Here's the scripture:
His Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by 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 on the right hand of the Majesty on high."And here's Spurgeon's thoughts on it.
- Hebrews 1:2
...But it matters not how many worlds there are; God made them all by Jesus Christ: "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." I see him standing, as it were, at the anvil of each stroke of his majestic arm. It was Christ who was there, - "the wisdom of God and the power of God," as Paul calls him, - creating all things. I love to think that he who created all things is also our Savior, for then he can create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me; and if I need a complete new creation, - as I certainly do, - he is equal to the task. Man cannot create the tiniest midge that ever danced in the summer evening's ray; man cannot create even a single grain of dust; but Christ created all worlds, so he can make us new creatures by the wondrous power of his grace.
This part refrences the temple from the Old Testament. I find it so exciting to see how God so often refreneced that, how detailed He is, how thorough, and how far back His plan has gone.
So let us pass on to the next clause: "and the express image of his person." I said a minute ago, "Shade your eyes;" but I might now say, "Shut them," as I think of the excessive brilliance described by these words: "the express image of his person." Whatever God is, Christ is; the very likeness of God, the very image of his person." Dr. John Owen, who loves to explain the spiritual meaning in the Epistle to the Hebrews by the types in the OldTestament, which is evidently what Paul himself was doing, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, - explains the brightness of the Father's glory by a reference to the Shekinah over the mercy-seat, which was the only visible token of the presence of God there. An extraordinary brightness is said to have shone forth from between the cherubim. Now, Christ is God manifesting himself in his brightness. But, on his forehead, the high priest wore a golden plate, upon which was deeply engraven, in Hebrew letters, the inscription, "Holiness to (or of) Jehovah." Dr. Owen thinks there is a reference, in this "express image of hs person," - this cut-out inscription of God, as it were, - to that which was on the forehead of the high priest, and which represented the glorious wholeness or holiness of Jehovah, whi is his great glory. Well, whether the apostle referred to this or not, it is for you and me to take off our shoes from our feet in the presence of Christ, "the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person." To me, these words are like the bush in which God dwelt, yet which was not consimed, they are all on fire; what more shall I say of them?
"upholding all things by the word of his power," Just think of it. This great world of ours is upheld by Christ's word. If he did not speak it into continued existence, it would go back into the nothingness from whence it sprang. There exists not a being who is independent of the Mediator, save only the ever-blessed Father and the Spirit. "By him all things consist," that is, continue to hold together. Just as these pillars uphold these galleries, or as the foundations uphold a house, so does Jesus Christ "uphold all things by the word of his power." Only think of it; those innumerable worlds of light that make illimitable space to look as though it were sprinkled over with golden dust, would all die out, like so many expiring sparks, and cease to be, if the Christ who died on Calvary did not will that they should continue to exist. I cannot bring out of my text all the wondrous truths that it contains, I only wish I could; but, surely, if Christ upholds all things, he can uphold me. If the word of his power upholds earth and heaven, surely that same word can uphold you, poor trembling heart if you will trust him. There need be no fear about that matter; come and prove it for yourself. May his blessed Spirit enable you to do so even now!I know this is getting long, but its just all so good!
He who is all that I have tried to describe, did what? First, he effectually purged our sins: "when he had by himself purged our sins." ...The sweepers of the streets, the scullions of the kitchen, the cleansers of the sewers, have honorable work compared with this purging sin. Yet the holy Christ, incapable of sin, stooped to purge our sins. I want you to meditate upon that wondrous work; and to remember that he purged our sins even before we had committed them? There they stood, before the sight of God, as already existent in all their hideousness; but Christ came, and purged them, this, surely, ought to make us sing the song of songs. Before I sinned, he purged my sins away; singular and strange as it is, yet it is so.
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead workds to serve the living God? He gave himself for us; not only his blood, but all that constituted himself, his Godhead, and his manhood. All that he had, and all that he was, he gave as the ransom price of us; can any of you extimate the value of that price?
"In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve." Shall I tell you where your sings are? Christ purged them, and God said, "I will cast all their sins behind my back." Where is that? All things are before God. I do not know where behind God's back can be. It is nowhere, for God is everywhere present, seeing everything. So that is where my sins have gone; I speak with the utmost reverence when I say that they have gone where Jehovah himself can never see them. Christ so purged them that they have ceased to be.
It is indeed amazing love that made him stoop to this purgation, this expiation, this atonement for sin; but, because he was who and what he was, he did it thoroughly, perfectly. He said, "It is finished," and I believe him. I do not - I cannot - for a moment admit that there is anything to be done by us to complete that work, or anything required of us to make the annihilation of our sins complete.
"When he had by himself purged our sins, he sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high." ...Notice first, that this implies rest. When the high priest went within the veil, he did not sit down...The high priest of old had not finished his work; the next year another atoning sacrifice would be needed; but our Lord has completed his atonement...There he sits, and I am sure he would not be sitting if he had not finished the salvation of his people...But Christ is resting now; my eye, by faith, can see him sitting there, so I know that -
Love's redeeming work is done; Fought the fight, the battle won.
1 comment:
i just now read this...thank you sarah, spurgeon is so wise!
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