Hebrews 1
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. - Vs 3 (NASB) "
The Son reflects God’s own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. He sustains the universe by the mighty power of his command. After he died to cleanse us from the stain of sin, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven. (NLT).
What a clear statement of Jesus' deity. He is the exact representation of God because He IS God. He is the creator and sustainer of the universe. "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands" (Vs 10). His word is so powerful that He spoke the world into existence. And yet He still came to earth, took on human flesh, lived a sinless life, died a sinner's death, and rose again, just for me! And now He sits in the place of honor right next to God the Father, where the angels worship Him.
I think that we have so humanized Jesus that we have virtually eliminated the deity of Jesus. We are so used to seeing images of the blond-haired, blue-eyed Jesus in a robe, walking across the Judean landscape in some movie version of His life, that we forget just how powerful, regal, holy, and awe-inspiring He is. He no longer walks along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He sits on a throne. He no longer holds loaves and fishes in His hands. He holds a scepter. The world He created is decaying and changing, yet He is unchanging and everlasting. He is the same Jesus who was there when the world began and He will be there when it comes to an end. His life is not limited to the 33 years He spent on this earth. He is eternal. He has no beginning and He has no end. He is God.
In our effort to get to know Jesus, let's not forget to worship Him. While we find it so easy to relate to the humanity of Jesus, let's never lose sight of the deity of Jesus. It wasn't just some man who died on a cross in my place – it was the God of the universe! The One who made me died for me. The One who created the tree from which the wood of the cross was made. The One who made the elements from which the nails were formed that would pierce His hands. The One who formed the rocks from which His tomb was carved. The One who rose again and is one day coming again. Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Father, let me never take Jesus for granted. Keep me focused on the reality that He is God. His human flesh did not change that. He was God when He was born as a baby and He was God when He ascended back into heaven. He is God. He is powerful, holy, and worthy of my honor and obedience. In my efforts to understand who He was when He was on this earth, don't let me forget where He is now. He is at Your side and He has all the power of the universe at His disposal. And He uses that power to intercede for me! "Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us (Romans 8:34). Amen