1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 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, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

God Speaks

Last week Pastor Manny delivered a wonderful message from Luke 1 called "God Spoke Up." He shared with us some of the themes and messages God delivered to and through Mary, truths that reverberate to our modern time.

The thought that God has spoken should serve as an encouragement to us, but God's people often feel he is silent with them. We feel he is distant from us. One prayer in the Psalms is especially suggestive of this—Jesus quoted from it while on the cross:

Psalm 22:1 (ESV)—1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?

And this question is often ours. We wonder at God's silence or distance.

But I propose to you that God is the most communicative of all beings. We communicate and speak only because we are made in his image, but his words and communication are louder, clearer, stronger, holier, and lovelier than all our words combined. God is the greatest communicator.

We can more easily understand this concept by looking to the first pages of Genesis. Before sin entered the world, in Eden, man and God were in constant contact. God walked in the garden in the cool of the day, ready to converse with his man. Made in God's image, humanity was designed to hear from God with his ears, but also with his spirit. He was made for communion with the living God.

But once sin entered, God's promise came to pass. He had promised that eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would produce death: You will surely die. And die man did—eventual physical death, but immediate spiritual death. As Ephesians says, we were "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1).

How does one communicate with a dead person? God is spirit, but humanity is spiritually dead, unable and unwilling to hear God's voice. The book of Revelation even speaks of an extreme example of this inability. There, with God's direct judgment released on the planet, a judgment similar to the plagues of Exodus, most will still refuse God. The loud, clear, and obvious voice of his cataclysmic and apocalyptic judgment will not be enough. We cannot hear.

So how would God break through to communicate with us? Well, enter Christmastime. It's a season when we have the opportunity to consider the loudest way in which he communicated with humanity—by his Son. As Pastor Manny said, "God in a bod."

And this message from God stands in contrast to the ways God spoke before Jesus came. The author of Hebrews said:

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets.

God Breaks Through

God was never silent. He spoke in many times and in many ways (1). There were many different times of God's revelation to man. He spoke to Adam. He spoke through Noah. He spoke through Abraham and Moses and the prophets. Redemptive history has gone through many stages, and God has faithfully communicated to this world at each one.

But in those various times, God spoke in many ways (1). God gave us psalms and proverbs, Spirit-inspired poetic books that reveal him (and us). He gave us historical narratives that detail the unfolding of his redemptive plan, books like Exodus or Joshua or Nehemiah. He gave us prophetic exhortations and the entire apocalyptic genre.

And the way God spoke through all those prophets, priests, and kings was astounding. He talked to Moses at the burning bush. He talked to Elijah in a still, small voice. He gave Isaiah a vision of heaven's throne room. He spoke to Hosea through a marital crisis. He used a great fish for Jonah, a big boat for Noah's world, and a basket of fruit for Amos. He still speaks through Job and his incomparable trials, Daniel and his life in exile, and Jeremiah with his weeping over the rebellion of God's people. In the Old Testament era, God spoke through visions and angels and dreams and even donkeys. He spoke through the Urim and Thummim of the high priest's garments, through symbols, through natural events. He spoke in the pillar of fire and cloud.

God spoke in thousands of creative ways in that pre-Christmas era. Consider the prophet Ezekiel. God spoke wildly and creatively through that man. One time, God had him build a model of Jerusalem to demonstrate the war that was going to come against it. Another time he lay on his side for 390 and then 40 days in front of the people. Another time he shaved his hair off and burnt a third, struck a third with a sword, and tossed the last third into the wind while braiding a few hairs into his garment. What happened to Ezekiel's hairs was a way to demonstrate what would happen to God's people. They needed to repent of their ways lest disaster come upon them.

But the pinnacle of God's voice has now come. Now God speaks by Jesus.

God Speaks By Jesus

2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

Christmas

Jesus came! The Son of God came! God took on flesh and dwelt among us. And the glory of Christmas is the incarnation of God. Immanuel, God with us.

Think about it: everyone knows about Christmas. We have songs, decorations, nativity scenes, and church services all about the great event of Jesus' incarnation. Even the classic effort of politically correct people to pronounce "Happy Holidays" when we all know most of us are celebrating one holiday—Christmas! Almost everyone is in the know.

