This is Lesson 01 in our Hebrews series.
The opening of the book of Hebrews provides a breathtaking portrait of Jesus Christ, identifying Him as the final word from God to humanity. In Hebrews 1:2–3, the author lists seven distinct attributes of Jesus that establish His absolute divinity, His role in creation, and His finished work of salvation. These attributes—Heir, Creator, Radiance, Expression, Sustainer, Savior, and Ruler—prove that Jesus is not merely a great teacher or prophet, but the very Son of God who holds the universe together and sits in total authority at the Father’s right hand.
The Context of Hebrews: A Superior Message
To understand the seven attributes of Jesus, we must first look at why they were written. The book of Hebrews was likely written to Jewish Christians who were facing intense persecution. Under the weight of social and physical pressure, many were tempted to abandon their faith and return to the safety of traditional Judaism. The author’s primary message is a corrective to that temptation: Jesus Christ is greater than anyone or anything that came before Him.
In the Old Testament, God spoke to the ancestors through the prophets in “fragments”—a dream here, a burning bush there, or a specific warning. These were true messages from God, but they were incomplete. However, in these final days, God has stopped sending messages and has sent The Message in the person of His Son.
“Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son.” (Hebrews 1:1–2)
Jesus as the Heir and Creator
The first two attributes focus on Jesus’ relationship to the timeline of history and the physical world. The author notes that God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance. This means that history is not a random sequence of accidents; it is a carefully planned procession toward the coronation of King Jesus. He is the “Why” behind everything that exists.
Furthermore, the Son is the agent of creation. The Bible makes it clear that Jesus is not a “created being” who eventually became a god, nor was He the first thing God made. Instead, He is the Source. Through the Son, God created the universe. Every star, planet, and atom was spoken into being by the Word of God. As the illustrates, the vastness of the universe is a testament to the power of the One who designed its architecture.
“God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe.” (Hebrews 1:2)
The Radiance and Expression of God’s Nature
The next two attributes describe the essence of Jesus’ nature. The Greek word for “radiance” (apaugasma) is a compound word meaning to shine forth from a source. Jesus does not merely reflect God’s glory like the moon reflects the sun; He is the light proceeding from the source. You cannot have the sun without light, and you cannot have the light without the sun. They are co-essential and co-eternal.
The author also describes Jesus as the “expression” of God’s character. The Greek word here is charaktēr, referring to a stamp or a signet ring pressed into hot wax. Just as the wax takes on the exact image of the ring, Jesus is the exact representation of God’s nature. He doesn’t just show us what God is like; He is God in a way we can see and touch. He is the visible manifestation of the invisible God.
The Sustainer and Savior of Humanity
Jesus is not an absentee landlord who started the world and then left it to run on its own. He is the “glue” of the cosmos, sustaining everything by the mighty power of His command. The universe stays together because Jesus wills it so. This provides immense comfort to the believer: if Jesus is currently holding the spinning planets in orbit, He is more than capable of holding your life together when it feels like it is falling apart.
However, the author quickly shifts from the cosmos to the human condition. After establishing Jesus’ power over creation, he highlights His work as the Savior. He “cleansed us from our sins.” This is the most important past-tense phrase in the Bible. In the Old Testament Tabernacle, priests worked day and night because sin never stopped, and their work was never finished. But Jesus performed one work, one time, for all people, and effectively removed the stain of sin for those who believe.
“The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.” (Hebrews 1:3)
The Ruler: The Seated King
The final attribute is the description of Jesus as the Ruler. After finishing His work of atonement, Jesus “sat down.” In the ancient Tabernacle, there were no chairs because a priest’s work was never done. The fact that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven signifies that the victory is won.
Jesus is not pacing the floors of heaven worrying about world events or your personal trials. He is seated in the place of highest honor and total authority. This serves as the ultimate encouragement to the original audience and to us today: no matter how powerful our “invisible” trials feel, we serve a King who has already conquered sin and death and now rules over all.
The Takeaway
The seven attributes of Jesus in Hebrews 1 reveal that He is the Author, the Hero, and the Ending of the human story. By understanding Jesus as the Heir, Creator, Radiance, Expression, Sustainer, Savior, and Ruler, we see a complete portrait of His divinity. He is superior to the angels, the prophets, and any religious tradition. When we see Jesus for who He truly is, every other priority in our lives finds its proper place because He is the supreme revelation of God to man.
