Hebrews 1 The Supremacy of God's Son

by Jill Ice

I love that the opening of Hebrews 1 is given the subtitle “The Supremacy of God’s Son” by the editors of Bible Gateway. Read the passage –

 

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. ³ He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴ having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Hebrews 1:1-4

In the Christmas season, we often think of Jesus coming to earth as a baby and not consider the rest of His life. But even as a baby, Jesus represented this passage accurately – He was the heir of all things, He created the world, He was the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of God’s nature, and He upheld the universe by the word of His power. As a baby, He was God!

 But there is so much more to the story. His life on earth demonstrated the nature of God – love unending and superior to any earthly love, holiness and justice, mercy and grace, forgiveness, gentleness, peace.

The culmination of His life occurred at His death, and is spoken of in the passage above in the phrase “after making purification for sins”. He paid our ransom and mediated between God the holy and man the fallen once and for all. For when the purification was complete, He “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”. No other high priest was ever able to sit down – there was always more sacrifice to be made, more sin to be atoned for. But Christ’s perfect substitutionary death triumphed over all sin, in all ages, for all people.

This is the supremacy of God’s Son, who came to earth as a baby.