THE SON: A Superior Person. Hebrews 1:3 The writer of Hebrews continues to describe the Person of the Son of God by emphasizing that His brightness is not reflected light but the source of all light. The Light of the World is the Son of God, whose light comes from His inherent being, which is revealed in human form. He is the radiance of God, displaying the light of unwavering moral strength and spiritual glory in a way humans can see. The eternal, infinite God has revealed Himself through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. God is visible in Him.
Radiance mostly remains hidden from human eyes but is morally visible where God, in human flesh, walked earthly roads that man had trodden. A brilliance of moral light—unmistakable as the rays from the sun—shines in a glory largely hidden from men—the Christ, God’s Anointed One. He was here, full of grace flowing from lips that spoke God’s truth. And truth in flesh displayed, for the first time, a vision of man’s true worth—seen in human flesh by sin untainted and unresponsive to it—as God in Christ moved visibly among those who mocked and taunted. The One who held their breath in His hand yet graciously begged them to come to Him for a life of abundance and everything they truly needed.
The “brightness of His glory” shows the clear image of what is true, alive, and certain about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Nothing about God is vague. The Lord Jesus Christ revealed to our limited human understanding what God meant for us when He created man in His own image. The fact that no two of us are exactly alike physically highlights what God wants us to be morally and spiritually. We are meant to be like our Lord in our new nature, in character, and godliness. He is superior to everyone because of His divine nature, which was, is, and always will be perfect.
Right at the beginning of this treatise on the Person and work of Christ, to establish in the hearts and minds of believers the facts about the Savior, the opening verses summarize the entire message. Christ has completed a better work than all that came before He came, and no one can add to what He has done because it is finished. The Spirit of God used the writer to briefly outline the entire teaching of the book before delving into the specifics, namely, to reveal that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
He was not just a reflection of God; He was an exact representation of His being. Even though men doubted Him, they were seeing the true and living God. Upholding everything—the world, the stars, the universe—He kept everything in place. This Living, Eternal God was here, and they looked upon His face and lived, for He alone gives life, and He came here to die. He knew we, in our sins, would forever lie on our own—without hope, unable to rise or see the light, never able to accomplish lasting worth or fulfill what God intended. So, by Himself, He chose to purge our sins, that through acceptance in His Person, we might enter in.
His role in the Godhead goes beyond simply being the exact representation of God—He is God. He is the complete revelation of the eternal God. He is the Creator, for He "made the worlds." He is the outward, visible expression of God in a body. There is no clearer view of God than by looking at our Lord Jesus Christ.
God has spoken to us through Christ, who is the eternal Word, the expression of God in both word and action. God speaks to us and within us - "in Son." Jesus is God's message to us, and He is the reason for that message. The One with all creative power to make "all things" is the only One with the power to save us and deliver us from the condemnation of our sins. He dealt with our sin problem and the judgment we deserve for sin. His righteousness has provided the foundation for our acceptance by a righteous God. We are "in Christ," and Christ is "in us, the hope of glory."
The phrase “The express image of His Person” means there is no clearer view of God than what we see in our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the complete revelation of God given to us in human form to make God understandable. "Be ye holy, for I am holy.” He is truth in visible form, in actual substance, even though God is a Spirit. He is the true God and eternal life.
The Lord Jesus Christ created the universe by the power of His word, and maintains the ongoing functions of the whole universe by “the word of His power.” He is guiding it in its movements toward the final objective of His eternal purpose. He controls the course of the universe, much like a pilot navigates a ship or a governor manages a state, to maintain order and safety.
He is the Ruler, the ultimate authority, who purged our sins, redeemed us, and the entire universe that has been stained by sin. He made things right on His own. Because of His love for us and His grace that meets the needs of lost sinners, He did everything necessary to reconcile us to God. Our Lord never compromised His purity, His deity, or His dignity when He "by Himself purged our sins."
He has always been and will always be equal to the Father and the Spirit as a divine Person. The dignity of His Person remains unchanged, even though He made purification for our sins. The dignity of His Place regarding His personal glory was never lost because He came to earth to be a Man among men. The dignity of His Position remains because of His divine nature. He was always fully God, even when He was "found in fashion as a man."
The One who "sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high" has completed everything necessary for the "purging" or "purification" we needed because of our sin. The power He has to create and sustain the universe is in the same Person who, through His sacrifice, "cleanses us from all sin." God is willing to forgive us and accept us because His sacrifice through death was final and complete. Nothing can be added to it, and nothing can be taken from it.
When He had completed everything necessary to bring us to God, He sat down as the Great High Priest who had finished His work. Earthly priests could not do that because their work was never complete. Our Lord, “made purification” for our sins forever. Nothing else can or should be done. His redemptive work is finished; full, sufficient, and forever complete.
Those early Jewish believers had likely heard that before the high priest and the court, Jesus said, the Son of Man would be seated at the right hand of the mighty God. That would help them reaffirm their identity in Christ. He is the Son of God; He is God blessed forever. No one else will ever sit in that place of accomplished redemption made by the sacrifice of Himself.
Now, beyond the natural eyes of men—He’s seated there in glory, interceding—making our cause His own. He cares. And in His righteousness, we who were lost are now accepted. Not careless nor indifferent; no longer is salvation neglected. For in His moral worth, we too are seen and represented before God—by His Majesty, who, after dying for us, presented His blood. That we, too, through the precious blood, can enter into God’s presence. The Son Himself, our Lord and King, is the true center of all we live for—He who sat Himself down at heaven’s throne. He is the One we worship, praise, and honor—our King crowned.
All things belong to Him; the King-Son is the heir—such a wonder we, as joint heirs, will share— all of God's blessings, even though we are adopted sons. Through eternal ages, all saints will enjoy the nearness, united in God’s family— for one in Christ, we are as close as He is. The universe is His; He is its Creator—from every massive sun to the tiniest fragment—created by His word, each placed in its perfect spot—none were random acts; each part fills its own space. Every atom and star displays His glorious works—yet He reminds us— all this will pass away.
The brightness of His Glory reveals a view of God—glimpses of this were glimpsed when He, the Creator of the earth, walked among us. Glory shone from deep within—He loved His own until the very end. They knew, and so do we, that He is with us wherever He sends His people into the world to share the glories of our King. He will be seen in splendor, and all His own will resemble Him. His substance and His essence are entirely divine. All the Persons of the Godhead shine through His own body. How God appears in form is only the visible part of Him—matchless love, overflowing grace—all of God’s fullness from within is revealed in our Lord Jesus, who is the perfect expression of Deity given form and presented to human sight.
By the power of His word, He sustains everything—each part of the universe held in place as if by unseen strings. His spoken words govern every element; heat and cold are all under His authority, and He controls each by His word. Nothing in this universe happens by chance or whim—He is the master of all, and in Him, there is no change. The Savior of sinners, in Himself, made purification for us—His sinless holiness and His death brought our salvation. Not just through a spoken word, but by dying for our sins—He opened the way for us to God and made us acceptable in Him. The Lord Jesus never overlooked anything but dealt with every part, and we are legally cleansed from sin by God’s eternal Son.
Now seated on a throne in heaven, we are there in Him, not as intruders where we shouldn't be, but by Him we are brought in. He sat Himself down after fully accomplishing all that needed to be done —our Lord and King in His rightful place on the throne of His Deity. Never again humiliated, He is higher than the highest—God spoke in His Son, His atoning work complete, and now we draw near through Him. What profound insights into the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ are revealed in this verse! How glorious He is in every way as we reflect on His divine characteristics. We marvel at how these qualities were all displayed in His life here on earth, and how much more will come into view when we see Him. We wait here in anticipation!