JESUS, THE FATHER, AND US
Friday – June 2, 2017
Greetings, blessings, and welcome back to our Bible Study from the Book of Hebrews presented by Patti and me in this The Three Minute Word publication. God is so good to give us His Word making our paths clear. Have I, have you chosen His clear path? Could it be that some of our lack of clarity is the result of laziness (lack of diligence to study Scripture) and/or rebellion (I want to do it my way)? Just asking. Remember to pray specifically for the Church today, there needs to be a continual turning from wickedness by the Church, yes, the Church (you and I). Now to our primary Bible text in the Book of Hebrews.
Hebrews 1:1-3 (KJV)
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
As we pick up in Hebrews 1:3 the “Who” is referring to the Son, to the Word, the One we call Jesus. We are told by the writer of Hebrews that the Son is the “brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person”. Let’s take a look at this verse in a different translation to enhance our understanding.
Hebrews 1:3 (HCSB)
3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
We sometimes use this terminology today saying someone just radiates this or that. This word radiance can simply mean to show forth or to show or demonstrate something, in this case the glory (goodness, nature) of God. Jesus was a demonstration, an expression of God the Father in the earth during His ministry. Are we also “the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person”? Remember as we progress in our knowledge of the Truth we also are to be a representation, a revelation, and an expression of the Father in the earth. We are to be and to do what Jesus was and did in the earth and according to Jesus even more, greater things. Remember what Jesus told Phillip and the others.
John 14:8-9 (KJV)
8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
When people see us have they seen the Father or have they seen a defeated rebellious child? Jesus said we were to be like him and He said that with only one qualifier which is to believe on Him. If we are not like Him than there must be areas of the Word of God that we do not believe, or we have allowed the devil to present a perverted version keeping us from being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, the person of God the Father Himself.
John 14:12 (KJV)
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
God’s very intent right from the get go for us was to look like Him and act like Him.
Genesis 1:26 (KJV)
26 And 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 fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (Bold added by Dr. Wood)
Let’s listen to the Word of God from the eighth Psalm.
Psalm 8:4-6 (KJV)
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
The word ‘angel’ here is Elohim, creator God, same word used in Genesis 1:1 and translated as ‘God’. Was this the position of Jesus in the earth? According to Scripture Jesus was every bit man and every bit God but had divested Himself of the three main Godly attributes of omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence (Philippians 2:7). So here we stand with all of the potential of Jesus in the earth and the legal capacity that He did not have to do the greater things. Psalm 8:5 goes on to say that we are crowned (completely encased like an eggshell) with glory and honor which is copious splendor. When we honor a person we place them in a positon of great or elevated value.
As we close out today and the week let’s take a look at the idea of this word ‘glory’. Remember when Moses asked to see the glory of God, God responded with saying He would show him this goodness (Exodus 33:18-19). The goodness shown to Moses that day was the coming Messiah which is a very necessary expression of goodness, the only expression of goodness that could restore us to the image and likeness of God. We sometimes us this word ‘glory’ in our everyday speech to indicate a magnificence, splendor, beauty, or grandeur; for example “Here he/she comes in all their glory.” This could be an earthly king of queen in all the regalia of royalty or the best dressed man or woman at Church. As you can see our us of this word ‘glory’ is referring to earthly outward, natural things. The ‘glory’ and ‘image’ referred to in Hebrews 1:3 includes all of this but it includes the supernatural expressions so necessary for our lives to be like His.
Until our next publication, I speak blessing into your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Numbers 6:24-26 (KJV)
24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
CONTACT E-MAIL: pastordavidwood@gmail.com
MAILING ADDRESS: 3 Rosswood Green Lane, Unit Two, Oakland, Maine 04963
