Sermon Manuscript

Jesus – The Word [Hebrews 1] ~ 20251221 ~ Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org

2025 12/21 Advent 4: Fix Your Eyes on Jesus - The Word; [Hebrews 1:1-4]; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20251221_jesus-the-word.mp3

This Advent season we are taking the opportunity to ‘fix our eyes on Jesus’(12:2). We are looking at some of the titles of Jesus in the book of Hebrews, looking at who he is, and what he came to do.

We’ve looked at Hebrews 3:1 which calls Jesus ‘the Apostle’, the one sent out from his Father, the only begotten Son sent to become one of us, to set us free and show us grace. We looked at Jesus our Great High Priest, our only mediator between God and man, the only eternal priest, the only sinless priest, who offered himself as the once for all sacrifice for our sins, who entered the holy of holies in heaven and sat down at the right hand of his Father in glory.

We looked at Jesus our brother in Hebrews 2; although Jesus is the only begotten Son, although he is from above and we are from below, when we put our trust in Jesus, who he truly is and what he has done for us, we are adopted into his family, and he is not ashamed to call us his brothers; we are included in the Son’s inheritance.

At Many Times, In Many Ways

The book of Hebrews begins this way:

Hebrews 1:1 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.

Our God is a communicating God. He spoke the world into existence, and ‘the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork’ (Ps.19:1); ‘The heavens declare his righteousness’ (Ps.50:6),

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion...

‘YHWH God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature’ (Gen.2:7), and YHWH God said it was very good. He gave Adam instructions, walked with him, spoke with him. The Lord spoke to Cain, to Noah, Abram, Hagar, Rebekah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses. God spoke directly, through an angel, through a donkey, through a burning bush; he spoke through thunder and lightning and cloud and thick darkness, and through a still small voice. He wrote on stone tablets, his finger wrote on the palace wall. He spoke to his people by his Spirit through the prophets. God spoke at many times and in many ways.

The Final Word

In contrast to all these many times, in these last days he has spoken. God spoke, but now God has spoken. His word, like his character, is and always has been true and unchanging, but it was unfolding, bit by bit, gaining clarity, resolution. Like pieces of a puzzle without the picture on the box-top, some in darker hews, some with brighter colors, some blurred, some with vivid clarity, slowly taking shape, coming together, each piece pointing to something bigger. How does it all fit together? God spoke at many times and in many ways.

But now he has spoken. He has given us his final word. It is definitive. Absolute. Complete. The picture on the box, what every piece was pointing to, is Jesus, his only Son. God has spoken. [Mic drop.]

In Son

In contrast to the many ways he spoke in times past, God has spoken in Son. Beyond ‘in creation, in direct conversation, in prophetic dreams and visions, in words written.’ Beyond all these ways, God has spoken ‘in Son’; that makes for awkward English, but it’s a very literal translation; ‘he has spoken to us in Son’. I am speaking to you ‘in English’. Abraham is in the back translating my words, speaking ‘in Spanish’. That is the language, the medium of communicating the ideas in my head over into yours. God’s final revelation was not ‘in Hebrew’ or ‘in Aramaic’ or ‘in Greek’; it was ‘in Son’. Jesus is the way God communicated most fully with us.

Angels are Messengers; Jesus is the Message!

The word ‘angel’ means ‘messenger’. Hebrews 1:14 calls them ‘ministering spirits sent out to serve’. God at times sent angels to communicate his message. But in these last days he has spoken in Son. Hebrews is all about Jesus being superior; he is greater than Moses, greater than Aaron, greater than the angels. Angels were sent with messages about someone else; they usually started their message with two words ‘fear not’, because God alone is to be feared. And if the recipient of their message attempted to worship, they quickly refused; “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you... Worship God.” (Rev.19:10; 22:8).

Jesus was also sent from his Father with a message. Jesus is the greater messenger, sent from his Father with a message, and as the message. The message Jesus was sent with was himself. Jesus is both the language and the content of the message; both the method of communication and the message itself. Where angels were sent to point away from themselves to someone greater, Jesus received worship as the only Son of God.

