Master of the Universe

By Pastor Chad

Is it enough to simply love Jesus? You’ve probably heard folks say, “Look, I don’t know a lot about the Bible, but I do love Jesus.” Don’t get me wrong, it is great to love Jesus. In fact, love of Christ is necessary. But is that all you need? What about Mormons or Jehovah Witnesses? They claim to love Jesus, but they do not see Jesus as we do. To truly love Jesus, one must know who He is. How do we learn more about who Jesus is? We go to Sacred Scripture. 

This last Sunday we began our look at the book of Hebrews. Hebrews is a book that tells us who Jesus is, what He did, and why He did it. It shows Christians that the Old Testament must be read through the prism of the New Testament. In other words, the prophecies, events, and people of the Old Testament are pointing to the redemptive work of Christ. The first four verses of the book set the stage for where it will go. In those verses, the author describes Jesus as the superior Prophet, Priest, and King.  

He is the Great Prophet. The one to whom all other prophets pointed. The one that founded a church, and appointed certain men to lead His church after the ascension. These men either wrote or appointed someone to write the teachings of Christ so those following them could know. We have their teachings today. It is the New Testament: 27 books that teach us about the redemptive work of our Lord. 

He is the Great High Priest. Unlike other high priests, Jesus did not offer the blood of animals as a sacrifice for sin. Animal sacrifice was never enough. Our Lord offered Himself on the altar of the cross. He shed His own blood so that all who repent and believe can be saved. This atonement, which the author of Hebrews calls the “purification for sins” (verse 3), is the ultimate sacrifice. It is the once-for-all sacrifice. Jesus, the spotless, Lamb of God, offered Himself for our sake. Now, all covered in the blood of our Lord are forgiven of their sins and made new. 

And, lastly, Jesus is King. He isn’t simply King, He is King of Kings. Hebrews 1:2-4 says, “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things…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, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.” Jesus is superior to all earthly kings because He is the radiance of God’s glory. He upholds the universe by His word. He is the Master of the universe. He is superior to angels. And He sits at the right hand of the Father. The right hand of the Father, of course, is a position that signifies honor and authority and power. He rules, with the Father, all of the universe.

As we travel through the book of Hebrews, my prayer is that you learn more about who our Lord is, why He has done what He did, and why it matters.