Consider Jesus: Heir Of All Things

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

Heb. 2:1“in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.”

Since He is the true son of theFather, He is the natural and rightful heir. Please note, as Paul did, that “all things have been created through Him and for Him” (Col. 1: 16). 

The scriptures often affirm His rightful ownership. “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father” (Matt. 11:27)  “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.”  (Jn. 3:35) “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands…” (Jn. 13:3)

Jesus Himself also affirmed the same things. “All things that the Father has are Mine” (Jn. 16:16) and “...All things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine” (Jn. 17:10)

It is all His be right of creation and inheritance, from the farthest star to the darkest corner, it all belongs to Him. Satan has taken adverse possession of it as a squatter and a thief and as a leader of others who are with him in staking their illegitimate claim. But the legal and rightful heir will one day take possession back. 

The glorious thing for us it that He has made us to be heirs with Him. (Rom. 8:17; Gal. 3:29, 4:7) He who has all things, including eternal life, has and will fully share them with us.

Consider Jesus: The Head

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

1 Cor. 11:3“But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.”

The New Testament repeatedly affirms the headship, the authority and position, of Jesus. He is often styled as the “head of the church” or “head of the body.” (Eph. 1:22, 4:15, 5:23, Col. 1:18, 2:19). He leads, directs, guides, provisions and ultimately saves His church. 

Jesus’ headship over the church is also seen in the fulfillment of the oft-repeated prophecy that He would be made the “chief corner stone” (From Ps. 118:22, said to fulfilled by Christ in Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11 and 1 Pet. 2:7). Some modern translations render this as simply “corner stone” since buildings tend to have but one, and more literal translations give it as “chief corner stone,” but quite literally, if somewhat ineloquently in modern English, “head of the corner.” He is the standard of all that is built in the church. 

But He is not just the head (has the position of authority over) over those who submit to Him, but He is the head of “all rule and authority.” (Col. 2:10) There is not authority that is not under Him. There are some in rebellion to Him, not acknowledging that “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” (Matt. 28:18)

The headship (authority) of Jesus is such that He is the rightful head of all, even those who don’t acknowledge it.  “But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man” (1 Cor. 11:3)

Consider Jesus: Governor, Ruler

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

Matt. 2:6 “AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER [Governor - KJV], WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.”

The promise is the He will “rule” or “shepherd” God’s people (literally, “oversee and feed”). The great promised the Messiah coming to Israel was to be born in the somewhat obscure town of Bethlehem. The Jewish authorities were easily able to point the magi to the right place when they came looking for the newborn king. 

They all knew that the ruler to come was from Bethlehem, but the rulers of the Jews mistook the type of ruler He would be. Isaiah prophesied that He would have the government on his shoulders, and He would be a great rulers: “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” (9:6) 

Prophecies of the great ruler to come often spoke of His caring nature as well as His great authority.  The prophecy of Micah 5:2 speaks of Him as ruler while just two verses later, vs. 4, speaks of Him as shepherd. He is a ruler, but one who very much has these best interest of those He rules in mind. 

He is a ruler, a governor, but one with authority and concern like no other.

Consider Jesus: God, The True God

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

1 Jn. 5:19,20 “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” 20 “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know shim who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” ESV

The last statement of 1 Jn. 5 :20 is a summary and restatement of the truth John had explained at longer length above. Some translations give the restatement as “He is the true God…” and others, “This is the true God…” Some think summary states that the God with us the true one and Jesus His son is the way of eternal life. This is true. Others think this summary states that Jesus Himself is the true God and is the way of eternal life. This is true as well. Which of these senses John means here, you may decide for yourself. 

When John uses the phrase, “The true God” it is to tie belief in Jesus with Jehovah, the living God of in the Old Testament (Ref. 2 Chron. 15:3; Jer. 10:10) as is also done by Jesus Himself and Paul. (Jn. 17:3; 1 Thess. 1:9)  

This great continuity of truth embodied in Jesus is the source of our salvation. He is the true God.

Consider Jesus: God With Us

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

Matt. 1:22-25  “Now all this took place that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, 23  “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.” 24  And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took her as his wife, 25  and kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.”

In this familiar passage, Matthew opens the record of the birth of Jesus with the story of Jesus’ history and a quote from Isaiah 7. The quote from Isaiah sets the life of Jesus from the very start as central to the prophesied plan of God, it explains the highly unusual circumstances of His birth, and establishes Jesus as divine, “God with us.”

Jesus is “God with us,” sharing with us, being us. He was not just “God to us,” showing us God, which He did.  And He was not “God similar to us,” being like us in appearance only.  

