Unequivocally the most important question in this life that you need to answer for yourself is "Who is Jesus Christ?"

He was human in every respect, but He is not just a man. If He were just a man, He would not have been worthy to die for your sins. He was a prophet because He delivered God's message. But He was not just a prophet, because He was "the Word become flesh". He was not an angel because He was begotten, not made. He is God incarnate (born into flesh).

One of the purposes of the Book of Hebrews is to help us understand the nature of Jesus Christ and why He did things the way He did. This is a subject that separates the true Church of God from the cults. Not only that, but it helps us to understand how God can become so personally involved with humanity, to the point of making it possible for each of us to have a personal relationship with Him, through Jesus Christ.

What follows is an exposition of the first chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews:

(1), In the past, God spoke at various times and in different ways to our predecessors through the prophets. (2) In these last days He speaks to us through his Son, whom He appointed heir of everything, by whom also He made the worlds.

In the Old Testament world, God had Moses gather his people together at the mountain, where He promised to speak to them. When God did speak, the people cowered at God's voice. The sights and sounds were too fearsome for sinful flesh. They trembled at the presence of God's Glory and cried out to Moses to go into God's presence and listen to what He says, then come out and tell them.

God has always wanted to establish a personal relationship with His people, but sinful flesh cannot stand to abide in the presence of a holy God. Our sins create a powerful enmity to separate flesh from the Spirit of God. When He could not speak first-hand with His people, He raised up Prophets to speak for Him. Then came His written Word. He spoke though every intermediary available to Him to speak to His people.

Jesus Christ bridged that gap of sin. He was God born into the flesh, as John, the evangelist said, "...and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." Since the work of the cross has been completed, God no longer chooses to speak through an intermediary, but through His Son, Jesus Christ.

The writer of Hebrews makes it a point to state that this Son, whom God has chosen as spokesman is more than a servant. He is Son and heir. More than that, He was instrumental in the creation of the world. Now God has made Him the instrument to reconcile man back to Himself.

(3) He is the brightness of God's glory, and the express image of His person, and He bolsters all things by the Word of His Power. When he had by Himself cleansed our sins, He sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.

The writer now gives us the resume of Jesus Christ's qualifications as God's spokesman and reconciliation:

1. "Brightness of God's glory." Glory is a quality, characteristic or attribute that attracts honor, praise or distinction. In the Old Testament, God's glory was a manifestation of splendor that radiated from His presence. That same magnificence shines through Jesus Christ. But since we see it through Jesus, who is God within the veil of Human flesh, we don't need to cower. It emanates from Him as love, joy, peace, and a myriad of refreshing, desirable qualities.

2. "Express image of the Personage of God." As the Son of God and second member of the Trinity, Jesus inherited His Father's character. He is the prime example of how flesh can take on godliness. Jesus said, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." The Sun is a great source of light in the sky. It is beautiful, but we cannot look directly at it or its brilliance would blind us. When we look at the Moon we actually see the sunshine, since the moon only reflects the light shining on it from the Sun. The moon has its own form and comeliness, which makes us unaware that we are actually viewing the glory of the Sun in a way that will not injure our eyes. In that way, Jesus enables us to see the Glory of God in a way that doesn't make us cower.

3. "Strong in works by reliance on the Word of God." To begin with, the world was created by the Word of God. God said, "Let there be..." And it was so. The same Word sustains things. The Word of God doesn't weaken or lose its power. It is the instrument God uses to make His power work. God's work doesn't die or fade. It is sustained or bolstered by the Word of His Power. Jesus ministry was powerful because He wielded the Word of God. This Jesus, who comes into our heart when we become Christians, is the same one who said, "Lazarus, come forth," so that he who was dead came forth. At the heart of His power was the fact that He did nothing independent from His Father. He told His disciples that He did not do or say anything that He first did not hear from His Father.

4. "Cleansed our sins." When Jesus dealt with our sins, He did more than obtain forgiveness for us. Our sins stain or pollute us. His dealings were so thorough as to cleanse us, purify us, remove our sin-stains, and make us just as if we had never sinned.

