Hebrews 1:1-2 1 In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
The book of Hebrews is a unique book in the Bible. It begins like an essay, progresses into a sermon, and ends as an epistle. A key word that occurs over and over again throughout Hebrews is the word “better”. The author of Hebrews states that the new covenant that God has made with mankind is better than the old covenant, that Jesus Christ is better than the angels or the Old Testament prophets, and that the message of Jesus Christ offers all of us a better hope.
The author of Hebrews begins by dividing history into two main time periods, just like our calendar does. The period before the coming of Christ he calls “times past” while he refers to the period after Christ as “the last days”. He says that God spoke to mankind in times past through prophets in many ways. The ways in which God spoke through these prophets were diverse and varied. Sometimes it was through dreams and visions, sometimes it was through actions and symbols and sometimes it was through spoken or written words.
When one reads the writings of those ancient prophets in the Old Testament it is obvious that even the prophets themselves were unsure of what they spoke and that they didn’t always understand the full significance of their messages. The message that came through the prophets didn’t come all at once. It came in fragments at different times and places and it wasn’t always clear and plain.
Eventually the time came when God chose to reveal Himself to us in much clearer terms and in a much better way. The writer of Hebrews tells us that in the “last days” God has spoken to us through His Son, Christ Jesus. This time the message is not fragmented: it is the whole message delivered to the whole world.
So what is this message? The message is that God is a God of love and not just a God of justice. The message is that God is the God of all nations, not just the God of Israel. The message is that mankind can be set free from the curse of sin through faith in the Son of God.
You see, this new messenger is something much much greater than the Old Testament prophets. Not only is Jesus the messenger, but he is also the message. So the writer goes on to give some reasons why Jesus is a much better messenger than the ancient prophets. He reminds us that Jesus is the heir of all things because He is the Son of God and that all things were created through him.
The message that this messenger brings to you is one of deliverance and salvation. You may be one of those persons who are enslaved by sin today. You may be a drunkard or a drug addict. You may be a thief and a liar. Your life may be in shattered ruins and seemingly beyond repair. But God has sent you a message that you can be set free. Today God is speaking to you through his Son, Jesus, who is not only the messenger but is also the message. Will you receive it?
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