Instead, there is a great comfort in the reciprocal nature of God’s appearance among man “with us”. He came as man, and in every relevant way like us, while also being divine in nature and expressing deity here. And “with” us, “for” us, coming to help us.

Consider Jesus: God Manifest In The Flesh

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

1 Tim. 3:16 “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” KJV

Here is the great mystery of God, that God would come in the flesh. He came as a man to redeem man. He came as God to reveal God to us. 

The scriptures as equally and readily affirm Jesus as God in one passage and man in the next. He’s the son of God and the son of man.  

Jn. 1:14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Rom. 1:3,4  “His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord”

This is a fact hard to explain. The scriptures simply tell us that Mary was overshadowed by the Spirit and through this she conceived. (Ref. Luke 1:35-38) The faith of many has floundered and many heresies have sprung up in trying to explain more than the scriptures affirm and the faithful have always believed: That God was with us in the person of Jesus.

Considering Jesus: God Blessed Forever

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

Rom. 9:4,5 “Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.”

This proclamation is parallel to the one that Paul opened the books of Romans with. 

Romans 1:3,4  “concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord”

In both of these passages, the line of reasoning is the same. Jesus, who is from the Jews, the descendant of David, according to his fleshly body, is also Divine. And not just slightly elevated, a demi-god, a noble personage, but truly the God, our Lord. He is the one blessed forever. The Jews had already been worshipping Him as God when they worshipped Jehovah in truth, and now we have His person fully known to us and still blessed forever. 

This is the same conclusion that Peter preached and taught as he told people about the work of God that was accomplished in Jesus: “preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)” (Acts 10:36)

Considering Jesus: Jesus is God

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

John begins his gospel by stating “the Word (Jesus) was with God and the Word was God” (Jn. 1:1). This is a fact that scripture affirms in a variety of interesting claims. 

Early on in his gospel, Matthew tells us of His coming and its meaning. “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” (1:23)

Peter tells us that He is our “God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1:1). This agrees with the prophecy of Isaiah that “your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth.” (Isa 54:5)

The apostle Paul declared him to be, “the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.” in Romans 9:5. and the we should all be,  “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” in Titus 2:13.

Paul records for us a little poem, likely an early hymn, that tells the whole story of Jesus in a few words. “By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He [God] who was revealed in the flesh,/Was vindicated in the Spirit,/Seen by angels,/Proclaimed among the nations,/Believed on in the world,/Taken up in glory.” (1 Tim. 3:16)

As John summarizes for us as revelation was coming to come to a close: “And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” (1 Jn. 5:20)

Considering Jesus: The Glory Of Israel

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

Luke 2:29-32 “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A Light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”

In Luke 2:25ff we are told the story of when elderly, devout Simeon saw the infant Jesus being brought to the temple. He was told that he would live long enough to see the Messiah, and so when he saw Jesus, he praised God and quoted Isaiah 42:6 about Jesus being a light to the nations and paraphrased Micah 2:32 about Him as the glory of Israel.

To the Gentiles He was a light like they had never known or even conceived, since they were without hope and without God in the world, and strangers to His promises. (Eph. 2:12) But for Israel, Jesus was the glory that they should have been expecting. He was God with them, the perfect example of man in the flesh, the fulfillment of the prophecies and all their sound hopes. 

John said that he saw his glory, (Jn. 1:14) but that did not understand, appreciate or receive Him.(Jn. 1:12) He was the glory of the nation, one of the main reasons for the nation to continue to exist as a people, and still they missed it.Their glory came, and to their shame, they did not see Him.

Considering Jesus: The Radiance Of God’s Glory

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

Heb. 1:3 “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”

Our God is the “God of glory.” From the beginning of the Bible (“Behold, the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness” Duet. 5:24) to the end (“And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.” Rev. 21:23) the great glory of God is made manifest so that man may worship and honor Him.

This relates to Jesus because in Heb. 1:3, the Hebrew writer tells us that Jesus is the bright radiance of the that glory. Jesus is the very brightest part of the glory of God. 

Jesus is the glory of the God of glory. He is the glory of God personified. This is why He and the father are one, and to see Jesus is to see the Father. A glimpse of the glory was seen on the mount of transfiguration, and it awaits to be fully revealed to us at the end. “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is.” (1 Jn. 3:2)

A Case For Traditional Marriage

Consider this:  

...Besides children, women who carry the burden of pregnancy are obviously at greater risk than men in the childbearing process. Historically, gendered marriage has tied men to their children and to the mothers who sacrifice to create them. This arrangement not only overcomes but also compliments the biological differences of men and women.

