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Morning to everyone. You can 
turn in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 1. Hebrews 
chapter 1. As you're turning there, I'll 
apologize ahead of time. I have a little bit of a cold 
going on here and my ears are still plugged and haven't popped 
since I got off the airplane. So it sounds like I'm speaking 
from the parking lot from inside a metal barrel in my own head. 
So hopefully the volume and the Jonathan can maybe adjust as 
I'm preaching if it sounds too quiet or too loud. Also, before 
we read the text, having returned from the General Assembly down 
in Phoenix, I realized that I'm still a young preacher. There's 
a lot of old preachers down there, in addition to Pastor Butler 
and Barcelos. But there's a lot of old preachers 
in the Reformed Baptist world. So yes, kids and teenagers, I'm 
still a young preacher. If I use any words, I try to 
define them as So I go along hopefully, but if any words you 
don't understand or anything, or if I don't define them, and 
hopefully I do, write them down and by all means ask me afterwards. 
As we mine Hebrews 1, 1 to 4 for the riches and the glories of 
Jesus Christ, there is so much to open up. And hopefully, Lord 
willing, this morning we'll look at the glory of Christ from this 
text. I'm gonna read Hebrews 1, 1 and 
finish reading in 2, 4. So this is Hebrews 1, 1 to Hebrews 
2, 4. This is the word of the living 
and true God. God who at various times and 
in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets 
has in these last days spoken to us by his son whom he has 
appointed heir of all things through 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 at 
the right hand of the majesty on high, having become so much 
better than the angels, as he has by inheritance obtained a 
more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did 
he ever say, you are my son. Today I have begotten you. And 
again, I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son. 
But when he again brings the firstborn into the world, he 
says, let all the angels of God worship him. and of the angels, 
he says, who makes his angels' spirits and his ministers a flame 
of fire. But to the sun, he says, your 
throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness 
is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness 
and hated lawlessness. Therefore, God, your God, has 
anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions. You Lord, in the beginning, laid 
the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work 
of your hands. They will perish, but you remain, 
and they will all grow old like a garment. Like a cloak, you 
will fold them up, and they will be changed, but you are the same, 
and your years will not fail. But to which of the angels has 
he ever said, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies 
your footstool? Are they not all ministering 
spirits sent forth to minister to those who will inherit salvation? Therefore, we must give the more 
earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the words spoken through 
angels proved steadfast, in every transgression and disobedience 
received a just reward. How shall we escape if we neglect 
so great a salvation which at the first began to be spoken 
by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 
God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders with various 
miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit according to his own will. Amen. Well let's go again to 
the Lord in prayer. Let us pray. Heavenly Father 
we rejoice that we can read from your scriptures We thank you 
for this revelation from on high. We rejoice in what it discloses 
concerning Jesus Christ, our precious savior and our reigning 
king. And we pray that you'd help us as we engage in this 
act of worship, the preaching of your word, that it would be 
done unto the praise of your glory, that you would help preacher 
and give him aid in order to open up your word as it ought 
to be opened up yet fallibly. We ask Lord God that you would 
help those sitting in the pews this morning, be with them, that 
for your saints this exercise of worship would be an encouragement, 
that it would lift them up in the things of Christ Jesus. We 
pray that it would equip them well to go into this world, to 
rejoice in their Savior and to live in a manner worthy of their 
calling by grace. And we would pray as well, Lord 
God, that for sinners you would be here by spirit and word, that 
you would cause those who entered in this morning outside of Christ 
to leave singing the praises of His most high and precious 
name. And it's in Christ's name that we pray. Amen. Well, if we were to engage in 
some wholesome speculation, we could say, as one man said, or 
we could have reason to suppose, as one man supposed, that the 
book of Hebrews is an opening up of the sermon and the content 
preached by Stephen in the book of Acts chapter 7. Remember that 
scene. We have there a young man named 
Saul, a Pharisee, a persecutor of the church. And he's there 
at the stoning of Stephen and he's sitting by receiving the 
clothes of those who are taking their clothes off in order to 
be more mobile to crush the head of Stephen. He's receiving their 
clothes and the text says that he gives approval to his vicious 
murder by those unbelieving Jews. That same young man named Saul 
is the author of this epistle, the epistle to the Hebrews. And 
so that man in his unconverted state is watching this martyr 
Stephen before his head is crushed, crushed, preach Jesus Christ. And he preaches Jesus Christ 
as the fulfillment of all of those Old Testament types and 
shadows. He is the true tabernacle. He 
is the true temple. He is the substance of all of 
those Old Covenant shadows. And then after His conversion, 
having heard this glorious Jesus preached by this Stephen, He 
