Have you ever seen commercials for a product that is supposed to “do it all”? Maybe it’s a cream that cures everything from arthritis to a broken leg, or an appliance that slices, dices, and purees. In the same way, we know (or know of) people who also seem to “do it all”, whether athletes who play multiple sports (better than we do), or movie / TV stars who also direct or product their own works.
Let’s think about that sort of “all-rounder” as we read a couple more verses from the first chapter of the book of Hebrews:
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
Hebrews 1:3-4 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/heb.1.3-4.NIV
Theologically, there are some really important things in these two verses. Several key aspects about Jesus – God the Son – are described. While we look at them, though, let’s think about a first-century audience of Jewish Christians who were being persecuted (quite possibly by the Roman Emperor Nero), and needed to be reassured that remaining faithful to Jesus Christ was still the right thing to do.
First, God the Son is “the radiance of God’s glory”. Although some people incorrectly think of Jesus as some sort of lesser being to God the Father, both Father and Son – along with the Holy Spirit – are part of the same triune God. God the Father’s glory is visible in God the Son. Aspects about the glory of God – Yahweh – that the first-century Jewish Christians had already learned about (i.e., from their Jewish upbringing) could be seen in God the Son. If they were thinking about going back to their Jewish faith, because they weren’t sure about Jesus’ ability to rescue them, the author of Hebrews had encouragement that this wasn’t necessary.
For us today, I think that this is a good reminder that although we know God in three persons, all of them are glorious, and all three – together and as a whole – are worthy of our obedience, service, and worship.
In addition, God the Son is “the exact representation of his being” (or “…of His nature”, [NASB]). God the Son has the same “being” or “nature” as God the Father. As Jesus told Philip at the Last Supper [see John 14:8-14], “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”
Today, it is often taught that we can understand God the Father by looking at Jesus Christ, and that’s a good reminder, since those who misunderstand this (including well-meaning Christians) can develop a skewed view that sees God the Father – or the “God of the Old Testament” – as judgmental and harsh, while seeing Jesus as loving and forgiving.
The truth, though, is that God’s nature is the same among all three persons of God, and throughout all of history…period. God does not change. And, in His holiness, He always perfectly balances justice and love (or “grace and truth”).
To first-century Jewish Christians, though, this verse could have meant so much more. Having learned about God the Father’s nature through the history of the Hebrew people, if they could appreciate that Jesus Christ was the same, that would tell them a lot about who Jesus is.
In any case, let’s remember that all three persons of God have the same nature. They are all the same God, so what we learn about the character of one helps us learn about the other two. More on these verses in the next article…
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 