Hebrews 1:1-4 — Part 5: Finished and Seated

Finished and seated

“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.”
(Hebrews 1:3–4, ESV)

We need to feel the impact of this. Verses 1–3 outline the majesty and glorious beauty of the Son, esteemed above all, and hallmarked with the nature of God. It would be a privilege above anything this world offers even to be acquainted with such a noble Lord. We should count it more precious than any work of any artist to be part of, to live in, the astounding work of his deep knowledge, great skill and infinitely careful construction: not a static production, but a growing, developing, integrated complexity which perfectly harmonises and interrelates. Louis Armstrong sings “What a wonderful world”. My heart sings “What a wonderful God!”

Verse 4 moves to another level. It can be no accident that the writer moves from the heights of glory, and the co-existence of Son with the Father, to the return to that same glory when his earthly role is fulfilled and his mission completed. The Son is back in his place, but with what astounding changes accomplished. He comes to the world to live his humanity, lays down his life and takes it up again, and ascends to where he was before. And the whole of it is summarised in the brief “having made purification for sins”.

This, then, in the eyes of the writer of Hebrews, is the esteemed pinnacle of his achievement. He has taken all that separates ruined rebels from the presence of the holy God and has wiped it away. And then, to demonstrate that the whole thing is completed, done, he sits down in the very court of the Father – something no earthly priest would ever dare to do. Thus he signifies that his sacrifice is not only perfectly offered, it is perfectly and eternally accepted.

In the words of Wesley’s glorious hymn:

’Tis finished! The Messiah dies –
cut off for sins, but not His own;
accomplished is the sacrifice –
the great redeeming work is done.

The veil is rent; in Christ alone
the living way to heav’n is seen;
the middle wall is broken down,
and all mankind may enter in.

’Tis finished! All my guilt and pain,
I want no sacrifice beside;
for me, for me the Lamb is slain,
’tis finished! I am justified.

The reign of sin and death is o’er;
all grace is now to sinners giv’n;
and, lo! I plead th’atoning blood,
and in Thy right I claim my heav’n.
(Charles Wesley, 1707–88)