³ The Son is the light of God’s glory and the imprint of God’s being. He maintains everything with his powerful message. After he carried out the cleansing of people from their sins, he sat down at the right side of the highest majesty. (Heb. 1:3, CEB)

The first 4 verses of Hebrews are truly beautiful. As I prepare to teach Hebrews for the semester, I am working my way through these verses and am drawn in by the majesty of our Savior.

The one aspect of Christ to look at is in v. 3: “After he carried out the cleansing of the people from their sins…”

The author of Hebrews has us awestruck in the first few phrases of this letter by the majesty of the One who created by his word and sustains all things by the continuing activity of the Word. But then, we are taken in a different direction.

F.F. Bruce said this in his commentary:

“Here we pass from the cosmic functions of the Son of God to his personal relationship with mankind, to his work as his people’s high priest, which is elaborated throughout the epistle… The wisdom which crated the worlds and maintains them in their due order may well beget in us a sens of wondering awe; but the grace which has provided a remedy for the defilement of sin by a life freely offered up to God on our behalf calls forth a sense of personal indebtedness which the contemplation of diving activity on the cosmic scale could never evoke.”

We settle for so little! We think it’s something to blown away by the cosmic order of things, how God could have spoken this into existence at some point by his word, and knowing he sustains all things by his Word. To be in “wonder” at that is something that IS nice, but it’s not enough.

Why settle for the “wow” of staring at some stars? Because we don’t want to make this personal. A God “out there” is much easier to control.

But this Word from God came to do something more. Something personal. 

Why settle for shouting, “WOW!” at some stars when you can be blown away by the grace of our Lord who would give himself willingly for us?

Christ calls us to much more than admiration. He calls us to respond. Don’t just admire Christ. Respond to him.