After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets, in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world. The Son is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Thus he became so far better than the angels as he has inherited a name superior to theirs. Hebrews 1:1-4
The opening verses of Hebrews make a powerful declaration.
The unknown author of Hebrews begins by reminding his recipients that they are part of something that is bigger than what they are experiencing at the moment. God has been at work, speaking, working, ministering in many, many ways in the past (over thousands of years), but now, in Jesus, we have the clearest picture of who God is.
“If you want to know who God is, look at Jesus. If you want to know what it means to be human, look at Jesus. If you want to know what love is, look at Jesus. If you want to know what grief is, look at Jesus. And go on looking until you’re not just a spectator, but you’re actually part of the drama which has him as the central character.” ~NT Wright
In the Greek, Hebrews 1:1-4 is one long sentence. Most English translations break it down into several sentences to make it a little easier to understand.
In 1:4 we read "he became so far better". This is a phrase that Hebrews will use several times, pointing to the reality of who Jesus is and what he has done. He is "so far better" or "far superior" to anyone or anything else that has gone before.
The Son - Jesus - "is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his (God's) essence". Look, not just "to" but "at" Jesus. See the person of Jesus. He is the "representation". The word here is better translated as "exact representation".
In our world of confusing messages, of pain and trauma, of manipulation by business and political leaders - we need to look carefully, clearly, continually at Jesus. He is the one, as we will see in Hebrews, who is our hope and security.
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