goes about in His own ministry, by grace, preaching that selfsame 
Christ and preaching that selfsame message. And the message of Stephen 
and the message of the book of Hebrews is the same, the glory 
of Jesus Christ, that he is the sum and substance of true religion. One man has called the book of 
Hebrews, or the theme of the book of Hebrews, the superabounding 
excellence of Christianity over Judaism. We could use that and 
elaborate a bit more on it or be cut maybe to the chase of 
the book and say that it is the super abounding excellence of 
Christ, generally over all things, but specifically over those types 
and shadows of Old Covenant religion. As Arthur Pink says in his commentary, 
He says that Christ is the sum and substance, or with regards 
to the book of Hebrews, the sum and substance, the center and 
circumference, the light and life of Christianity is Christ. And so this Lord's Day morning, 
we'll examine Hebrews 1, 1 to 4, and hopefully mine some of 
the riches that are therein contained. And we'll look at Hebrews 1, 
1 to 4 under three headings, we'll look at the excellence 
of his revelation, the wonder of his redemption, and the glory 
of his reign." Again, that is the excellence of his revelation, 
the wonder of his redemption, and the glory of his reign. Notice 
first off, the excellence of his revelation, verse 1, and 
verse 2a, of Hebrews 1. God, who at various times and 
in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 
has in these last days spoken to us by his Son. We see there 
the excellence of his revelation. Now when we say that we're not 
saying we're not saying that the times past revelation is 
somehow not inspired is somehow errant or is somehow fallible. But there is a contrast in the 
text that we do see here. And before we move to that contrast, 
let's make note of one thing. It is an amazing act of condescension 
that God has revealed himself in any way. For us to have special 
revelation in our scriptures is an amazing act of mercy and 
of condescension. being under no obligation to 
reveal himself unto men. Nevertheless, God in condescending 
grace reveals himself. He manifests himself. He reveals 
his truth to us. So under the excellence of his 
revelation, notice first off, the excellence is seen. This 
excellence is seen in the general tenor of the latter. being greater 
than the former. And this is what I mean by that. 
Kids, if you were taking a swimming lesson, and you're progressing 
along in your swimming lessons, you might say to somebody, I 
used to doggy paddle, but now I freestyle. You know what doggy 
paddle is? You use your little paws, kind 
of like a butter churn. I'm not sure if a butter churn 
moves like that. But you go like this to the water, and it propels 
you forward really slowly. So I once doggy paddled but now 
I freestyle. That's the full out arm length 
pulling of water where you can move a lot faster. Well, if you 
were to say that, I once doggy paddled but now I freestyle. That could be a statement of 
fact that you once did one thing and now you do the other. In 
fact, it is. But it carries the weight of one thing being better 
than the previous thing. The freestyle is better than 
the doggy paddle because it moves you along faster. Or adults in 
the audience, especially the men who gather for Saturday morning 
theology study. You might say, I once drank coffee 
with cream and sugar, but now I drink coffee black. You see, 
that is a statement of fact that you once drank coffee with cream 
and sugar, but now you drink it black. But drinking it black 
is better than drinking it with cream and sugar. You see? This 
is what we have to get to the more serious and the more glorious. 
This is what we have in Hebrews 1, 1 to 2a. God, again, who at various times 
and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the 
prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son. The 
latter is greater than the former. The former is still God speaking, 
God spoke to the fathers by the prophets, but it is not as great 
as God Himself manifested in the flesh, the Messianic King 
coming to disclose the riches and the truths of God. And again, 
those old times or that times past, the words of God were no 
less inspired. The truth of God was no less 
true. But we have in the new covenant 
a greater opening up of the mysteries of the gospel and the glories 
of saving grace. And so first again, this excellence 
is seen in the general tenor of the latter being better or 
greater than the former. And we have this as well in verses 
1 to 4 of chapter 2. Notice at verse 2 of chapter 
2, this tenor, this idea of the latter being greater than the 
former. For if the word spoken through angels proves steadfast, 
and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall 
we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? You see, the latter 
is greater than the former. If those could not escape or 
if the word previously spoken by angels was steadfast and those 
in their disobedience were judged for that disobedience, how much 
greater the punishment and how much greater the justice when 
we now, this side of a crucified and resurrected Christ, reject 
the blessings and the glories of the gospel. So we see the 
excellence of His revelation in that. And this follows something 
of a theme in the book of Hebrews. When we said earlier, kids, that 
the theme of Hebrews is the superabounding excellence of Christ over all 
of those articles of Old Covenant religion, put very easily, it 
is simply saying this, better things in Christ. Better things 
in Christ. As we move through the book of 
Hebrews, we find that in the New Covenant we have a better 
covenant. We have a better hope. We have 
this covenant built upon better promises. And we have a mediator, 
a better mediator, Jesus Christ, the mediator of the new covenant. Secondly, we see this excellence 
or this excellence is seen in the comparison of the two ages. 