I recently heard a story from a book about country music star Travis Tritt. When he was up-and-coming, he played many dive bars and honky tonks, some of which were pretty rowdy and dangerous. But he developed a way to keep the peace and protect everyone from harm. He said:

• “‘Silent Night’ proved to be my all-time lifesaver. Just when [bar fights] started getting out of hand, when bikers were reaching for their pool cues and rednecks were heading for the gun rack, I’d start playing ‘Silent Night.’ It could be the middle of July—I didn’t care. Sometimes they’d even start crying, standing there watching me sweat and play Christmas carols.”

Jesus Is The Final Word

Jesus is the way God spoke up in this final era of God's redemptive plan, a time Hebrews calls these last days (2). This means we are waiting for Jesus' return, but not for further revelation. We have all the information we need because God spoke up by his Son! Jesus is the final word.

Jesus Is The Best Word

Jesus, you see, isn't only the final word, but the best word. He is better than all the prophets who came before. The idea that he is better is actually the theme of Hebrews. The imperfect methods are over, and now the fulfillment has come. Jesus is not just better than the Old Testament sacrifices—he is the better sacrifice. He is not only better than the Old Testament promised land—he is the better promised land. He's the better Sabbath rest. He brought the better covenant. And he instituted a better priesthood because he is our Great High Priest who lives to make intercession for us. In a sense, because Jesus came, the Old Testament voice of God is improved and refreshed because we can read it through the lens of Jesus! Jesus is the best word.

Jesus Is The Worthy Word

But the text tells us Jesus is also the worthy word—he is worthy of this transcendent position as the pinnacle of God's revelation to man. Why? Because he has been appointed the heir of all things as a result of the fact he (Jesus) created the world (2).

The baby lying in the manger, the child of the holy night, the infant the aged man named Simeon held in his hands and said, "now my eyes have seen God's salvation," is the heir of all things. He is the creator—it's all his invention—so of course, he's the heir.

The book of Revelation gives us a glimpse into this part of Jesus' nature. Near the beginning of the book, John had a vision of heaven. In it was a scroll that no one was found worthy of taking and opening. But since Jesus had conquered sin at the cross, making the way for mankind to be saved, he was found worthy to open the scroll and loose its seven seals. When he took the scroll, everyone sang, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" (Revelation 5:12). Every creature in heaven and earth sang the same, praying for Jesus to have blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13). The scroll seems to be the title deed to the earth—Jesus will be the perpetual king—and he won the world because he was slain. Baby Jesus became the eventual heir of all things because of his cross.

But what, specifically, did Jesus want to inherit? You. Me. I know sometimes you don't enjoy other Christians, but Jesus first incarnated and then was incapacitated so that he could have us. He wanted to bring you into his forever family.

He compared his attitude to that of a man who found a treasure in a field, hid that treasure, and for joy over it sells all he has to buy the field (Matthew 14:44). We are his treasure in this field!

He also compared his attitude to that of a man who found a pearl of great price. He went and sold all he had to gain that pearl (Matthew 14:45-46). We are his pearl of great price!

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and Jesus somehow sees us as beautiful and desirable. I know many think the parables I just referenced describe Jesus as the treasure in the field of the pearl of great price. But did we really sell everything to get Jesus? Did we divest ourselves of much at all to partake of Christ? Not really. We gave him our filthy garments and said "enough is enough" and ran to him. He is the one who sold it all. And every Christmas, we recall the great distance he traveled and the sacrifice he endured to rescue us for himself. He is the worthy heir of all things!

The Ways God Spoke By Jesus

So when Jesus came, God was giving his finest and clearest word. God spoke up his loudest through Jesus. How so? In what ways did God speak by Jesus?

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, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

1. Jesus Radiates God's Glory

The first way God spoke by Jesus is that Jesus radiates God's glory. He is the radiance of the glory of God (3).

The church is called to be the light of the world, meaning we are to reflect Christ and broadcast him through our lives. But Jesus is the actual "light of the world" because he radiates the actual glory of God. Even when we shine our brightest, our light is like the light of the moon, a mere rebroadcast of the light of the sun. But Jesus' light is like that of direct sunlight—the real thing. He shines with God's true glory.

