Sermon Sandwich

Sermon Sandwich—Hebrews 1:1-12

Trinity Church, 1589 Hwy 174, Edisto Island, SC 29438
www.trinityedisto.com  843-869-3568
Christmas Day, December 25, 2022
Holy Eucharist - Renewed Ancient Text; 2019 BCP, p.123

Hebrews 1:1-12 Sermon Notes

Hebrews 1:3 - 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.

Jesus is:

1) The Radiance of the Glory of God

Radiance - apaugasma - in the sense of radiance from a source of light.

Matthew 17:2 - And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 

Nicene Creed - of the same substance:

God from God, Light from Light

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one being with the Father 

2)  The Exact Imprint of His Nature

Exact Imprint - charakter - a representation as an exact reproduction of a particular form or structure, exact correspondence.

Colossians 1:15 - He is the image of the invisible God

Nicene Creed - Distinct Persons:

the only-begotten Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

3)  He Upholds the Universe by the Word of His Power

Upholds - phero - to cause to continue by sustaining or maintaining a state.   This is a dynamic, not static, work.  

Dynamic word - always and inevitably a word which effects its intended purpose.

“The universe is a cosmos instead of a chaos, … only because Jesus Christ upholds it.  (Hebrews, John MacArthur, p.17)

4)  He Made Purification for Our Sins

How does Jesus purify?   By the blood of His Cross.

Purification - katharismos - to cleanse from ritual impurity and therefore dedicated to the service of God   

The Gospel is the Good News of the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ by which we become the Righteousness of God.

5)  He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. 

Sat Down - the work of Jesus is completed.

Sat Down because in the Temple in Jerusalem there were no chairs.   Jesus sacrificed Once For All and then sat down.

Hebrews 10:10-12 - 10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.