Jesus, Creator of all things, heir of all things, radiance of the glory of God, the exact imprint of his nature, sovereign over all things.

Jesus a Matter of Life and Death (Jn.20:28-31)

This is what John’s gospel is all about. John gives us his purpose statement in John 20 after doubting Thomas confessed Jesus to be ‘my Lord and my God!’ (Jn.20:28)

John 20:30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

What we believe about Jesus is truly a matter of eternal life or death.

Incarnation (1John1:1-5; John 1:1-5,14,16-18; Col.2:9)

John in his short letter 1 John introduces Jesus this way:

1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

The Word of life was from the beginning, that life made known, put on display for eye-witnesses to see and hear and touch and experience. The eternal Word of life who was with the Father was made known, so we could make him known; the Father and his Son Jesus Christ.

This parallels John’s introduction to his gospel:

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Jesus existed in the beginning. Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God. Jesus always was, in relationship with his Father. The Father made everything that was made through Jesus the Word. In Jesus is life and light, shining in the darkness, making unseen things seen. Verse 14 says:

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus, the Word who was with God and who was God, the only Son from the Father, became flesh and pitched his tent among us. Eyewitnesses saw his glory; the glory of God in the face of Jesus, full of grace and truth.

As Colossians tells us,

Colossians 2:9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,

God in a body. God with skin on. God in flesh, incarnate. God with us. The incarnation. Not just a little bit of God; the whole fullness of deity, God with us, fully God, in the person of Jesus.

Jesus Exegetes the Father (John 1:16-18; 10:30; 14:7-11)

John goes on:

John 1:16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

The Word who was with God and who was himself God, the only begotten God who is at the Father’s side has made God known. The word translated ‘made known’ is [ἐξηγήσατο]. That’s where we get our English word ‘exegesis’ or ‘exegetical’; it is used primarily in reference to Bible study or Bible preaching that gets out of the text what it means, what is really there, what the author intended to communicate, in contrast to ‘eisegesis’, which is to read in, to put into the text your own preconceived ideas, not what is really there but what you want to see there. Jesus exegetes his Father; he draws out, puts on display, makes know who God really is.

If you want to know God, to know who God is, what God is like, fix your eyes on Jesus. Jesus told his disciples “If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. ...Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. ...I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (Jn.14:7-11). “I and the Father are one” (Jn.10:30). Jesus came, became human to show us who God is, to make his Father known.

Transfigured

In Matthew 17 Jesus took three of his disciples, Peter, James and John up on a high mountain by themselves.

Matthew 17:2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. [Mark says ‘radiant, intensely white’; Luke ‘dazzling white’]

...5 ...behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

The Father interrupted Peter’s ramblings and spoke from heaven: ‘This is my beloved Son, ...listen to him’. And notice, Jesus wasn’t talking at this point; he was shining. He was putting on display the glory of God. The Word who was with God and who was God became flesh to make God known through who he was.

Jesus Fulfillment of the Prophets (Is.7:14; 9:2, 6; Mt.1:20-23)

This is what the prophets were pointing to;

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. ... 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Jesus is the fulfillment:

Matthew 1:20 ...behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Jesus the Final Word

Jesus is the Word, the messenger and the message.

Hebrews 1:2 ...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…

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2025.12.21 Sermon Notes

Fix Your Eyes on Jesus – The Word [Hebrews 1]

Our God is a communicating God

Psalm 19:1; 50:6; Genesis 1:26-28; 2:7; 3:8-9

Jesus is the final Word; God has spoken

Hebrews 1:2

Jesus is both the method of communication and the message

Hebrews 1:1-4, 14; Revelation 19:10; 22:8-9

What we believe about Jesus is a matter of eternal life or death

John 20:28-31

Jesus, who was with God and who was God became flesh

1 John 1:1-5; John 1:1-5, 14

Jesus is the fullness of God in a body

Colossians 2:9

Jesus exegetes the Father

John 1:16-18; 10:30; 14:7-11

Jesus displays the glory of God

Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:1-8; Luke 9:28-36

Jesus is the fulfillment of the Prophets

Isaiah 7:14; 9:2, 6; Matthew 1:20-23

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Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org