The Radiance of God's Glory

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 

(Hebrews 1:3)

Meditation

Jesus told his disciples that because they had seen him, they had seen the Father, because they were one. The glory of the Father shone brightly in the life and works of Jesus. When his work on earth was done, Jesus made possible our redemption by becoming sin on the cross, even though he was totally without sin. After he rose from the dead, he went to sit at the right hand of his Father. He is the firstfruits of the resurrection, showing us the way to heaven and the Father. He offers us the gift of salvation and an eternity with him, simply for the asking. He beckons us to turn from our sins and come to him because of his boundless love for us.

He created the whole universe and holds it all together by the power of his majesty. It’s not “dark matter” that holds all the spinning galaxies together; it’s the word of his power. Secularists will come up with the strangest explanations for how the universe got here and how it works now. They continually have to change their theories to account for new information that comes to light. We have been given the true story in the pages of scripture. Guess how many times the Bible has had to change to accommodate new information? ZERO!

This verse is a synopsis of the whole Bible in one passage! Jesus was there at the beginning, and without him, nothing was created. He was the divine personage of God here on earth. He holds everything together with the power of his word. He provided a way for us to approach the Father in righteousness, when we’re purified by his blood. Now he sits at the Father’s right hand, waiting for the time to return.

When I finally realized I needed a savior, I wanted to get to know the Father. The only way to do that is to get to know the Son. Jesus is the way we must follow to get to the Father. The only way to follow Jesus is by reading his Word and doing what it says. He didn’t just leave us on our own though. He gave us the Holy Spirit to be our guide through life. The only thing missing is the sure promise of the return of Jesus to judge the wicked people of this world. We can escape his terrible judgment by giving ourselves to him. He is our only hope, the only way to the Father! Hallelujah!

Daily Prayer

Dear Lord when do you ever stop giving to us? You give us life, you give us sustenance, you give us the talent to make a living or to sustain ourselves. If it’s in your will, there is nothing you will withhold from us. That includes your Son, Jesus, who came to offer us purification for our sins. Jesus was there in the beginning with you, Father. We imagine it was his hands who formed the first man and woman. It was his breath that breathed life into their lungs. From the foundations of time, it was you plan for Jesus to be sacrificed for our sins. He shows your glory, Father, by what he did for us while he was here. He gave himself up for us knowing that most of us would reject his gift of salvation. It was his divine nature to give himself up for us. He didn’t come to flaunt his deity, or to demand to be worshiped and served. He came to serve the very ones he created. We thank you for his sacrifice that gives us the opportunity to come into your presence, clothed in his righteousness. Now he sits at your right hand in glory. It’s in his precious name, we pray. Amen!