We have a comparison here of two ages. the times past and 
in these last days. These last days are greater than 
those times past because in these last days we have Christ coming 
from heaven. We have the Lord God, the second 
of the blessed triune condescending, taking upon himself the form 
of a bondservant, coming in the likeness of men and revealing 
truth from his divine human lips. we have this comparison of the 
two ages. And this is brought out, or we 
read this a number of weeks ago in the book of Ephesians. Hopefully 
this morning, time and Lord willing, we can move through some Bible 
to see where certain things connect and where themes are consistent 
in their consent. Ephesians chapter one, if you 
turn there with me, on this idea that we see the excellence of 
Christ's revelation in the comparison of the two ages, In verse 7 of 
Ephesians 1 starts this language. In Him we have redemption through 
His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches 
of His grace, which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom 
and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, 
according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in himself. 
Now notice that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times, 
he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which 
are in heaven and which are on earth in him. There is a fullness 
of the times character and reality to the revelation that Christ 
brings. Remember Galatians 4.4. In the 
fullness of the times, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, 
born under the law, that he might redeem those who are under the 
law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Well, that 
same language Paul uses in Ephesians 1.10, that in the dispensation 
of the fullness of the times, he might gather all things in 
Christ, in one, in Christ Jesus. Turn also with me to 1 Peter. 
1 Peter, in 1 Peter, Chapter 1, we have this reality 
brought forth as we're talking about the excellence of the revelation 
of Christ Jesus and the contrast between these two ages. In 1 
Peter 1, beginning at verse 7. Actually, sorry, beginning in 
verse 10. Of this salvation, the prophets have inquired and 
searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come 
to you, searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of 
Christ who was in them was indicating when he testified beforehand 
the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 
To them it was revealed that not to themselves, but to us, 
they were ministering the things which now have been reported 
to you, through those who have preached the gospel to you by 
the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things which angels desire to 
look into. So in those former times, in 
those times past, the Spirit of Christ was testifying regarding 
his future sufferings and the glories that would follow upon 
the heels of suffering. But it was a greater revelation 
this Christ having now come to them. It was revealed that not 
to themselves, but to us, they were ministering the things. And so the comparison of the 
two ages brings to bear that these last days is greater than 
those former times. Third, we see the excellence 
or the excellence is seen the excellence of his revelation 
is seen in the manner of revealing notice what the text says again 
back in Hebrews one God who at various times and in various 
ways spoken time passed to the fathers by the prophets has in 
these last days spoken to us by His Son. In other words, the 
Gospel Revelator in this New Covenant era is God Almighty. The Gospel Revelator in these 
last days, according to the Apostle Paul, is the Son of the Living 
God. The Gospel Revelator is the Son 
of God and the Messianic King, Unlike times past, the one proclaiming 
the revelation, the one speaking the things is both messenger 
and the content of the message. Isn't that a wonderful thing 
or a remarkable thing to see in terms of contrast? In those 
times past, we had the prophets, yes, coming with the authority 
and the spirit of God, but they were not the content of the message 
they preached. but rather they preached of another 
much more glorious and much more adorable. They preached of one 
that is to be the recipient of praise and worship and honor. 
They spoke of the sufferings of Christ and the glories that 
would follow. And then that one who was to suffer, that one who 
was to receive glories upon the heels of suffering is the one 
who comes in the fullness of the times to disclose, to reveal, 
to open up the mysteries of the gospel and the glories of salvation. Unlike the prophets of old, this 
prophet is God from God, light from light, true God from true 
God, begotten not made, one in being with the Father. The excellence 
of his revelation is seen in the manner of revealing. This 
is the one that Pastor Butler spoke of in John chapter one. The law came through Moses, but 
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen 
the Father at any time. The only begotten God, who is 
in the bosom of the Father, He has revealed Him. The excellence 
of His revelation. Secondly, we see the wonder of 
His redemption. The wonder of His redemption, 
and when we say, The wonder of His redemption, that's not a 
scratching-the-head wonder, like, I wonder what this is all about, 
I don't quite understand. But when we say wonder, we mean 
amazement. We mean astonishment. We mean 
when we read about and consider the glories of this redemption, 
it causes us to figuratively drop our jaws in wonder and in 
amazement at so great a salvation. Notice the wonder of His redemption. whom he has appointed heir of 
all things, through 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. So where in that do we 
see the wonder of his redemption? Well, first off, we see the wonder 
of his redemption in the identity of Christ as the one who has 
undiminished essential likeness to the Father. We already noted 
that in the one who is the gospel revelator in this new covenant 
era. He is God Almighty. He is the Son of God manifested 
in the flesh, dwelling among men and proclaiming the glories 
of the gospel. This too, under the wonder of 
his redemption, we see this as the reason for that wonder. He is again the one who has undiminished 
essential likeness to the father. Where do we see that? In this 
language, verse three, who being the brightness of his glory and 
the express image of his person. You see the heretics that deny 
the deity. of our Lord Jesus Christ, the 
Mormons, the Jehovah's Witnesses, multiply the heretics that are 
out there. They come to this stone, this 
rock of stumbling, and they're shattered to pieces because of 
the clarity of its declaration that Jesus Christ is God from 
God, light from light. true God from true God, begotten, 
not made, one in being with the Father, who being the brightness 
of His glory and the express image of His person." Other renderings 
that you may see, the King James is the same as the new King James. 