Finally, gendered marriage addresses the rights of fathers. Fatherhood is the most fragile biological relationship in the father-mother-child triangle. The bond between mother and child is obvious. The father less so. Marriage closes this gap by legally binding a father to a mother and child, giving him both rights and responsibilities in a relationship that, by the way, dramatically affects the successful socialization of children.

This observation is from is a Mormon magazine, but this argument is based in biology, not theology. The problem is that for the past half century our culture and law have made a priority of minimizing the differences between the sexes. If one accepts contemporary feminism's premise that men and women are essentially interchangeable, it is very difficult to formulate a coherent reason why, for the purposes of marriage, one of each should be treated any differently from two of one or the other..

Consider Jesus: The Gift of God

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

Jn. 4:10 “Jesus answered and said to her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, “Give Me a drink,” you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.’”

Jesus asked the woman at the well for a simple and easy to accomplish favor, He asked for a drink of water. She was drawing water anyway, a little bit for him wouldn’t have even been as much as got sloshed out getting the water home. But she gave him an off-putting answer. Doing it would have been simpler than conversing about it, but how often do we talk much instead of do even a little? 

Jesus didn’t reproach her severely, but told her that if she really knew what God had given and what God was doing how differently she would act. She thought of what she was asked to give (not much) and was missing what could be given to her (eternal life). So many things in this life is lost for lack of asking, how much more the things of eternal life and blessings. 

This opportunity was not lost for her only because Jesus kept insisting on giving her what she almost seemed to be trying to miss. And so it is for the greatest gift that was ever given. God gave His son (“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son…”) and many people miss that gift repeatedly. The gift is presented to us in so many way and so many times but we often keep missing it. 

Still the Father keeps presenting us His gift, just like a patient father knowing what is best for his children even thought they are all to often oblivious to the value and need of the gift. Jesus once asked if any father would give his son a stone when he asked for bread, or a snake for a fish. If, He said, you give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give good gifts to His? (Matt. 7:9-11). Thanks be to Him that He gave and wants us to take His gift.

Consider Jesus: The Friend of Sinners

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

Matt. 11:19 “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

Luke 7:34 “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking; and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man, and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!’”

The charge that Jesus was a friend of sinners is at once a false and slanderous charge and the most true and wonderful affirmation ever. 

The Jewish enemies of Jesus thought that He was too close to those who they felt were entirely given over to sin. They did not recognize that Jesus was with those in sin to teach them, to restore them, to heal them. “And hearing this, Jesus said to them, ‘It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’” (Mark 2:17) 

So Jesus was in fact the greatest friend to sinners that there ever was. He loved, helped, taught, encouraged, uplifted and saved sinners like no one ever did, but did so truly without ever approving or partaking in their sins. 

So a friend to, a participant in, sin: No, never. It’s a scurrilous charge. A friend, a true helper, to sinners: Marvelously, Yes.

Consider Jesus: The Foundation

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

1 Cor. 3:10,11 “According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.  11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

Jesus is the foundation of what we believer. It all rests on, starts with, is built on, is supported by Him. He is the exclusive foundation of the church. Paul was arguing to the Corinthians that even though other people may help the church by adding to it, by bringing more people in and helping those already there, it was still and always Christ that the building, the church, was built on. 

For all times, the only foundation is Christ built on the fact the He is the Son of God. (cf. Matt. 16:18; 1 Peter 2:4-8; Eph. 2:20; Isa. 28:16) The foundation is the most fundamental part of a building, since all else is built upon it.  While it is possible to build wrongly on a good foundation, if the foundation is wrong, nothing else can be truly right.

So, like Jesus taught in the sermon on the mount (Matt. 7:24-27), let us build our house on the solid rock so we can be secure when the wind and rains come, and not upon the sand that has not stability to it and will always ultimately disappoint. 

As we sing in the old hymn: “The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord,” and a solid foundation it is.

Consider Jesus: Forerunner

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

Heb 6:19,20“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil,  20  where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

A forerunner is a scout, and advance person, a trailblazer and preparer. Normally in this regard we think of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ. And this is true, “And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah…” (Luke 1:17) But this is not the only “forerunner” in the gospel.

Just as John went ahead of Jesus readying the way for Him, Jesus goes ahead of us to ready the way to heaven. He has done what we cannot yet have done, He has gone behind the veil, behind the curtain as it were, He has gone to where we cannot yet see to prepare the way for us. We can fully trust him to lead the way because He has gone there Himself. 

If we want to go to heaven we follow the one who laid down, mark out, and traveled the path for us and has clearly shown us which way to go.

