Reflection  by Lily Strachan*

In the Lord Jesus, something extraordinary has happened. We see this in Hebrews 1:1-2, where the contrast between how God spoke ‘in the past’ and now, ‘in these last days’, leaves us in no doubt as to the finality and supremacy of God’s Word, his Son. There is a directness and intimacy here that supersedes the word spoken by God’s prophets of old.

God’s Son could not be more glorious, more powerful, or more worthy of praise.

In 1:2-3, the writer of Hebrews pours forth descriptions of Jesus’ person and work that are only true of the triune God himself. The universality and completeness of Christ’s prestige and power is seen throughout. Jesus made the universe, and he is the heir and sustainer of all things. Jesus is not just ‘similar’ to God – he is the ‘radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being’. God’s word to us could not be clearer – Jesus is God, and he has spoken to us once and for all as the Word incarnate.

Most of all, it is in Jesus’ death, by which he ‘provided purification for sins’, that God demonstrates his love for us. On our own, our best deeds and thoughts are filthy rags. We cannot purify ourselves. For that we need the God-man Jesus to be our perfect sacrifice, our willing substitute, our loving Saviour.

In sitting down at God’s right hand in heaven, Jesus demonstrates the sufficiency and finality of his atoning death for sinners. What each of us needs so desperately is to be made right with God – to have our sins wiped clean. This is exactly what God has done in his Son. Let us throw ourselves on his mercy and rejoice that in God’s final Word, Jesus Christ, we are truly saved.

Prayer

Great God, thank you that in Jesus, your perfect Word, I can see you exactly as you are – glorious, powerful, creator, and sustainer. Help me to always rejoice that in Christ, you have completely purified me from sin. Thank you that in your matchless supremacy, you would humble yourself to enter our world as a baby, and that you would go to death on a cross in my place. Amen.

*Lily Strachan serves as the Chaplain to Robert Menzies College at Macquarie University and writes and speaks about faith and mental health. She is writing a book about living with bipolar and caring for those who live with bipolar. She loves speaking about God’s goodness in all of life.