And lights in the darkness, especially Christmas lights at nighttime, are one of my favorite pictures of who Jesus is. He is "the true light, which enlightens everyone" who has been enlightened (John 1:9). As John said:

John 1:18 (ESV)—18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

And here, in our darkness, Jesus stands out as the true and glorious light of God. And our world is dark. It has echoes of Eden, echoes of God's original and good intention, but it is also infinitely broken. Poverty, disease, hatred, murder, confusion, spiritual blindness—they all abound in this place. But Jesus came to radiate God's glory. When he burst onto the scene in Galilee, he was breaking through into our darkness.

As Isaiah said:

Isaiah 9:2 (ESV) — 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

2. Jesus Shows Us God's Nature

The second way God spoke by Jesus is that Jesus shows us God's nature. Our text said that Jesus is the exact imprint of God's nature (3). Like a coin or engraving or stamp bears the image impressed upon it, so Jesus shows us God's nature.

One day, a disciple named Philip said to Jesus:

John 14:8–9 (ESV) — 8 “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father.'"

Do you want to know what God is like? Look to the Son! Too often, people think of God in the Old Testament as overly severe and full of wrath, but the Jesus of the New Testament as an esoteric philosopher or all-affirming guru who never ruffled anyone's feathers.

But when you look to Jesus and his cross, you see a balance! Look at the cross and see that God hates sin. Look at the cross and see that God loves sinners.

3. Jesus Carries The Universe Forward

The third way God spoke by Jesus is that Jesus carries the universe forward—that's what is meant by the phrase "he upholds the universe by the word of his power" (3). This phrase does not mean he supports the universe on his shoulders (like Atlas), but that he maintains and moves the universe forward to a conclusion.

As Paul said, "The plan for the fulness of time is to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth." And Jesus is moving history forward to that glorious conclusion. Revelation tells us the child of Israel was born but that the dragon (or Satan) tried to kill the child and persecuted Israel. When one reads the story of Herod's murder of the babies in Jerusalem, they can know it is a physical representation of the spiritual dimension. Herod was a pawn of Satan, used to pursue his purpose of destruction of God's Savior and God's people.

But the cosmic forces of evil are destined to fail. That same Revelation passage tells us:

Revelation 12:5 (ESV)—5 (The woman) gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron...

So I hope that when you see baby Jesus, you see the great and glorious future king and ruler. Greater than any president or nation, king or kingdom, Jesus will one day rule in perfect peace forever. And he is sovereignly carrying the universe forward to that glorious purpose.

4. Jesus Purified His People From Sin

The fourth way God spoke by Jesus is that Jesus purified his people from sin. The passage says Jesus made purification for sins (3). This message is the paramount way God spoke through his Son. It's also the predominant theme of Hebrews, by the way. The Old Testament sacrifices were not the final way God washed his people of their sins. Only Jesus and his precious blood could redeem us for God, cleansing and washing us from all blemish.

How can we get back into the friendship, fellowship, and family-relationship we were meant to have with God in Eden? Only through his work on the cross can we be purified from our sin.

And we are all looking for purification from sin. Even if we don't turn to Jesus for it, we look to religion or self-effort or substance abuse or self-affirming-self-help talks in an effort to feel approved. People can say all day long that it's religion or Bible-thumpers that give people a guilt complex. But that argument has reached its expiration—there is so little talk of biblical standards or sin in mainstream culture, yet there is so much energy expended to present ourselves approved! To who? Why is there such a drive to self-justify? Could it be that our maker has put a conscience within us that cries out for his approval? And that cleansing and purification come through Jesus! Like the angel said to Joseph:

Matthew 1:21 (ESV) — 21 (Mary) will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins

Conclusion

He Completed His Task And Received The Highest Name

And because Jesus finished this work, he has received the name above all names. That's the idea of the words "he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high" (3). The God who became a baby who became a boy who became the man on the cross then rose, ascended, and sat down in his rightful place at the right hand of the Father.

To sit means that he finished his work. His purifying task is complete. Now is the age for people to believe in him—before he stands again, mounts his white horse, and comes back to rule the earth.

And all this means Jesus is greater than any being, even the angelic realm. The shepherds of Bethlehem witnessed the angelic host singing of Jesus' birth, and that baby won a name higher than all those angels combined.

So this Christmas, let us rejoice. God has spoken! And in these last days, this last era of his redemptive plan, this last moment before he returns to rule forever, God has spoken through Jesus. He is our great gift. He is the ultimate voice of God!

Isaiah 9:6–7 (ESV)—6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.