Incomparable - Sermon on Hebrews 1:1 - 3

Incomparable

Hebrews 1:1 – 3

Introduction:

I don't know if you are familiar with the saying, “It's like comparing apples to oranges.” What the saying is pointing out is that certain things cannot be compared to other things, even if there are some similarities. Look again at the saying. While both apples and oranges are similar because they are fruits, yet they are very different because of their taste. The same is true for the vehicle I drive, which is classified as a multi-purpose vehicle, as compared to a Ferrari or a Porsche, which are sports cars. Yes, they are motor vehicles which brings you from one place to another, but you can't compare them to one another because an MPV is for transporting people and goods while sports cars are for racing or for showing off. Open the hood of both cars and you'll see a vast difference in the engines as well as other devices installed inside. A good word we use when talking about the inability to compare one thing to another is called incomparability.

What does it really mean when we say that certain things are incomparable? According to the dictionary, we have two definitions. The first definition for incomparable is “without an equal in quality or extent; matchless”. A second definition is “unable to be compared; totally different in nature or extent.” Although we may not use the word incomparable quite often, we understand what it means and we know how to use it.

This morning, we begin our series on the study of the Book of Hebrews. It is a New Testament epistle whose overall theme is the incomparability of Jesus Christ. Hebrews is a book very rich in imagery, whose author goes to great lengths (13 chapters in all!) to point out that Christ is beyond compare. Before we look into this morning's passage, I would like to take some time to share with you the background of the Book of Hebrews.

Background:

The writer of the Book of Hebrews does not identify himself, but he was obviously well-known to the original recipients. From 400 AD to 1600 AD, the book was commonly called the Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews, although there was no agreement regarding its authorship. After the Reformation, it has been widely recognized that Paul could not have been the author simply because the writing styles between Paul and the author of Hebrews are very different. Also, Paul usually identifies himself when he wrote his epistles, but the author of Hebrews never identified himself. Moreover, the author of Hebrews was evidently not part of the original band of apostles. If you read Hebrews 2:3, you will find that he experienced the salvation of Christ through the preaching of those who personally heard him.

Bible scholars suggest that there may be two possible candidates for authorship of the Book of Hebrews. First, we have Barnabas. The reason why Barnabas is a possible author is because it seemed that the author had authority in the apostolic church and was an intellectual Hebrew Christian well-versed in the Old Testament. Barnabas was a Jew of the priestly tribe of Levi, which may possibly explain why he understood a lot regarding the Old Testament, especially the worship ceremonies done in the temple as well as the priesthood. Also, he was respected and recognized as being a leader of the early church. The second leading candidate for authorship is Apollos. Apollos was also a Jewish Christian known for his intellectual and oratorical abilities. In Acts 18:24, he is described as being a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He was also associated with Paul in the early years of the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4-6, 22). We do not have a firm conclusion as to the authorship, but one thing is sure, the author was a Jew who was well acquainted with the Old Testament which he quoted with regularity, and a master of the Greek language.

Hebrews was most likely written before 70 AD, the date when the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, since there is no mention of the temple being destroyed. It is addressed primarily to Christians familiar with the Old Testament and who were being tempted to turn their backs on Christ and go back to Judaism.

The theme of Hebrews is the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ, such that no one can compare to Him. You will see this theme repeated constantly throughout the book. For now, I would like for us to pay attention to this morning's passage, Hebrews 1:1 – 3.

Who is Jesus Christ? To tell you very frankly, many people have different opinions about him. While we, as Christians, acknowledge Him to be the Son of God, or the Second Person of the Triune God, many think otherwise. There are people who think of him as merely being a prophet or a great teacher. Others view him as a spiritual being, somewhat similar to the angels but still lower than God. Still, there were some who view him as someone who has lost his mind, sincerely making claims to be God due to insanity. Worse, some people see him as a deceiver who has misled many into thinking that He is God. If we simply listen to the opinions of people, we are bound to be misled. We need to focus on what the Word of God says, and Hebrews 1:1 – 3 tells us who Jesus really is and why he is incomparable. It will tell us why he will always be superior to anything we compare him to. When you compare him to any great philosopher, any great teacher, any great founder of religion, Jesus will still be above them all. He will always be beyond compare.

Now, why do we say that Jesus is incomparable? There are three things that makes Jesus incomparable.

I. The Incomparable Person of Christ

Jesus was greater than all who came before him here on earth. The author of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is superior to the prophets. The prophets were the greatest men of the Old Testament era. They had visions of God and they served God with manifestations of power. Prophets who had visions of God included those who wrote the prophetic books of the Old Testament. Those who served God with manifestations of power included Elijah, Elisha, and Samuel. God spoke to the people of Israel and to the other nations through the prophets. However, God only revealed a few aspects about himself to these prophets such that no prophet, alone or combined with others, could ever give us a full picture of who God really is. Furthermore, the prophets were mere men, creatures only. God revealed himself fully through the person of Jesus Christ. In fact, verse 2 tells us that God spoke to us by his Son or through his Son. It is no wonder that the apostle John, when he wrote his gospel account, described Jesus as being the Word, the logos of God. Though the prophets spoke the word of God faithfully, Jesus himself is the Word of God.

