The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. (Hebrews 1:3 CSB)

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Confession: I’m a pretty regular introduction skipper. When I get a book I’m excited about, I just want to get to the meat of it, so I jump right to chapter one. Foreword? Nah, let’s move forward—I’m here for the story. But sometimes when you skip the introduction, you miss things like background information, helpful notes, or topics your book group wants to discuss. Intro-skipping has definitely burned me more than once.

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When it comes to the Bible, we are told that all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching (2 Tim. 3:16). This includes opening passages. It’s not just a nice sentiment either. Some books of the Bible open with deep theological truths that are among my favorites, all in only a handful of verses. Hebrews is one of these books. These opening verses introduce core truths the author of Hebrews will continue to unfold, giving us a breathtaking view of Christ: who He is, what He has done, and where He reigns now.

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At the beginning of Hebrews, two descriptions of Christ stand out: He is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature. As a limited analogy, think of our sun. We can’t approach the sun, but we can feel its warmth and experience its light through the sun’s rays. In a far greater way, Jesus radiates the glory of the Godhead. Because of our sinful nature, we cannot approach a holy God on our own, but through Christ’s purification for sins, we are brought near and able to know His goodness. Alongside the image of radiance, Hebrews describes Jesus as the exact expression of God. Some translations, like the ESV, use the word imprint. This language is similar to the way a coin is struck with an image, or how an ink stamp leaves a clear mark on paper. Again, it’s a limited analogy because Christ is fully God, but it gives us a helpful visual for exact representation. Jesus perfectly reveals God and shines with the radiance of God’s glory because He shares God’s very nature.

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In the first two verses of Hebrews, the author mentions that God has spoken over time through many prophets and in many ways. We see this is true as we read through the Bible. All Scripture is divinely inspired, meaning God spoke through human authors by the Holy Spirit. If you’ve read a variety of books of the Bible, you’ve probably noticed there are different styles and personalities that come through in the text. Paul has a way he “sounds” in his epistles. John records in his gospel how he outruns Peter to the tomb (John 20:3-8), yet this detail isn’t mentioned by other gospel writers. That’s probably a little bit of John’s personality on display, as anyone with a sibling or friend like a brother knows from experience.

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But God’s revelation in Jesus is different. The Enduring Word commentary explains that Jesus doesn’t just bring a message from God; Jesus is the message from God. Christ reveals the purest representation of God’s personality to us, while also providing our only opportunity to draw close to God through the purification for our sins. John 1:1-3 tells us that Jesus is the Word that was with God at the beginning, and through Him all things were created. We find here in Hebrews that Jesus is still the Word, sustaining all creation from His seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high. The eternal Word is God’s final and fullest revelation to humanity.  

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Hebrews begins by lifting our eyes to Christ’s superiority, which makes His humility in choosing the cross even more stunning. Jesus is the eternal Word, "read" like a living love letter from the only true and eternal God, who lowered Himself into human experience to suffer and provide a way for our reconciliation. He had nothing to gain by this, and He didn’t need us. He made a way for us and brought us near because He loved us.

How does reflecting on the superiority of Christ impact how you relate to Him? How does His humility in coming to us deepen your worship, gratitude, or trust? Theology is never meant to stop at information; it should inform and shape our worship and prayer lives while leading us to deeper trust. Take a few moments today to meditate (think deeply) on this truth and then spend a few minutes in worship or prayer to praise the Lord.