Jesus Calls Us
The Birth of the Church
A Promise Is Made to Jesus' Desciples
Live in the light of God (Isaiah 2:5Hebrews 1The Voice1 Long ago, at different times and in various ways, God’s voice came to our ancestors through the Hebrew prophets. 2 But in these last days, it has come to us through His Son, the One who has been given dominion over all things and through whom all worlds were made. 3 This is the One who—imprinted with God’s image, shimmering with His glory—sustains all that exists through the power of His word. He was seated at the right hand of God once He Himself had made the offering that purified us from all our sins. 4 This Son of God is elevated as far above the heavenly messengers as His holy name is elevated above theirs. 5 For no heavenly messengers have ever heard God address them with these words of the psalms: You are My Son.
Today I have become Your Father.[a] Or heard Him promise, I will be to You a Father,
and You will be My Son.[b] 6 Now, when the Son, the firstborn of God, was brought into the world, God said, Let all My heavenly messengers worship Him.[c] 7 Concerning them, God said, I make My heavenly messengers like the winds,
and My servants like a flame.[d] 8 But to the Son He said, God, Your throne is eternal;
You will rule Your kingdom with the scepter of justice.
9 You have loved what is right
and hated what is evil;
That is why God, Your God, has anointed You
with the oil of gladness and lifted You above Your companions.[e] 10 And God continues, In the beginning, You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth
and set the skies above us with Your own hands.
11 But while they will someday pass away,
You remain forever;
when they wear out like old clothes,
12 You will roll them up
and change them into something new.
But You will never change;
Your years will never come to an end.[f] 13 Did God ever say to any of the heavenly messengers, Sit here, at My right hand, in the seat of honor;
and I’ll put all Your enemies under Your feet?[g] 14 No, of course not. The heavenly messengers are only spirits and servants, sent out to minister to those who will certainly inherit salvation.
For Reflection
"Hebrews pictures Christ as a pioneer, as one who charts the course through the difficult landscape in order that others may follow. The pioneer endures hardship for the sake of something far greater. Hebrews will repeatedly declare that God’s purposes remain clear and firm. God has created people for glory, not dishonor, for life and not suffering. And in Christ, the listeners “see” how God continues to be at work bringing his purposes to fulfillment. Like the people whom God delivered from slavery in Egypt, they are on a journey through a wilderness — in the case of the readers, it is a social wilderness. But the promised land still beckons, and the conviction that God has a future for them gives courage to persevere, knowing that God is not done but is leading them toward that promised future." (Craig R. Koester, Professor and Asher O. and Carrie Nasby Chair of New Testament, Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, Minn.)Pray Pray for the Holy Spirit to take charge of your life. Pray for the life lived in justice, peace, joy, and servitude to our living God. Forward to a friend
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