Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

Feast of Nativity- A New Dawn- Grace upon Grace

Hebrews 1:1-14

Rev. Manoj Idiculla 

Vicar

Carmel MTC, Boston

3 He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word.

The book of Hebrews offers practical help for overcoming evil at work, serving the people we work among, enduring hardship, bringing peace to our workplaces, offering hospitality, cultivating a life-giving attitude toward money, and finding faithfulness and joy in workplaces where Christ’s love often seems in short supply. The structure of Hebrews is a different from other New Testament books; it begins like an essay, continues as a sermon and ends like a letter. Hebrews is basically a book that exhorts discouraged Christians to continue on strong with Jesus in light of the complete superiority of who He is and what He has done for us. One important thing that is to be noted in the book of Hebrews is that Jesus does not speak; instead the Father speaks concerning the Son. It’s the Father telling us what the Son is all about.

It is clear that the writer was trying to reach Jewish Christians; but it is also written to a Greek frame of mind with its analysis of Jesus as the ultimate reality. The book is founded on one essential message: Listen to Jesus! Some believers were feeling pressure to give up on the Messiah and turn back toward the old covenant. Hebrews reminds them that Jesus the King, through whom the world was created, is also the consummate High Priest in the heavenly places, who has initiated a new and better cov­enant with concrete consequences on earth. He is the ultimate sacrifice for sin, and He is the ultimate intercessor for us in our daily lives. We should look nowhere else for salvation but entrust ourselves to Christ, living in obedience to Him until He brings us into the transformed and renewed city of God.

We need to remember the following points: Firstly, God exists, and He speaks to human; or as the title of a Francis Schaeffer book puts it: ‘He Is There and He Is Not Silent’. Secondly, this God at various times and in various ways spoke to the fathers by the prophets, and has in these last days spoken to us by His Son. The revelation given to the prophets were brought in various ways - sometimes through parables, historical narrative, prophetic confrontation, dramatic presentation, psalms, proverbs, and the like. God spoke to Moses by a burning bush (Exodus 2), to Elijah by a still, small voice (1 Kings 19), to Isaiah by a heavenly vision (Isaiah 6), to Hosea by his family crisis (Hosea 1:2) and to Amos by a basket of fruit (Amos 8:1).

Human beings are not only products of God’s creation, we are also co-creators with Him. Like His Son, we are called to the work of ordering the world. “What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them? You have made them for a little while, lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor, subjecting all things under their feet” (Heb. 2:6–8).   

Therefore, our work is meant to resemble God’s work. It has lifetime significance. Whenever we are involved in doing something good we are working alongside with God in His work of creation.

PRAYER

Almighty God, help us to experience Your grace and be Your representatives in this universe. Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

If men cannot learn about God from the Son, no amount of prophetic voices or actions would convince them." (Guthrie)