However, Jesus isn't just superior to the prophets. In verses 4 to 14, Jesus is also greater than the angels. Angels, as we know, are spiritual beings who minister to God and are powerful. In the Old Testament, we find the angels delivering Lot and his family from Sodom. We also find an angel who brought death upon the firstborn of the Egyptians during the Passover. It was an angel whom God sent in order to administer punishment upon Israel for the sin of David. In the New Testament, we know that it was the angel Gabriel who delivered the important message to Mary that she was pregnant with the Messiah. Gabriel also spoke to Joseph, telling him that the child in Mary's womb was the Christ child. In the Book of Revelation, we find the archangel Michael waging war against Satan. Now, why did the author mention that Jesus was superior to the angels? It is probable that some people invoked on the names of the angels for deliverance. It is also probable that some people had excessive interest in the angelic hierarchies. Still, some believed that angels were sort of mediators between God and humanity. Thus, it was important for the author to point out that the angels cannot compare to the person of Jesus Christ because He is God himself. Only Jesus Christ is worthy of worship, by both men and angels. The prophets were men created by God; the angels likewise were created spiritual beings. Jesus however is God who is eternal in nature. Prophets and angels brought important messages from God to men. Jesus however is the very message of God to men. Only Jesus Christ is the full revelation of who God really is. So, Jesus is incomparable because of who he is. All other claimants to being gods cannot stand up to Jesus because only Jesus is the true Son of God.

II. The Incomparable Position of Christ

The second thing regarding Christ that is incomparable is his position. Christ is superior to the angels and the prophets not only because he is God but also because of his position. The angels, though mighty, are but servants. Likewise, the prophets may be heroes in the eyes of the Jewish people and even for Christians, but they were also servants. Jesus, on the other hand, is the appointed heir of all things, according to verse 2. He is the one whom the angels and the prophets serve.

Not only is Jesus the heir of all things, he is also the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being (v. 3). The Greek word which is translated in the English as “exact representation” is the word χαρακτηρ (charakter), where we get the English word, character. This word was basically used when talking about a stamp or a seal. This Greek word is used only once in the New Testament, namely our passage this morning. What the word means is that it is through Christ that God is represented and acts. It is through Christ that people can know who God truly is. It is no wonder that Jesus could boldly claim that He and the Father are one (John 10:30; John 17:20-26). He also made a bold statement to his disciples when he told them that anyone who has seen him has seen the Father (John 14:9). When we read from the New Testament, especially the Gospels, about the teachings of Jesus and the life he lived, the power he manifested, we are seeing God himself at work. We can know God in a personal way through Jesus.

In other parts of Hebrews, Jesus is also our great high priest. He is the one who can perfectly act as our mediator, who has perfectly atoned for our sins through his blood. We will be studying about this in the weeks ahead. Nevertheless, the position he holds as our great high priest is way much better than the high priest during the time when the Jewish temple was still standing.

What does his incomparable position mean for us? Let me use an illustration to help us understand this point. Let's say you're feeling sick, you're coming down with a very bad case of the flu. Do you call me up at my office to ask for medical advice as to what you can do so you'll feel better in no time, or do you call up a doctor to seek for professional help? If you call me up, all I can tell you is to get enough rest, drink lots of fluid and vitamin C. But if you go to the doctor, he can tell you way much more about the problem, he'll be able to diagnose you properly and how you can get better soon. In a similar way, there are many people who have so-called “remedies” for how to solve your spiritual problems, but Jesus himself is the Great Physician. The pastors, elders and deacons of the church may be competent spiritual leaders, but Jesus Christ himself is God. He is able to do what I cannot do at all because he possesses a superior position. His position is unique and incomparable.

III. The Incomparable Purpose of Christ

Finally, there is the incomparable purpose of Christ. The work that Jesus accomplished is totally different from what the prophets, the angels, and other religious personalities did. His work comes as a result of his person, being God's son, and of his position, being the very likeness of God in human form.

The angels were messengers of God. They delivered important messages to people in a convincing manner. The prophets were also messengers of God who wrote the books of the Bible and who announced impending judgment. Yes, they were important in the spiritual realm; however, they cannot compare to the work that Jesus accomplished. Jesus came in order to be the Savior of the World. This was his purpose for coming. Only he could do the work. The angels couldn't die on the cross for us, although they were holy spiritual beings, because they do not possess human bodies. The prophets were just as sinful as any human being and would not qualify to die for our sins. Only Jesus was qualified to become our Savior, being both God and perfect man at the same time. Look at verse 3 of Hebrews 1. We read that he had provided purification for our sins. Not only that, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty in heaven, signifying that his work has been completed. Through his death on the cross, Jesus took away your sins and my sins.

The Lord Jesus is uniquely and fully qualified for the work he was given to accomplish. In fact, there is no one else who can do what he accomplished. There are no other qualified candidates. Buddha does not qualify. Mohammed does not qualify. Even the so-called saints of the church do not qualify. Only Jesus is qualified because of who He is and what His position is.

Conclusion:

The author of Hebrews wanted his readers to be certain regarding their understanding of the Lord Jesus. He wanted for them to know with certainty that Jesus Christ is the unique Son of God who is heir over all things and who is the exact representation of God in human form. He also wanted for them to understand that only Jesus Christ is qualified to bring salvation to this world through his death on the cross.

The same message that the author wanted for his readers to understand is the same message we all need to understand right this moment. Jesus Christ is not just one of many supernatural beings nor is he just a morally upright man. He is God the Son who came in the flesh. Jesus Christ is not like any angel or prophet, although their position may be noble, but He is the exact representation of God and the heir of all things. Jesus is not just a messenger from God who brings an important message, He is the message himself. He is the one foretold who will deliver people from their sins and restore them to God.

Incomparable. That's who the Lord Jesus is. The question I want to leave you is this: Who is Jesus to you? Is he the incomparable Son of God who saved us from our sins through his death on the cross? Is he the incomparable Son of God who invites us to align with Him and to follow Him as His disciple, to carry our crosses daily? Is he the incomparable Son of God who will one day judge this world, seated on his heavenly throne? I hope, in your life, he is a “yes” to all the questions I posed. May he indeed be your Savior and Master.