The NAS reads, and he is, the radiance of His glory and the 
exact representation of His nature. The ESV, He is the radiance of 
the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature. First 
off, with respect to what we have here as brightness, who 
being the brightness of His glory, and that's referred to elsewhere 
as radiance. I think other translations may 
have reflection. The idea is, is that Jesus Christ 
is the embodiment of all that the Father is. He is not the 
Father, the Father is not the Son, and yet there is no undiminished 
deity in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our confession speaks to this 
reality that in this divine and infinite being that is God, there 
are three subsistences, the Father, the Word or Son, and the Holy 
Spirit. and that all three of these do 
not have the essence divided, but rather the essence undivided. 
They all have the divine essence. And it is undiminished, it is 
undivided, they are co-eternal, co-glorious. We need to grasp, 
brethren, we need to understand Trinitarian doctrine. You see, 
if we come to the Bible, or if we come to this doctrine of the 
Trinity with elementary minds, and we leave without diving into 
the depth of who God is, we leave undernourished and we may well 
leave heretics. If we say that God in His threeness 
is the divine essence divided into three, then we do not have 
the proper approach to our biblical God. God is not divided into 
three. It is not one-third the Father, 
one-third the Son, one-third the Spirit. We do not have one 
being and three beings, but rather God in three persons, blessed 
Trinity. They all are co-eternal, co-glorious. They all have the essence of 
deity undivided and undiminished. So Paul can say here, who being 
the brightness of his glory, we look at Jesus. In fact, he 
said this in his own ministry. If you have seen me, then you 
have seen the Father. That isn't to say that He is 
the Father, because He distinguishes Himself from the Father. But 
all that is true of the Father, with respect to the essence of 
deity, is true of the Son. He is the brightness of His glory. And the language is duplicated, 
though it is a bit different, and the express image of His 
person. Others have the exact representation 
of His nature, that sort of thing. But what we have here, and it's 
interesting, the Greek word for express image, we could transliterate 
and pronounce it as character. Character. You know when you 
use, kids you might not remember typewriters, but when we used 
to use typewriters, you would push the character and it would 
leave the exact imprint of that particular character on the paper. 
Nowadays, it's digital typewriters. You hit the K on your keyboard 
and a K comes up on the computer screen. The idea that is in the 
background here has an imprinting mechanism, a mechanism used to 
imprint the exact replication of the thing that is imprinting 
upon the paper, an exact imprint. That's why we have that translation. Well, here the idea is the same. 
When you see Jesus Christ, you have seen the Father. There is 
nothing different with respect to the glory of Jesus Christ 
that is different with respect to the Father. Now, again, the 
Son is not the Father. There is personal distinction 
within the Trinity. The Father is not the Son. The 
Son is not the Father. The Spirit is neither the Father 
nor the Son. The Father and the Son are not 
the Spirit. yet all have that blessed, eternal, and glorious 
deity, the essence of the Godhead. And so here we have, why do we 
say then the wonder of His redemption? Because this One who is the radiance 
of the Father, the radiance of the glory of God, and the exact 
representation of His person, comes into our lower shame to 
save His people from their sins. Scan the world. Peruse the earth. That's probably not the right 
terminology. Peruse the earth. Research the earth and its religions 
and its philosophies. Where do you find anything as 
glorious as the Christian religion? Where do you find anything as 
glorious as the sum and substance of our religion? Jesus Christ. Very God of very God coming from 
the praise of angels, coming into our lower ignominy and shame 
to live a life of misery despised by his people of no esteem. People look upon him and they 
have, they see nothing in him that is desirable. He lives as 
a carpenter in obscurity, not animating clay pigeons. He lives 
a life of obscurity. And he works as a carpenter until 
such a day where there is that time in history advent of his 
earthly ministry, where it's turned on, if you will. And he's 
hated by his people. He's attacked and sought after 
with murderous rage by the religious leaders of his day. He undergoes 
betrayal. He undergoes the departure and 
the abandonment of his own disciples. He receives spittings and beatings. He's mocked and he's scourged. And yet through all of that, 
he is the radiance of the father's glory. He is the exact representation 
of his being the wonder of his redemption. Secondly, in the 
identity of Christ, we see the wonder of Christ's redemption 
in the identity of Christ as the one who has sovereign mastery 
and control of the created universe. Notice what the text says. After 
the part that we read, well, we'll read verse 3 again. "...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 at the right hand 
of the Majesty on high." Notice after we read about His radiance, 
about the express image of His person, He is upholding all things 
by the word of His power. The one who is the radiance of 
the father, the one who is the exact representation of the father's 
person, is also the glorious sovereign majesty of the universe 