5. "He finished His work." Later in Hebrews the point is made that the priests stand daily offering up sacrifices in the temple, but Jesus when He offered up Himself as the sacrifice, sat down. There is no need for Him to do more. He is the perfect sacrifice. When He died on the cross He said, "It is finished." His work is completed. Nothing remains undone. It is left for us to apply what He has done to our lives.

(4) He was made so much better than the angels were, because He had inherited a more excellent name than they did. (5) To which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son. Today I sired you?" And again, "I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to me a Son?"

Jesus Christ was superior in His house as an heir is superior to a servant. The writer of Hebrews cites two prophesies where God affirms that the Messiah is His Son. A son, by right of birth, receives the seal of an heir, which is his father's name. That distinguishes him from the servants employed in the household who have no claim on the name of the head of the house. Jesus is declared to be a Son, and not a servant. His relationship is that of a Son and not that of a servant. The angels are servants, and are like employees, not heirs.

(6) And again, when He brought the first-begotten into the world, He said, "And let all the angels of God worship Him." (7) And of the angels He said, "Who makes His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire."

Jesus Christ was begotten not created. The angels were created not begotten. Jesus is worthy to receive worship by the angels. There are numerous instances of angelic visitation in the Bible where men prostrated themselves before angels to worship them, but the angels were careful to pull these men upright onto their feet, so as not to steal any worship from God. Jesus is the begotten Son of God and God's admonition to the angels is, "Let all the angels of God worship Him." They deny being worthy of worship themselves.

(8) But to the Son He said, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. (9) You have loved righteousness, and hated iniquity. Therefore God, even Your God, anointed You with the oil of gladness above your fellows."

Jesus' throne is proclaimed to be eternal. A scepter is a token of the governing authority symbolizing a king's right to rule. Governing authority has to either be constrained by force, or acquired by the consent of the governed. Jesus Christ's love of righteousness makes Him God's choice from above. His Love of righteousness and hatred of iniquity summons loyalty from His subjects, making Him also the choice from below. Such a dominion is not likely to see rebellion spring up. Oil is used in ceremonies to anoint kings into office. When Jesus is enthroned, He will be anointed with the oil of gladness since it will be a universal voice of acclamation that cheers Him.

In the scriptures, oil is always symbolic of the Holy Spirit. When the Prophet, Samuel, anointed Saul, and later David, as King of Israel, the use of oil showed the agency of the Holy Spirit in this act. The way the oil covered the King at the anointing was the way the Holy Spirit anointed the man to enable him to perform his office as King. But at Jesus Christ's anointing as King, it will be oil of gladness. Jesus at last will have the joy of ruling His people, and the elect will rejoice in gladness at having Jesus Christ as King.

(10) And, "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth; and the Heavens are the works of Your hands. (11) They shall pass away; but You remain; and they all shall age as a garment does. (12) And like a garment You shall fold them up, and they shall be changed. But You are the same, and Your years shall not fail."

Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I am." He is ageless. He existed before the worlds. He was active in creation. Moses praised Him this way: "from everlasting to everlasting, Thou are God". The writer of Hebrews is talking about the changelessness of Jesus. He will neither wear out nor grow old. He won't be cast aside because of obsolescence. Nothing about time will ever affect Him.

(13) But to which of the angels did He ever say, "Sit on my right hand, until I make Your enemies a stool for Your feet?" (14) Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Finally, Jesus is told by the Father to sit on His throne until all His enemies are brought into subjection. The angels are appointed to a ministry to the elect in these final days. This is the situation we find ourselves in today. Jesus' work is finished. He is seated on His throne. The enemies of the Kingdom of God are still ravaging the world, Jesus is seated there waiting for God to put them under His feet.

Mankind is still suffering the same plight, but our Lord still has two kinds of operatives working in the earth: the redeemed, and the angels of God who help them. This introduces another minor theme that runs throught the Letter to the Hebrews, God working His purpose through His people, equipping them with the Word and Faith, and backing them up with His heavenly messengers.

This makes the rest of the Book of Hebrews an exciting message to us. It also assures us that while it seems like we are plodding through this world, and the church often seems like it is floundering, God will still use it to work out His purpose.