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“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Hebrews 1.1-3 (ESV)
The Final Word of God
The writer to the Hebrews reminds us that God is not silent. He has spoken - first
through the prophets, and finally and fully in His Son. In Jesus, God’s revelation
reaches its fullness. The Son is not merely one messenger among many; He is the
message Himself. He does not merely bring the word of God; He is the Word made
flesh.
Throughout the Old Testament, God’s people received partial glimpses of His will and character through prophets, priests, and kings. Each office revealed something true about God, but none could reveal Him fully. Then Jesus came, and every partial shadow found its perfect substance in Him. He is the true and greater Prophet, Priest, and King, the One in whom all God’s promises find their “Yes” and “Amen.”
Jesus the True and Greater Prophet
The prophets of old spoke the word of God; Jesus is the Word made flesh. Moses
declared, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me” (Deut. 18:15), and generations waited for that prophet to come. When Jesus appeared, the crowds
recognized a voice unlike any other: “No one ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:46).
The prophets pointed forward; Jesus speaks as the very voice of God. When He opens His mouth, heaven’s truth breaks into the world’s darkness. He not only speaks for God, He is God speaking.
But there’s more. The prophet’s task was not merely to foretell but to reveal, to call
God’s people to repentance, faith, and obedience. Jesus embodies that prophetic
ministry perfectly. He exposes sin not to condemn but to heal. His words cut, but they also cleanse. He reveals not only what God commands but what God is like - merciful, holy, steadfast in love. And here is the wonder: Jesus still speaks today. By His Spirit and through His Word, He addresses our hearts, not as distant hearers but as beloved disciples. To read Scripture is not simply to study history; it is to sit at the feet of the living Prophet who still says, “Follow Me.”
Jesus the True and Greater Priest
If Jesus is the Prophet who reveals God to man, He is also the Priest who brings man to God. Every priest in Israel stood daily at his work, offering sacrifices again and again for sins that could never truly take them away. But when Jesus made purification for sins, Hebrews says, He sat down. The work was finished.
In the Old Covenant, the priest would enter the Most Holy Place once a year with the
blood of another. In the New Covenant, Christ entered the heavenly sanctuary once for all with His own blood. The cross is both altar and mercy seat; the Lamb is also the High Priest. Christ, our great High Priest, intercedes for us even now. His pierced hands are raised not in pleading uncertainty but in victorious advocacy. Every accusation that might be brought against you meets a nail-scarred answer: “Paid in full.” Because He lives, we can draw near with confidence. The veil is torn. The mercy seat is open. The same Jesus who offered Himself for us now prays for us, not from afar but from the throne of grace.
Jesus the True and Greater King
At last, the writer of Hebrews declares that the Son “sat down at the right hand of the
Majesty on high.” Here is royal imagery, the language of enthronement. The Prophet
who reveals and the Priest who redeems is also the King who reigns.
The kings of Israel were meant to rule in righteousness, defending the poor and
upholding justice. Yet even the best of them were flawed. Their thrones crumbled, their kingdoms divided. But the Son of David reigns forever. His crown cannot be taken, His kingdom cannot be shaken.
Jesus’ kingship is unlike any other. He reigns not through coercion but through
compassion, not by the sword of power but by the scepter of grace. He conquers hearts not by domination but by love. “My kingdom is not of this world,” He said, and yet it is this world that He came to redeem. And one day, the King will return. The One who ascended will descend. The One who now reigns unseen will appear in glory, and “the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.” Until that day, we live as loyal subjects of a crucified and risen King - citizens of a kingdom that cannot fail.
Archbishop Steve Wood
Primate, ACNA
