Christ is Supreme
Bible study on the supremacy of Jesus Christ.

In a previous article, we considered the preeminence and supremacy of Jesus from the first chapter of Colossians. In this article, I would like to continue this thought, but from the book of Hebrews. The first four verses of Hebrews is one of the most informative sentences relating to Jesus saying:

"God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these 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 (Heb. 1:1-4)."

The book of Hebrews outlines the supremacy of Christ, His Priesthood, His Kingdom, the covenant He established, and the salvation He delivered to mankind. Fittingly, the book begins by establishing the supremacy of Christ compared to all others in heaven and earth - Christ being equal with God (Phil. 2:6) as the Son of God. So, by establishing the supremacy of Christ, the author establishes the supremacy of everything established by Christ - His Priesthood, Kingdom, covenant, and salvation.

Why is Christ supreme?

1. Christ is the Son of God through whom God spoke in the last days (Heb. 1:2). God has now spoken through His Son who came to earth to deliver salvation to mankind. We should give more earnest heed to the things we have heard - since they were delivered personally from the Son of God (Heb. 2:1).
2. God made the worlds through Christ (Heb. 1:2). God's plan from the foundation of the world was for His Son to be supreme above all creation; therefore, all things were created through Christ. Certainly, He who is creator is supreme over that which He created.
3. Christ is the heir of all things (Heb. 1:2). All things were created by, through, and for Christ (Col. 1:16); therefore, He is also heir of all things.
4. Christ is the brightness of God's glory (Heb. 1:3). The word brightness is only here used and means reflected splendor. So, Christ reflects the splendor of God, and it is through Christ we may see the splendor of the Father. In Christ dwells fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col. 2:9).
5. Christ is the express image of God's person (Heb. 1:3). Christ is God's exact resemblance in person. He is the image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15).
6. Christ upholds all things by the word of His power (Heb. 1:3). Not only is Christ creator of all things, but also Sustainer of all things in heaven and earth by His word. Christ, from the Father, has power and authority to sustain heaven and earth - all that He created.
7. Christ purged our sins by Himself (Heb. 1:3). Without assistance from heaven or earth, Christ alone offered Himself as Priest and Sacrifice to purge the sins of mankind. Christ "became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him." (Heb. 5:9).
8. Christ has sat down at the right hand of God (Heb. 1:3). Christ has no need to daily offer sacrifices as human priests since His sacrifice is perfect and forever. Therefore, He has sat down at the right hand of God - never to offer another sacrifice for sin (Heb. 7:20-8:1).
9. Christ has obtained a better name than the angels through inheritance (Heb. 1:4). Christ has always been higher than the angels as the Son of God (Phil. 2:5-6). Now, after having humbled Himself to live lower than the angels, to live as a man, and to freely die upon the cross, God again exalted Jesus above the angels - to the right hand of God.

Jesus is supreme. He is above all others in heaven and earth except only God. Of this very thing Paul says: "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:9-11).