The previous article covered an introduction to the book of Hebrews, so let’s start with the first couple of verses.
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.
Hebrews 1:1-2 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/heb.1.1-2.NIV
As the previous article warned us: the author of Hebrews jumps right in! Now, someone raised in first-century Jewish culture, having been taught the Holy Scriptures, would have immediately recognized the truth that God spoke to people through prophets. Whether they thought of Moses as being an early prophet to the Hebrew people, or perhaps went even further back to people like Abraham, Noah, or Enoch, the idea of God speaking through prophets would have been well-known to them.
(On the other hand, where there are those who speak the truth from God, there are also false prophets. As a result, throughout their history, the Israelites had to deal with sorting out the truth from lies, and that is still a necessity today.)
However, if we didn’t want to study a book written to first-century Jewish Christians, we might protest, “that was then; this is now”. After all, in the “B.C.” era, God spoke to His people through prophets, but in the first century, God spoke to people through His Son. So, does that mean there aren’t prophets anymore? We certainly have preachers and teachers inspired by the Holy Spirit, but is that different? I’m not sure, but welcome your thoughts in the comments below. Girdwood & Verkruyse, p.34-35ff, paint the messages from the prophets as “incomplete”, contrasted with Jesus bringing the whole message.
By the way, Jesus doesn’t show up by name in the book of Hebrews until the second chapter, but here we learn something about Him: that He is God’s Son. In these first two verses, we can also learn a couple of other key things about the Son: For one thing, God the Father “appointed” (v.2) God the Son “heir of all things”. Jesus was given everything as an inheritance. And, God the Father created the world through God the Son. Jesus was instrumental in the creation of the world. As a result, for Him to inherit it seems only natural. (By the way, the NASB footnote suggests that the term “universe” here might also be “ages”. Regardless of the specific word here, when Jesus helped create the universe, I’m pretty sure that He created time as well as space and matter.)
I do wonder what Jesus had sovereignty over before He gave up much to be born as a human being. Is it possible that, after Jesus returned to Heaven following His crucifixion and resurrection, God the Father restored to Jesus what previously belonged to Him? Or, was that inheritance something that was “held” by God the Father until Jesus had died for the sins of the world and been raised back to life? Maybe Jesus’ inheritance was welcoming lost souls into the family of God. I’m not sure, and want to be careful to not speculate too much until we can find Scripture to guide us one way or the other.
We’re just a couple of verses in, but starting with this preview of God speaking to us through Jesus, let’s be encouraged by the good news of the book of Hebrews, while also encouraging others in the faith with the truth that we learn from this book.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for January 4, 2026
References:
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Hebrews, by Jim Girdwood and Peter Verkruyse. © 1997 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 