Heb.1:2,3 – …in these last days spoken unto us by 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;
In these opening words of the book of Hebrews the author makes some stunning statements about Jesus. He is called the heir of all creation, the creator of everything that is, the brightness of God’s glory, the express image of the Father, and the One who upholds all things. These are each breathtaking statements each in their own merit. The one I want to comment on today is the one where Paul calls Jesus the radiance of the Father’s glory. He is the light shining out from the Father as the rays shine out from the sun. This radiance is the unveiling of God and the power of God at the same time. This radiance is the very outshining of the nature or goodness of God. Jesus is the very light that shines from the Father, no wonder He said if you have seen Me you have seen the Father. Here is how Jonathan Edwards describes this.
“It was his inclination to communicate himself that was a prime motive of his creating the world.His own glory was the ultimate [end], himself was his end; that is, himself communicated.The very phrase “the glory” seems naturally to signify [this]. Glory is a shining forth, an effulgence; so the glory of God is the shining forth or effulgence of his perfections, or the communication of his perfections, for effulgence is the communication of light. For this reason, that brightness whereby God was wont to manifest himself in the wilderness, and in the tabernacle and temple, was called God’s glory….. John 1:14, “We beheld his glory,” that is, his brightness, in his transfiguration. 2 Peter 1:17, “For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory.”
You sometimes have to take a minute and reflect on the words of Jonathan Edwards. The 18th Century terminology mixed with his theological genius can sometimes give you pause. What I love about this quote is that it describes the very purpose of creation and the reason Christ became a man, both actions were intended to display the glory of God. Jesus is that glory shining out from the Father, His glory is seen in all He does.
