"Who being the shining splendor of His glory, and the express image of His essence, and upholding all things by the word of His power, through Himself cleansing of our sins, He sat down on the right of the Majesty on high." Heb 1:3
I have been thinking on this scripture as of late. It says so much in just a few sentences. For example:
"Who being the shining splendor of His glory". The words here 'shining splendor' mean to shine forth from, or to shine out of. So in our mind we can picture Jesus shining forth from God's glory, being taken out of it and sent forth just as light shines out of the creation of the light, and goes forth into the darkness. This is stated in John:
Joh 1:2 He was in the beginning with God. :3 All things came into being through Him, and without Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. :4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. :5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.
This helps us understand the next statement:
"and the express image of His essence". He is taken out of his glory and his essence, and so he is the exact copy or in this illustration, image or representation. Another reference called express image, the figure stamped. So we see God's Glory through a 'sample' of that glory or image of him, Jesus. Jesus explains this to Phillip when he says:
"Jesus said to him, Have I been with you such a long time and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. And how do you say, Show us the Father? Joh 14:9
The next statement reveals to us even more the substance of Jesus.
"and upholding all things by the word of His power". Jesus is the image of God, and he is the word of God. These two things are synonymous, for both are a reflection of the source, provisions that helps us understand the creator of the image and source of the words. This is further explained in Hebrews:
"By faith we understand that the ages were framed by a word of God, so that the things being seen not to have come into being out of the things that appear." Heb 11:3
Jesus is our frame of reference, or word by which to understand and see our God. We are able to view Jesus by belief and faith in him. To those who believe he is a source of power and gives life, just as light is a source of power and life.
"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." Joh 1:4
"He who believes on the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him." Joh 3:36
And how does this light shine on us?
through Himself cleansing of our sins, He sat down on the right of the Majesty on high." He came and took away our darkness, our sin, leaving with us the word, and returned to the Father's right hand, having accomplished what he was sent to do. He was sent, to bring light into the world, our world. And not only bring light, but to make us a light.
"and persuading yourselves to be a guide of the blind, a light to those in darkness;" Rom 2:19
"For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. :6 For it is God who said, "Out of darkness Light shall shine;" who shone in our hearts to give the brightness of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. :7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us;" 2Co 4:5
May we shine forth, and be his glory.
