The Seven-fold Supremacy of Christ

God “has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through 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 at the right hand of the Majesty on high” – Hebrews 1:2-3

The story is told of Muhammad Ali flying on an airliner. A flight attendant came by and noticed he was not wearing his seat belt. She noted the lit sign asking him to put on his seat belt. The heavy weight champion of the world replied, “Superman don’t need no seatbelt.” To which the quick-witted flight attendant replied: “Superman don’t need no airplane.” Only Christ reigns supreme among men. In our text of Hebrews 1:2-3 is found a seven-fold supremacy of Christ.

The book of Hebrews is a unique epistle in the New Testament. It lacks an introduction or greeting as it begins. It starts off with “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son” (Hebrews 1:1,2a). During the Old Testament, God used various means and people to reveal and communicate His will. Now he speaks to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. The new Christian era is spoken to by the Son. Why? A seven-fold reason is given in the attributes of which follow.

■ Inheritor

The first reason for changing from the past methods to speaking to man through Christ is “His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things” (1:2a). Sons are naturally heirs. As Creator of the universe, he is its natural heir. “All things were created through Him and for Him” (Col. 1:16b). Everything in the physical universe is for Him and to Him and will perfect in Him as heir. Furthermore, we are his inheritance as He is the redeemer of souls. Jesus is heir to all the heavens and numberless worlds, but we are his treasures. “And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Rom. 8:17).

■ Creator

God “through whom also He made the worlds” (1:2b). Edwin Hubble based on the Doppler effect demonstrated that all red-spectrum galaxies are moving away from us – and that nearly all are red. Thus, the universe is constantly expanding. The fact of the expanding universe demands that it has a beginning point – a time of creation. The universe is not eternal. “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3). “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever” (Rom. 11:36).

■ Radiator

As the moon reflects the light of the Sun so the Son radiates the Glory of God’s. “Who being the brightness of His glory” (1:3a). The Son is more than just a reflector of Divine Glory. He is Divine and the Radiator of Divine Glory.

■ Representor

Jesus is also “the express image of His person” (1:3b). When a die of an image is used, it will only leave the same exact image on the coin. Christ is a perfect or exact representation of God. He and the Father are alike. As one might comment, “The boy is the spitting image of his father.” Keep in mind that the son who looks just like the father is a different person, so Jesus is not the same person as God and God is not the Son. Although Jesus is distinct, He is all God.

■ Sustainer

Additionally, Jesus is “upholding all things by the word of His power” (1:3c). Just as God created all things through the spoken word so Christ sustains all things. God words were powerful enough to create light by simply saying “let there be light.” The Son has the same power. “And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Col. 1:17). We can make things out of other things. We can maintain things using other things. Yet no man can create or sustain anything by use of mere words.

■ Purifier

All men have sinned. The consequences of man’s sin are death. Christ came to be sinless and die for sinful man. Only Jesus “by Himself purged our sins” (1:3d). Jesus accomplished what no idol could do. He cleansed what no animal blood could take away or any High Priest has been able to accomplish for a single sin of man. He did this by dying once for all time for all men and all sin. The terms used here have reference to the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16). This purging of sin is the annual sacrifice for the nation when the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood upon the ark. Jesus only had to enter once and then He was able to sit “down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (1:3e).

■ Ruler

By sitting down on the right hand of the throne of God, Jesus has finished His role on earth. Levitical priests always were standing, standing, standing – because no sacrifice was complete. “And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God” (Heb. 10:11-12).

“The right hand” is the place of highest honor. Peter tells us when this took place in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost. “This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God” (Acts 2:32,33a).

These seven glorious roles and attributes of Christ demonstrate the reason why we all need to now listen to the Son. There is no need to seek for salvation from the Law of Moses, the Psalms or the Prophets. God used various men and women through various means to reveal Truth in the past but in the Christian era we must look to the Son who speak words of salvation.

– Daniel R. Vess