God's Eternal Plan

By Jerelyn Pearson

 

If I asked you what you plan to do this afternoon, you probably wouldn’t have any trouble answering. Some of you might add more detail than others, but the point is that we all make plans. My friend Nelly always decides way ahead of time what she is going to serve for lunch when she has church at her house. I, on the other hand, change my mind several times before I finally figure it out. No matter how far ahead we plan, our plans are always subject to change. When our circumstances change, we often have to change our plans.

God has a plan. His plan is not subject to change because of unforeseen circumstances.  In the Garden of Eden He did not scratch his head and say, “Mmmm, Adam and Eve have misbehaved! What am I going to do now?” God’s plan doesn’t change as events unfold.  His plan unfolds as events change.

One of the reasons I love Bible study is to learn more about God, so that I can know him better and have a closer personal relationship with him. God’s unchanging eternal plan is to reveal himself to us through his Son Jesus Christ.

The text for today is Hebrews 1:1-3.

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 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 on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

What an impressive list of attributes!

Heir of all things:

God has appointed his Son heir of all things, lawfully giving him all power and authority. When you inherit something, it becomes legally yours.

Jesus acknowledges his inheritance in Matthew 28:18:

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

In Philippians 2:10 we find additional territory of authority.

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

He has power over things in heaven, in earth, and under the earth.

His inheritance benefits us, as children of God, as we see in Romans 8:16-17.

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Jesus is heir of all things. The next phrase in Hebrews 1:2 tells us that Jesus is the one by whom God made the worlds.

By whom also he made the worlds:

Jesus was present and active in making the worlds.

In John 1:1-3 we see that:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

1 Corinthians 8:6 verifies this.

But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

Colossians 1:16-17 adds more detail.

16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Not only does Jesus have inherited authority, but the worlds were made by and for him.

In Hebrews 1:3 Jesus is called the brightness of his glory.

The brightness of his glory:

In Jesus, God reveals the brightness of his glory in a way that we can see it, unlike in the time of Moses when no one could look upon his face and live.

John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Those who were alive when Jesus walked on earth could see, hear, and physically touch him. We who live in this time can also know him personally and experience his glory.

2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is called the brightness of his glory. Hebrews 1:3 also tells us that Jesus is the image of God’s person.

The express image of his person:

In John 14:9 Jesus speaks to Philip.

Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

We also find in Hebrews 1:3 that Jesus upholds all things by the word of his power.

Upholding all things by the word of his power:

Colossians 1:17
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. (Col. 1:17 KJV)

Jesus is carrying the world toward the fulfillment of God’s plan. He upholds all things by his powerful word.

Matthew 8:16
When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:

Luke 4:38-39
38 And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her.
39 And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.

Mark 4:39-41
39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

By his word he wielded his power over evil, casting out spirits; over illness, rebuking the fever; and over nature, calming the wind and the sea.

Still in Hebrews 1:3 we see that by himself he purged our sins.

When he had by himself purged our sins:

We are all stained by sin.

Isaiah 64:6:
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

How did Jesus purge our sins?

1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

After purging our sins, he...

Sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High:

Ephesians 1:18-20 sums up what we’ve seen of God’s plan to reveal himself in his Son.

18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

Seated in the place of highest honor and power, what is Jesus doing?

Romans 8:33-34
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

What a comfort to know that Jesus Christ,

the Son of God,
heir of all things,
by whom he made the worlds,
the brightness of his Glory,
the express image of his person,
upholding all things by the word of his power,
who by himself purged our sins,
and sat down at the right hand of The Majesty on High

is making intercession for us.

God has a complete plan with no unforeseen circumstances. God’s plan doesn’t change as events unfold.  His plan unfolds as events change. God’s unchanging eternal plan is to reveal himself to us through his Son Jesus Christ. The way to know God the Father is to know Jesus his Son.

 

 

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Presented 27 May 2018 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana