Sermon 02/01/04 pm

Jim Huskey, Better

We began our study of the book of Hebrews and some powerful lessons

from that letter which was written to try to stem the tide of Jews

returning to Judaism and leaving Christianity.

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past

unto the fathers by the prophets, 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; 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 of high; being made so much better than the

angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than

they." Heb. 1:1-4.

This morning we looked particularly at the things primarily in the

first two verses and some powerful lessons there, that Jesus is God's

spokesman now. Those other spokeksmen were at one time to be heard;

and we can learn from them now, if we understand the purpose of the

Old Testament. It was written aforetime for our learning, Paul said,

in the Roman letter, and also in the I Corthinthian letter, it was

written for our admontion, for our instruction. We've noted also

that the theme of the book of Hebrews is the word "better". It would

be hard to understand the rationale of these Jews who were going back

to a system to which they were returning, especially when we consider

the things they had in Christ that they did not have under the law of

Moses. In the third verse we want to look at a couple things near the

end of the verse.

Speaking concerning Christ, God's Son, "...when he had by himself

purged our sins..." Now think about the old Jew. Three times a year

he had to go to Jerusalem. There were three appointed feasts and he

had better be there. What as going to happen? Well, in particular,

on one of those occasions the high priest would take a sacrifice, an

offering, into the holy of holies and there would offer for the sins

of the people. Now he first had to offer for his own sins, then he

would offer for the sins of the people. Well, what did that offering

do? Did it take them away? No it didn't, because the next year hd

would have to go back into the holy of holies and do the same thing

again for those same sins, and any othes that had been committed since

then. The next year it would be the same, then the next year, and the

next, and so on. The Hebrew author said, "..he by himself purged our

sins." You see, under the law of Moses they were not purged; they

were rolled foward. Now what do you do when you purge something? You

clean it out. Here a while back we went through a purging in our

office, cleaning out the office files. We have to keep them for a

certain length of time but after that we can purge those old files and

get them out of our way. So we do away with them. Since there might

be confidential material inside them, we have to burn them or some

sort of destructive process like that. But this verse says "...when

he by himself purged our sins." Let's turn over further into the

book of Hebrews, into the seventh chapter and begin reading in verse

19. "For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a

better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. And inasmuch as

not without an oath he was made priest; (For those priests were made

without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him,

The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou are a priest for ever after

the order of Melchisedec.) By so much was Jesus made a surety of a

better testament. And they truly were many priests, because they were

suffered to continue by reason of death; but this man, because he

continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is

able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him,

seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high

priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from

sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as

those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins,

and then for the people's; for this he did once, when he offered up

himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity;

but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who

is consecrated for evermore." Heb. 7:19-28.

Very early in the book of Hebrews the author introduced this theme.

"..he by himself purged our sins." In the book of Matthew, chapter 26,

speaking regarding the Supper as Christ instituted it, he told his

apostles concerning the cup "For this is my blood of the new

testament, which is shed for many FOR the remission of sins." vs. 28.

You see, under the old law there was no true remission of sins. There

was a remembrance made every year and it was not until Jesus died on

the cross that those sins were forgiven. Why? because it was not

possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.

So, very early, not only pointing out that God has today spoken by

his Son, the author pointed out that God did something else through

his Son. His Son, by himself, by his sacrifice, by his death on the

cross, purged our sins, but is also set down on the right hand of

the Majesty on high. Remember we were talking this morning about that

conversation that was had on the mount of transfiguration. The gospel

of Luke tells us that Moses and Elias were speaking with him concerning

his demise which he should accomplish in Jerusalem. That was fore-

ordained. Those folks weren't in control there in the garden, the

Lord was, and a of folks keep forgetting that in situations today.

God is still on his throne, he has not relinquished power over to the

hands of man. Man is not the authority, God is. Christ by himself

purged our sins and set down on the right hand of the Majesty on

high. In Psalms 110:1 we read, "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou

at might right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." Well,

you know, that's interesting. When we go back to the book of Acts

chapter 2 and the very first gospel sermon that was preached, Jesus is

the theme of Peter's sermon. Peter was coming toward his conclusion

and he spoke concerning David. "...I foresaw the Lord always before

my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved;

therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also

my flesh shall rest in hope; because thou wilt not leave my soul in

hades, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou

hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of

joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto

you of the patriach David, that he is both dead and buried, and his

sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and

knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of

his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on

his throne he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ,

that his soul was not left in hades, neither his flesh did see

corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are

witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and

having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath

shed forth his, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended

into the heavens; but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord,

Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool.

