The Superiority of Christ

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The Superiority of Christ

• Greater than the Prophets
• Hebrews 11-3

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Purpose of letter

• Addressed to Hebrew Christians
• To Answer Their Questions1. How does
  Christianity fit with OT Judaism?2. How does
  Christ tie to the Old Testament?

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Who Wrote

• Suggestions Paul, Luke, Barnabus, Apollos,
  Silas, Aquila, others
• Clement in AD200 stated Paul wrote in Hebrew and
  translated into Greek by Luke
• KJV title has Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews
• Reference to Timothy in 1323
• Against Pauline authorship is style of the Greek
  and the content of the book

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Subject

• The superiority of Christ and thus of
  Christianity.
• Frequently used words better, perfect, and
  heavenly
• Christ is superior in His person and priesthood
• All of the OT ritual is fulfilled in Christ He
  is the true and only High Priest His tabernacle
  in Heaven is perfect
• Christ better than prophets, angels, Moses,
  Aaron/Levi, Melchizedek, etc

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Distinctives

• Large number of Old Testament references (62
  direct quotes and 360 references to the Old
  Testament)
• Several warning passages (6 warnings)
• Gods New Covenant with Israel

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Outline

• See back of handout

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The Superiority of Christ

• Christ The Final Revealer (verses 1, 2a)
• Christ The Foremost Being (verses 2b-3a)
• Christ The Forceful Agent (verse 3b)

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The Final Revealer

• The Lord Jesus Christ

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How God Reveals Himself

• In the past (verse 1) To whom? Fathers
  patriarchs, Moses, Aaron, etc How? By the
  prophets directly and indirectly (prophecies
  types and shadows)

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Prophecies Concerning Christ
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Types and Shadows

• Types per Scofield A type is a divine
  illustration of some truth.  It may be 1) a
  person (Rom.514) 2) an event (1Cor.1011) 3)a
  thing (Heb 1019-20) 4) an institution (Heb
  911-12) or, 5) a ceremonial (1 Cor.57) .
• Shadow per dictionary  A shadow is an imperfect
  image or copy of something.
• Scofield lists 128 types, shadows and symbols
  (e.g. Adam, Cain, Enoch, the flood, Red Sea,
  tabernacle, serpent, manna, leaven, gold
  silver, ceremonial feasts, Passover, sacrifices,
  burnt offering, etc.)

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How God Reveals Himself

• In the past (verse 1) To whom? Fathers
  patriarchs, Moses, Aaron, etc How? By the
  prophets directly and indirectly (prophecies
  types and shadows)
• Today (verse 2a) To whom? You and
  me How? By His Son Jesus Christ

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The Foremost Being

• The Lord Jesus Christ

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CHRIST - The Foremost Being

• HEIR appointed heir of all things (verse 2b)
• Two types of heirs legal testamentary testamen
  tary by the decree of man legal By legal
  decree through blood
• Christ is the legal heir through the eternal
  blood of His covenant with God
• Believers heirs of promise righteousness
  world kingdom of God (Gal.329 Heb.117
  Jas.25 Rom.413 817)
• Christ the heir of all things

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CHRIST - The Foremost Being

• CREATOR He made the world (vs.2c)
• Time, space, matter the universe (Colossians
  116)
• He holds all things together (Colossians 117)
• He is the owner of all things

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CHRIST - The Foremost Being

• GOD the radiance of Gods glory (verse 3a)
• He is God manifest in the flesh (John 11, 14
  149)
• He is the radiance of Gods glory radiance
  bright light Shekinah glory brighter than the
  sun Examples the cloud (Ex.1610), mercy seat
  (Ex.2522 4034, 35), shepherds (Lk.29), Paul
  (Acts 93 226-11)
• Gods glory honor resulting from a good
  opinion His everlasting power divinity
  (Rom.120, 23) Perfection of His character
  (Rom.323)

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CHRIST - The Foremost Being

• GOD exact representation of His nature (3b)
• He is God in His essential nature
• He is the exact representation of Gods
  nature exact an engraved or impressed
  image not just merely a copy or appearance but
  the real thing
• Gods nature Gods true nature expressed fully
  in the Son goes beyond person to Gods true
  substance person is an anachronism His
  essential being

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CHRIST - The Foremost Being

• GOD He has a more excellent name (vs.4b)
• The name is a persons reputation the name by
  which a person is called (Don, etc.) implication
  authority, rank, character, majesty, power
  (girl/boy, teacher, king, God)
• His name Lord Jesus Christ Lord the
  sovereign ruler over all Jesus the God who
  saves Christ the deliverer from Satans power
• His name is higher/greater than any other

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The Forceful Agent

• The Lord Jesus Christ

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CHRIST - The Forceful Agent

• UPHOLDING He upholds all things by the word of
  His power (verse 3c)
• He bears it up (Simon in Luke 2326)
• He keeps the universe from destructing (Col.117)
• His word is the active agent His specific
  word(s) (Ephesians 617)
• His word has ultimate power Gods dynamite

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CHRIST - The Forceful Agent

• SAVING when He had made purification of sins
  (verse 3d)
• His work of redemptionHis sacrificial death on
  the crossHis bearing of our just penalty for our
  sins
• The only place this appears in HebrewsElsewhere
  it relates to the believers sanctification

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CHRIST - The Forceful Agent

• INTERCEDING sat down at the right hand of the
  Majesty on high (verse 3e)
• The term Majesty denotes greatness Used of God
  greatness and dignity (Heb.81)
• High or lofty like a mountain (Matthew 48)
• Interceding on our behalf Pleads our case as our
  High priest Represents us before the Father Our
  advocate in the presence of God (1 John 21)

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Summary

• Christ The Final RevealerToday God reveals
  Himself only through the SonThrough the written
  and living word of God
• Christ - The Foremost Being His PersonThe
  Lord Jesus Christ is very God HimselfHe owns all
  things including you and me
• Christ The Forceful Agent His workThe Lord
  Jesus Christ is actively at work todayHe saves
  and keeps all those who trust in HimHe is the
  one who prevents this world from self-destructing

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