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, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.Here the author of Hebrews describes Christ as “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.” Imagine someone who not only reflects the glory of God as Moses did after his encounter with God on Mount Sinai, but who actually is the very brightness of the divine glory.
Think not that there was ever a moment of time when God was without wisdom, any more than there was ever a time when light was without radiance. For where there is light there is radiance, and where there is radiance there is also light. For the Son is the Radiance of his Father’s light, co-eternal because of eternity of power, inseparable by unity of brightness.
The Greek word translated “the very stamp” [“exact imprint”] here means an engraved character or the impress made by a die or a seal, as for example, on a coin; and the Greek word translated “nature” denotes the very essence of God. The principal idea intended is that of exact correspondence. This correspondence involves not only an identity of the essence of the Son with that of the Father, but more particularly a true and trustworthy revelation or representation of the Father by the Son.We remember the request made to Jesus by Philip when he said, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us” (John 14:8). We need to meditate upon the response of Jesus in John 14:9–11:
Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.He who would taste the fullness of the sweetness of Christ, and perceive the total measure of his excellence, must be willing to make the pursuit of the knowledge of him the main and chief business of life. Such pursuits must not be hindered by sentimentality or season.
Chances are you are among the massive majority of Christians who rarely or never fast. It’s not because we haven’t read our Bibles or sat under faithful preaching or heard about the power of fasting, or even that we don’t genuinely want to do it. We just never actually get around to putting down the fork.
Did you know that almost six out of ten teens leave the church at some point? Nearly 60% of high school students who grow up going to church will close the doors to a Christian life. And usually, they don't come back (survey by the Barna Group). "Because of people breaking the laws and sin being everywhere, the love in the hearts of many people will become cold." Matthew 24:12
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