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath

made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ."

Acts 2:25-36. In the book of Ephesians 1, the apostle Paul was

praying, beginning verse 16. He had said when he heard of their faith

in the Lord and love of the saints, "Cease not to give thanks for

you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord

Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of

wisdom and revelation in the knowlege of him; the eyes of your

understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of

his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the

saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward

who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he

wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at

his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principalities,

and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not

only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and hath put

all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to

the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in

all." Eph. 1:16-23.

Remember back in the Old Testament Daniel saw a vision and he saw one

come with the clouds of heaven to the Ancient of Days and there was

given unto him a kingdom and dominion, that all nations should serve

him. Well, the author of the Hebrew had incorporated all that into

one phrase, "...when he had himself purged our sin, set down on the

right hand of the Majesty on high." All those promises and prophesies

back in the Old Testament looked forward to that occasion. Then the

Jew wanted to go back to the law of Moses !!!!!!. Now you see why

the author of the Hebrew letter began the way he did. "God, who at

sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the

fathers by the prophets...(Moses was one of those)...hath in these last

days spoken unto us by his Son...." The author wanted to tell them

something about the Son and that's what he began to do from that

point on and the key phrase is the one word "better". BETTER. He'll

keep hammering at that. We read a few moments from the 7th chapter.

How many times in those few verses did you hear the word "better"?

One after the other. Better hope, better promises, better covenant,

better sacrifice, on and on it goes. Verse 4, "Being made so much

better than the angels.."

He will start now showing several things the Jew held in high esteem

and how Jesus was superior in every respect to each of them, and he

began with the angels. You know, of course, there was a sect of the

Jewish nation who did not believe in angels and spirits, the

resurrection and things of that nature. The majority of them believe

in thos things. The more strict, as Paul described them, of the

Jews and Pharisees did believe. The Sadducees did not believe in them.

"Being made so much better than the angels..." We must understand

that an angel was a servant and it was for that purpose that the

angels were created. They were ministering spirits. The author said

first of all that Christ has a more excellent name than the angels and

he got that by inheritance. He said, "For unto which of the angels

said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?"

vs. 5. Well, to none of them. You see, there are those who teach

that Jesus was just a son of God, he wasn't THE SON OF GOD. But one

of the points this author makes is that it was said to no other,

spirit being or otherwise, but to his Son. In John 1:1,2 we remember

reading "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God." In

verse 14 we find, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us

(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the

Father, full of grace and truth." Wasn't that the same thing the

author said in verse 3 of chapter 1 of Hebrews, "Who being the

brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person...".

Angels didn't incorporate all that and they did not have the

inheritance of all things given unto them under their power, nor did

they have the name. "...he hath by inheitance obtained a more

excellent name than they." If we turn over to the book of Philippians,

chapter 2, Paul speaking regarding this very incident of which was

spoken here when he (Christ) himself purged our sins, said, "Let this

mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form

of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself

of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was

made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he

humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of

the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him

a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every

knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things

under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ

is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phil. 2:5-11. As I said,

the author introduced this theme very early in the book just like

Paul did when he wrote the book of Romans. He introduced his theme

in the very first chapter about the fifth verse. Well, it took Paul

four verses to actually use the word "better", but he'd already laid

the foundation before he got there, when he started talking about

Jesus and what he had done for us.

A wonderful book, the book of Hebrews, because it helps us understand

some of the things that are written in the Old Testmant and many of

the things that were done in the Old Testament, as the were a type

or a shadow of things to come. So a lot of the things we'll

discover as we go through this book we're familiar with, a lot of

the names and incidents. We'll run across a lot of names that we

read about in the Old Testament, like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David,

Melchizedech, Noah, a host of folks. We see the principles and

precepts having been set and things having be prepared and made ready

for something "better". Even in the honour roll of faith, having

listed all those there, they without us not be made perfect. So

we'll begin tying some of those things together as we go through our

brief study of this book.