Readings for today: Lamentations 4-5, Hebrews 2, Psalms 103, Proverbs 26:23
Who is Jesus? A great teacher? A enlightened human being? An angel from heaven? Some kind of celestial creature? Or is He God Himself? God taking on flesh and blood and moving into our world to be with us? Centuries ago, Jesus asked his disciples the most important question we will ever face in this life. “Who do you say that I am?” How you answer that makes all the difference in this life and the next.
Thankfully, God doesn’t leave anything to chance. He gives us the Book of Hebrews which sets out to answer this all-important question for the people of God and the author wastes no time getting right to the point. “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, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.” (Hebrews 1:3-4) Everything you ever wanted to know about God is revealed in Christ. All the questions you ever wanted to ask about God’s nature and character are answered in Christ. All the doubts and fears you’ve been harboring regarding God’s love and grace are quelled in Christ. He shows us who God is in all His fullness. In all His glory. In all His majesty and power. There is no God lurking in the shadows beyond Jesus. There is no God hiding behind Jesus. God has not withheld any part of Himself but instead reveals Himself fully in Jesus.
Jesus is greater than any angel from heaven. His splendor and might far exceeds that of the heavenly host. He upholds the universe by His power. He purifies the human race by laying down His life for their sin. He destroys the power of death through His resurrection. He is given all authority in heaven and on earth as He ascends to sit at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. No angel could ever accomplish such things.
Why would God do such a thing? Why would God choose this way to reveal Himself? Why did God not choose a different way? Because God is faithful to Himself. Faithful to His plan. From the beginning, His design was that humanity would reign and rule with Him over all creation. God’s plan was for you and me to serve as His vice-regents on this earth, caring for all He has made. Yes, our rebellion introduced sin and evil into the world and we’ve been paying the price ever since. But God will not let us go. Instead, He made Jesus a little lower than the angels “so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that God, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source…” (Hebrews 2:9-11) Jesus was “perfected” through suffering. Not that He became something He was not but that He perfected the plan of salvation God had in place from before the foundations of the world.
And this gives us hope. “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:14-18) Jesus did not come to save angels. The devil and his demons are beyond redemption. Jesus came to save the sons and daughters of Abraham. He came to save humanity from fear and death and the devil. In order to do that, He had to be made like us in every way. Taking on a fallen – though not sinful – human nature. In this way, He can represent us before His Father as our faithful and eternal high priest.
So back to the original question. Who is Jesus? If He is just a good teacher then His death is meaningless. If He’s just an enlightened human being then we can take or leave what He has to say. If He’s an angel or some other celestial creature then He is not like us and we are left without hope. But if He is God – as the Bible clearly and unequivocally declares Him to be – then we can trust Him when He says our sins are forgiven and we are set free.
Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 1:1-3:15, Hebrews 3, Psalms 104:1-23, Proverbs 26:24-26