who upholds all things by the word of his power. Why is that 
wondrous and why is that glorious? Why is that amazing with respect 
to his redemption for the same reason that we just said? The 
one who upholds all things by the word of his power is the 
one who is lifted up upon a tree. That one, as one old father of 
the ancient church said, that one who set the stars in place, 
who fixed the stars in place, is fixed in place upon a tree. Who dares to reject such a Savior? Who dares to mock such a crucified 
Messiah? The One who upholds all things 
by the Word of His power is the One who by Himself purges our 
sins. On the wonder of this reality, 
here's James Dolezal on this truth. What's happening with 
Christ's divine nature at the moment He is crying out, My God, 
My God, why have You forsaken Me? the very person who suffers 
in the moment that he suffers is autemporally, eternally, simply, 
omnipotently upholding the world by the Word of His power and 
dwelling in mutual and perfect love with the Father and with 
the Spirit. You see, we need to wrap our 
Christian minds around this fact. that Jesus Christ in his condescension, 
Jesus Christ in his incarnation did not divest himself of his 
deity. He did not. When we read in other 
translations, he emptied himself. He didn't empty himself in that 
way. He didn't take away His deity 
for a time so that He might live as a man. But as He says here, 
at the very time He's crying out, My God, My God, why hast 
Thou forsaken Me? The very time that He had been 
receiving the nails hammered into His hands and in His feet. 
The very time He is crying out that cry of dereliction and enduring 
the pains and the sufferings and the shame of the cross. He 
is at that same time. all temporally, eternally, simply 
and omnipotently upholding all things by the word of his power. 
The wonder, the wonder of Christ's redemption. It is absolutely 
glorious. And third, the wonder of his 
redemption is seen in the character of his redemption, the character 
of his redemption. Notice what we read and upholding 
all things by the word of his power when he had by himself 
purged our sins. Do we see in this? Notice first, 
under the character of his redemption, we see that it is exclusively 
the work of Christ when he had by himself purged our sins. It 
is the heart of man. It is the wretched heart of man. As one preacher used, and I like 
this word, it is the dastardly heart of man, wherein we find 
this idea that, yes, Jesus Christ, yes, the purging of sins, yes, 
the forgiveness of sins, but mustn't I do this and that and 
the other thing? Christ did his 75%, but there's 
another 25 that we must do. There must be addition. Yes, 
it's by faith, but it's also by works. The wickedness of man's 
heart with respect to religion, even, even so-called Christian 
circles where there is something that man can bring by himself, 
he purged our sins. Nothing in my hands I bring, 
only to thy cross I claim. We fly foul to the fountain. And we cry for the cleansing 
blood of Jesus because there is nothing that we can bring 
by himself. He purged our sins. He is the 
way, the truth, and the life. Christianity has glorious exclusivity 
because there is only one name given among men under heaven 
by which we might be saved. Christ Jesus, the Lord by himself. He purged our sins. This language 
carries with it the weight of a of a thorough cleansing of 
a of a of an absolute perfect purification. There are no sins 
remaining that Christ has not cleansed in his precious blood. Jesus Christ purifies. Jesus 
Christ purges. It is exclusively the work of 
our Savior, the Lord Jesus. Secondly, it is an expiatory 
sacrifice. There's a word kids expiatory. There's a word adults expiatory. There's two terms often used 
when it comes to the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ, 
expiation and propitiation. Expiation is the removal of the 
guilt of sin by the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ. Propitiation 
is that Christ offering himself up as a sacrifice to appease 
the wrath of God, to take upon himself the wrath of God in the 
offering up of himself, a wrath-bearing sacrifice. Here we have, predominantly, 
the language of expiation. Jesus Christ removes the guilt 
of sin. Now, let's stop here for a moment 
and understand what that means, because our minds usually move, 
when we talk about guilt, they usually move to that the psychological 
weight of our own transgressions. We have this guilt when we sin, 
don't we? We ought to have a godly remorse, 
a godly sorrow when we break the law of God. There is that 
psychological weight of sin. But the guilt in view, though 
Christ does deal with that other guilt, more on that in a moment, 
but the guilt that Christ expiates, the guilt of sin that Christ 
expiates, is a legal guilt. We are morally or we are legally 
culpable before God for having violated His holy laws. Injustice, we ought to be punished 
legally for that. We ought to receive the penal 
sanctions from a holy and a just and a righteous God for having 
transgressed his law. But Christ comes in the stead 
of the elect and he offers himself up to pay the penalty due to 
remove that legal guilt, that culpability for having violated 
his law. Isn't that glorious? Do you rejoice 
when you think about the forgiveness of sins? Think about that guilt 
of sin removed and not to make you all the more glory in this 
Savior and wonder at his redemption. That the glorious God of heaven 
and earth, that the one who upholds all things by the word of his 
power would come to such worms as us and die and take upon himself 
the penalty due for the guilt of violating the law of his father. 
