NT Fire Starters – Day 303: Hebrews 1:1-14

READ: Hebrews 1:1-14

THINK: Remember when you were a kid–during the first few years of school–you might have looked forward to “show and tell,” when you could bring a favorite thing from home and tell the class all about it. It was likely a proud moment for you, and hopefully informative for others. These times helped everyone get to know each other just a little better. Actually, people never outgrow the tendency to learn best about others by what they see and hear from them directly. That’s part of why God chose to reveal himself to us through His Word and ultimately by His Son, who is the living Word (John 1:1)–God in human form. He came to clearly show and tell us the way to God. And because He did, we not only know about God, we can know Him personally.

RESPOND: What do we have today as a result of God speaking “through the prophets at many times and in various ways’? (See 1:1 note.) How did Jesus fulfill or complete God’s message to humankind? What does the opening of Hebrews reveal about the nature, character, power and authority of Jesus Christ? (See 1:3 first note.) What are the implications of Jesus as “the exact representation of [God’s] being” (v. 3)? What did Jesus do after He had paid the price and provided the means for us to be cleansed from sin? (See 1:3 second note.) Why does the author emphasize Jesus’ authority above the angels (vv. 5-14) as well as above the prophets? (See 1:4 note.) In what ways is Jesus superior to the angels? What does it mean that Jesus is God’s “firstborn” (v. 6)? (See 1 Corinthians 1:15 note.) What evidence do we see from Jesus’ life of how He “loved righteousness and hated wickedness”? (See 1:9 note.) How should God’s people follow Jesus’ example in this way? How can we grow in love for righteousness and hatred of wickedness? (See 1:9 note, sub point 2.) What do verses 10-12 clearly indicate about Jesus? (See 1:10 note.)

PRAY: Take time to worship Jesus for who He is–the all-powerful son of God, the Creator of the universe, the eternal King with authority over all. Ask Jesus to give you His love for what’s right and His hatred for evil.

ACT: Make a conscious effort to do the right thing in all situations. In the process, avoid and reject attitudes and behaviors in your own life that would compromise with wickedness. While this means using discretion in relationships, a hatred for wickedness also means reaching out with compassion to those who are deceived and caught up in ungodly lifestyles. If you have time later, review the chart of Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled in Christ, p. 794.