Consider Jesus: The First Born

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

Several times n the New Testament, Jesus is called the “firstborn,” in the KJV first ‘begotten,” several times in different aspects, but always with the same basic meaning, that of being the most preeminent one.

Heb 1:6 “…He again brings the first-born into the world…” Jesus is the first-born of God. Of the children of God, Jesus is the first, the main, the most important one. 

Col. 1:15 “And He is…the first-born of all creation.” In all creation He is the most preeminent. This is true to the degree that this passage declares all things were made “for Him” and “by Him.” 

Rom. 8:29 “…His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren” Of all the brethren, He is the first, the primary, the most important one. He is the head of the order, the savior or us all, and the great example for the brethren. 

Rev 1:5 “Jesus Christ…the first-born of the dead…” Of all those raised from the dead, and there with a handful in the Old Testament and in the gospels and Acts, He is obviously the most important one. His resurrection proved Him to be the Son of God and brings us salvation. 

So in anything he’s involved in, He is the most important one of it. As the psalmist prophesied long ago: “I also shall make him My first-born, The highest of the kings of the earth.” (Ps. 89:27)

Consider Jesus: Finisher Of The Faith

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

Heb 12:2“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter [finisher – KJV, NKJV] of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus is the beginning, middle and end of our salvation. Sometimes that is explicitly stated, as in this verse and the in the Alpha and Omega passages (Rev. 1:8, 21:6; 22:13) He is fully the “Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (Rev. 22:13)

The first description of Him here is that He is the “author,” the starting or originator or our faith. Then he also brings it to completion, to perfection, to its fullness. So He is the creator and sustainer of it until the very end. 

The beginning and ending of the faith is true for us in two parts. First, that the work He planned and set out to do, He did. He came to earth, loved us, taught His way, was successfully the sacrifice for our sins, and set the church in motion. But then, in a second, in a personal way for each of us, He helps us to reach the end and object of our faith by sustain us in our faith through His teaching and help for us in being a Christian until the ultimate day. “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 1:6)

Consider Jesus: Everlasting Father

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

Isa. 9:6,7  “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;

    and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

        and his name shall be called

    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

        Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

    Of the increase of his government and of peace

        there will be no end,

    on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

        to establish it and to uphold it

    with justice and with righteousness

        from this time forth and forevermore.

    The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.”

We often think of Jesus as a son to the Father and as a brother to us, and these are His primary relationships. But these are not the only relationships that Jesus has with us. He is our Lord (1 Pet. 1:3), our priest (Heb. 7:26), our mediator (1 Tim. 2:5), a mediator (Heb. 9:15), an advocate (1 Jn. 2:1), and many other things to us. In Isaiah 9, He is also the “Everlasting Father.” We with absolute certainty that Jesus is the subject of this prophecy since He is the one who sits on the throne of David in the kingdom of God.

While a son to the Heavenly Father, He is a father to us. Jesus. A fatherever there, ever living, ever hearing, ever helping, every meditating, every lasting.

Consider Jesus: Faithful and True

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

Rev. 3:14“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:”

Rev. 19:11“And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war.”

The truth that we need to recognize is that what Jesus says is true. Although His veracity is constantly affirmed in the scriptures many doubt what Jesus has said.  This is sometimes the truth that Jesus speaks is something that we don’t want to hear, like the church at Laodicea, when Jesus had to tell them that they were lukewarm, poor, wretched, miserable and blind, when they thought that they were rich and insightful.

At other times, the words of Jesus revealed in the scriptures are hard to believe because they are about great things, far beyond our limited understanding, like the great judgment coming on the Roman Empire in Rev. 19. 

Finally, the words of Jesus are sometimes hard for us to believe because the spiritual enemies of Christ so regularly attack them. So we need the constant reminder: “These words are faithful and true.” (Rev. 21:5, 22:6)

Consider Jesus: Eternal Life

Let us continue to “consider Jesus.” (Heb. 3:1) 

1 John 1:1-3“What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life--

2and the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us--

3what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

The ultimate spiritual hope for mankind is eternal life with God. God offers this to us through the person and work of Jesus Christ. 

So Jesus is the one that we can ask about eternal life (Matt. 19:16). And He is the one who teaches us about eternal life (Matt. 19:29; 6:47). Believing in Him brings us eternal life (Jn. 3:15,16,36; 5:24; 6:40,47). He gives eternal life to His followers (Jn. 10:28; 17:2). He give eternal life as a free gift (Rom. 6:23). His gives eternal life by His mercy (Jude 21).

Eternal life is so fully connected to Him and only Him that John speaks of His as “the eternal life” (1 Jn. 3:2 and concludes that: “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son” (1 Jn. 5:11).