the wonder of his redemption. But you see, Christ does deal 
with, and there ought to be a resulting effect with that psychological 
weight of sin. You see, I think, unfortunately, 
that the Christian can be found to, at least some Christians 
with a certain disposition, can be found to dwell in inordinate 
seasons upon that sort of guilt. Dwelling in a sense, very wrongly, upon their transgressions, their 
violations of the law of God. You see, if you're from a certain 
tradition, and Jim and I are from one, the Roman Catholic 
Church, God saved us from out of that madness and that institution, 
but inherent in that institution is the use of guilt in order 
to enslave the adherence to that religion. You'll see monks that 
even today flagellate themselves with with things tied to balls, 
similar to the things that Jesus was scourged with before his 
crucifixion. To deal with their guilt, to 
appease God and to answer to their own sin, they'll flagellate 
themselves. Some of you, it just doesn't 
enter your mind. Some of us, we know this. This physical beating 
of themselves in order to atone for their own sins. That's how 
they answer their guilt. Martin Luther knows full well 
that that only heaps burden upon burden, guilt upon guilt. To 
answer your own sin by your own action is a wretched offense 
against the high court of heaven. But you see, I think we can as 
Protestants, if you're in a certain Protestant tradition that has 
that same attribute, before you can say that you are regenerate, 
that you are a believer, you must undergo a certain extended 
period of agony. You must agonize for weeks and 
for months. You must dwell upon your sins. You must peruse the diary of 
your memory, and not quickly, but over an extended period of 
time before you can truly say that you are a Christian. Spurgeon 
says, quickly peruse the diary of your memory, and then even 
quicker, flee to the Savior. flee to the Lamb of God who takes 
away the sins of the world. It is a wholesome exercise. We 
acknowledge our transgressions before God, but we don't metaphorically 
and figuratively beat ourselves up for eight months. We don't 
dump sand in our coffee and drink it. We don't whittle together 
a wicker bag and throw tires in it, wrap it to our chest and 
climb up Mount Sham in order to atone for our own sins. We 
fly to this one who in amazing wonder saves his people from 
their sins. And lastly, under the character 
of his redemption, it was perfectly executed. Notice what the text 
says, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at 
the right hand of the majesty on high. It was perfectly executed. This sitting down at the right 
hand of the Majesty on High speaks to God the Father's approbation, 
His approval of the Son's work. God the Father is satisfied with 
the Son. And He sits down at the right 
hand of the Majesty on High. You see, satisfied, I think in 
our 20th, 21st century minds means just doing enough, but 
not doing, you know, a good work. You know, kids, maybe if you 
get a report card from a teacher or from your parents, I don't 
know if they still do this, but you'd have, you know, poor, very 
poor, poor, satisfactory, good, excellent, that sort of grading. You know, it's not the case that 
Christ's satisfaction is in the middle and then there is excellent. 
