature.
• John 14:9 – Phillip hung out with Jesus for 3 years and asked to see the Father.
• Jesus’ reply was if you have seen me then you have seen the Father.
• We don’t do anything apart.
• We think alike.
• He works through Me.
• GLORY!!! The same Glory!!!!

 

• Jesus sat down… Why shouldn’t He sit down if His sacrifice was made perfect… finished.
• Romans 8:34 - Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.[6] 
• Jesus, who came to earth and suffered as a physical man, tempted as we are tempted, sits now at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.

 
4 So he became superior to the angels, just as the name he inherited is more excellent than theirs.[7]

• The Jews believed that Moses received the Law through angels. (Acts 7)
• Some Jews carried it further and worshipped angels.
• They thought angels completely controlled the universe.
• Our society has the concept of angels.
• God established and ordained the Church to carry the Gospel to the world.
• Many worship the Church instead of Christ who established the Church.
• Some even worship the messenger of the Church more than they do Jesus.
• Lord, let the name of Jesus be spoken more than the name of Rusty.
• Jesus is ranked higher than angels.
• Even the name of Jesus is more superior.
• The writer of Hebrews knows the readers of this letter need more proof than these first 4 verses so He finishes this chapter and into the next convincing them of Jesus’ superiority.
• I rest from trying to convince you… go read!!!

[1] Allen, D. L. (2010). Hebrews (p. 11). B & H Publishing Group.
[2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 276). Victor Books.
[3] Allen, D. L. (2010). Hebrews (pp. 23–24). B & H Publishing Group.
[4] Christian Standard Bible (Heb 12:3–4). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] Christian Standard Bible (Heb 13:23). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] Christian Standard Bible (Ro 8:34). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
[7] Christian Standard Bible (Heb 1:1–4). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.