Satisfaction means the perfect execution of a task, and Christ 
does that. He perfectly redeems His people, 
and we see the evidence of this in that the Father has seated 
Him at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Lastly, thirdly, 
as we move towards closing in prayer, let's look at the glory 
of His reign. the glory of his reign. Notice, 
when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right 
hand of the majesty on high, having become so much better 
than the angels, as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent 
name than they." You can mark this down in the same category 
of texts as Philippians 2, 5 to 11. In those texts that encapsulate 
but encapsulate a theologically packed material into just the 
span of a handful of verses. When he had by himself purged 
our sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high, 
having become so much better than the angels, as he has by 
inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. First, the glory 
of his reign is seen in his position relative to the majesty on high. He's seated at the right hand 
of the majesty on high. That speaks to the honor bestowed 
upon the messianic king. That speaks to the prestige of 
the savior. Gill says, as then, he ought 
to be loved on account of his redemption, so he ought to be 
adored on account of his royal magnificence. You see, presently, 
and always, we don't worship a Christ who is a Halloween costume. We don't worship a Christ who 
is a Muppet in a Christian bookstore. You can buy Christ Muppets, blasphemy 
of blasphemies. Put your hand inside of a Christ 
Muppet and make it talk. You want to pray for the rains 
of heaven to come down and burn that. We aren't as Christians to dress 
up as soul Jesus and put soul glow in a black wig and go and 
march door to door to get candy on October 31st. We're not to 
depict Jesus on a t-shirt and say Jesus is my homeboy. Wonderful 
counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace. Of the 
increase of his government, there will be no end. John falls as 
his face is a dead man before the glory, the excellency, and 
the majesty of our blessed savior. He ought to be loved on account 
of his redemption, so he ought to be adored. on account of his 
royal magnificence. Second, we see the reign or the 
glory of his reign is seen in his position relative to angels. Notice the text here says, having 
become so much better than the angels. Now you might be asking, 
or maybe you're not because you already know this, but you might 
be asking, well, isn't he better than the angels by virtue of 
his deity? Yes, the answer is yes. better 
than the angels by virtue of the fact that he is the creator 
of angels. But this has respect to the person 
of Christ, the God-man, with special emphasis on his human 
nature, having completed his messianic task, the forgiveness 
of sins, the ratification of the new covenant in his own blood, 
having done the will of the Father, he is now higher than the angels. God has set him upon his right 
hand, the right hand of the majesty on high, in approbation of his 
perfect saving work, and he is higher than the angels by virtue 
of that perfection. There was You see, from verses 
5 to probably verse 18 of chapter 2, the Apostle Paul is setting 
Christ as greater than the angels, the superabounding excellence 
of Christ over all things. He's higher than the prophets, 
verses 1 to 4. He's higher than the angels, 
verse 5 to verse 18 of chapter 2. Jesus Christ is better than 
the angels, having become so much better than the angels. 
And lastly, under the glory of his reign, the glory of his reign 
is seen in his excellent name, in his excellent name. Notice 
the text goes on to say, as he has by inheritance obtained a 
more excellent name than they. At the completion of Christ's 
perfect saving work, the completion of Christ's messianic work, the 
Lord God exalts him to his right hand and gives him the name which 
is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee 
should bow, of those in heaven, of those on earth, and of those 
under the earth, that at the name of Jesus, or that every 
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory 
of God the Father. That name that is given to him, 
most likely, we read in Revelation 19, that Jesus Christ has a name 
that no one knows except himself, or that no one knows but himself. 
That doesn't mean that we don't know what that name is. What 
it means is, is that we don't have that name because we're 
not, and here's the name, the King of Kings and the Lord of 
Lords. Jesus Christ has that name written 
upon himself, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. He has a name 
more excellent than they. So, brethren, we see in Hebrews 
1, 1 to 4, the excellence of Christ's revelation, the wonder 
of his redemption, the glory of his reign. As we close a couple 
considerations with respect to he has revealed for the believer, 
rejoice that you have been made to hear the riches and the excellencies 
of Christ. God has revealed himself to us. Do we take that seriously? Because 
there's lots of other speaking out there. God spoke. We can 
so often heap to ourselves everyone else who speaks and leave our 
Bibles collecting dust upon the shelf. There's lots of revealing 
out there. People revealing the unhelpful, 
to put it lightly, and blasphemous and wicked thoughts of their 
own hearts. You scan print and digital and whatever media we 
have out there, there are people speaking to us. And I fear we 
avail more of those things than we avail of the blessed revelation, 
in which there is no error, in which there is inspiration, in 
which there is no fallacy. We need to avail ourselves of 
the revelation of Christ because therein we find truth and therein 
we find help for time of need. But believer, beware of the rejection 
of this revelation. If you're out there this morning 
and you don't know the Lord Jesus Christ, God has spoken. In those 
times past, he spoke to the fathers by the prophets. In these last 
days, he has spoken to us by his son. Surely they will hear 
my son, the landowner says in the parable of Matthew 21. But 
what happens? They kill the son and they steal 
his inheritance. What happens to those wicked 
men? The Pharisees who would receive 
this judgment answer rightly. He will kill those wicked men 
miserably. Don't reject this revelation. 
The warning comes in chapter two. How shall we escape if we 
neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be 
spoken by the Lord. Read this revelation, avail of 
it, find Christ in it, and bend the knee to the King of Kings 
and Lord of Lords, respecting He has redeemed, respecting the 
wonder of His redemption. Believer, rejoice that you have 
been made to know the salvation of Christ. You see, this removal 
of the guilt of sin, brethren, We might not have to, and let 
it never be that we force upon you the need to do so. We don't 
have to smile externally, though it's always nice to do that. 
It indicates, you know, perhaps the joy of the heart when you 
plaster a big smile. I can't smile all that well, 
but I'll smile because there's joy in there somewhere. But whether 
inwardly or outwardly, We rejoice that we have been made to know 
the salvation of our Christ, the removal of the guilt of sin. 
Remember, and I've probably said this, I've probably said this, 
you know, 17 times, but remember that blessed image in the Pilgrim's 
Progress. My favorite extra biblical quotes, 
and there's a lot of them. Remember what's going on in Pilgrim's 
Progress when our hero Christian brought to that scene, and there's 
those three shining ones. And the first one, I believe, 
announces that his sins have been forgiven. The second one 
removes his old garments and puts on new garments. And my 
mind is escaping me, but I can't remember what the third one does. 
Tell me later. The scene is that Christian sees the cross and 
he sees the tomb. And with regards to this idea 
about the weight, the guilt of sin, he says, how far have I 
come loaded up with sin? Nothing could ease the grief 
that I was in till I came here Seeing the cross in the tomb 
when the burden fell from off his back till I came here. What 
a place is this? Must here be the beginning of 
my bliss. Yes Must hear this burden fall 
from off my back must hear these chords that tied it to me crack 
blessed cross blessed to Blessed rather be the one who there was 
put to shame for me." You see, believer, that is true of you. 
That burden of sin, that guilt of sin has rolled off that hill 
into the tomb, disappeared out of view, the forgiveness of sins. But unbeliever, that burden is 
building. That burden is building. That 
burden is getting heavier. That burden is growing so large 
that one day it will crush you and there will be no escape. 
Before time comes, before time ends, believe on the Lord Jesus 
Christ. You will be saved and you'll 
know the joy of Christian. Blessed rather be the man who 
there was put to shame for me. And finally, remember that Christ 
believer is to be adored on account of his royal Magnificence. Think of the contrast here. And 
this is a preacher's promise, a minute and 37 seconds left. 
Think of the contrast here. Jesus Christ is this royal magistrate, 
having become so much better than the angels, as he has by 
inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. Not 30 years ago to round down. Not 30 years ago. This selfsame Christ been mocked 
and scourged. He'd been given a reed scepter. They placed a reed in his hand. 
He'd been given a crown of thorns. And these wicked, unbelieving 
Jews and Romans did not rest the crown of thorns upon his 
scalp so as to, you know, not injure the Son of God manifest 
in the flesh, but rather they dug those long, deep thorns into 
his skull so that the blood would be dripping down upon his face. 
He has this reed scepter and this crown of thorns and he's 
mocked at, he's mock worshipped the king of the Jews. What a 
glorious contrast now to move, having performed the work, having 
endured the shame and the ignominy of the cross, this side of the 
resurrection and ascension, and Jesus Christ wields the scepter 
of righteousness. It's what the text here says. 
Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness 
is the scepter of your kingdom. Believer, rejoice in. You see, 
Christ is altogether lovely and chief among 10,000 as He wields 
the reed scepter and as He takes the crown of thorns. He is altogether 
lovely as He wields the scepter of righteousness and as He bears 
the crown of majesty. But unbeliever, He might be a 
thing to mock and a thing to spit at, how dare you? And a thing to ridicule in that 
lower ignominy as the blood's dripping down his face, screaming 
along with the crowd, crucify him, mocking him. Isn't that 
the king of the Jews? But fear him. as the wielder 
of the scepter of righteousness, as the one who rides the white 
horse, who treads the wine press of the fierceness and of the 
wrath of Almighty God. While there is still time, today 
is the day of salvation. Do not be those who will cry 
at the end of days. Cry in that last time frame, 
that last window where one can cry. Do not be the one who, wanting 
to hide from the wrath of the Lamb, calls upon the rocks and 
the trees, mountains to fall on you, but rather cry out. Men 
and brethren, what must we do? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ 
and you shall be saved. And you shall speak of and glory 
in the excellence of His revelation, the wonder of His redemption, 
and the glory of His reign. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, 
we rejoice in the truth of Holy Scripture. We thank you so much 
for what we read in Hebrews 1, 1 to 4. We thank you for our 
Christ, and we pray that it would never be the case that as we 
sit under preaching, as we sit under teaching, that we would 
go through it, even seeing it favorably as an exercise which 
is just unto the acquisition of knowledge. but in acquiring 
knowledge, in hearing the truth, in listening to the truth preached, 
Lord God, that we would end in doxology, that we would sing 
the praises of our glorious Christ. We rejoice in His revelation. We are amazed at His redemption. And Lord God, we worship Him 
in His reign. And we do pray that you would 
help all saints gathered here this morning to rejoice in the 
Savior, to rejoice in Christ, to leave this place singing the 
praises of His name, We pray that sinners who entered this 
morning would join us, Lord God, that by amazing, condescending, 
and victorious grace, you would call sinners from deadness and 
sin to life and light in Jesus Christ, our blessed Savior. Go 
with us now. Help us to live this day believing 
on the Lord Jesus Christ, rejoicing in His name, and seeking to live 
in a manner worthy of our calling by grace. And it's in Christ's 
name that we pray. Amen.