What Does the Supremacy of Christ Mean? Jesus’ Identity and Mission Revealed
The book of Hebrews tells us about the identity and supremacy of Christ and why He came to Earth. Jesus Christ…
- Is more than God’s messenger; He is God’s message.
- Did more than bring God’s revelation; He is God revealed.
- Is the Son of God and came to embody the Word of God.
Who Was the Book of Hebrews Written To?
The book of Hebrews was a letter written to the first-century Jews who embraced Jesus as the Messiah. The writer aimed to strengthen their wavering faith and prove Jesus is the Anointed One.
The Problems Facing the Ancient Hebrews
The ancient Hebrews had cultural and belief traditions that caused them to overlook the supremacy of Christ. What they knew and practiced hindered them from resting in and seeing Jesus as fully sufficient.
The writer of Hebrews wanted to point them to Jesus’ sufficiency, identity, and prophetic fulfillment of their ancient traditions and practices. The writer reveals how Jesus Christ is supreme to all systems and saints, presenting Him as the ultimate sacrifice, Priest, and Savior.
The Supremacy of Christ Revealed
Hebrews 1:1-4 says,
- “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” (emphasis added)
The writer starts his letter with a bold statement about the supremacy of Christ. He is not just a messenger of God’s Word but the very expression and embodiment of God’s glory (Hebrews 1:3).
Jesus is superior to angels, prophets, kings, systems, and priests. This theme of Hebrews is summarized succinctly in the words “Jesus is better.”
The Identity of Christ Revealed
In Hebrews 1:1-2, God reveals Jesus is God’s message of salvation to all.
- “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.” (emphasis added)
Christ is God’s message. In the past, God spoke through the patriarchs and the prophets, but now He speaks through a Person—The Person of Jesus!
Christ is God revealed. Jesus brought revelation, but He is also God revealed. Everything before Christ was only a partial revelation. Christ is God’s complete revelation. He is the personification of God’s revelation!
Christ is God’s Word. John 1:1, 14 tells us the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we behold His glory. Jesus is full of grace and truth.
The Mission of Christ Revealed
The supremacy of Christ points to His mission. We cannot understand His purpose without embracing His supremacy and identity.
3 Reasons for Christ’s Mission
- To express God’s Word.
Hebrews 1:1-2 says, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days, spoken to us by His Son…” (emphasis added)
God said it. The prophets wrote it. But Jesus came to reveal it! The Bible is the written Word, and Jesus is the Living Word. He came to embody God’s Word of grace and truth so that we may understand the human condition of sin and receive Him as our Savior. We cannot separate the Word of God from the Son of God.
2. To execute God’s will.
Hebrews 1:2-3 says, “…has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins…” (emphasis added)
Christ executed God’s will through creation. He also executed God’s will for redemption. This is why He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last (Revelation 22:13). He was there in the beginning, and He is with us always (Matthew 28:20), and He became our sacrificial Lamb (Revelation 13:8).
3. To exalt God’s worth.
Hebrews 1:3 says, “…when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (emphasis added)
This is why we worship Him and proclaim, “All of me for all of Him!”
Takeaways
See Jesus as a complete sacrifice.
The supremacy of Christ points to Him as our perfect and final sacrifice for sin. Unlike the repeated animal sacrifices under the Old Covenant, which never fully removed sin, Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was a one-time event for all time, fully sufficient to cleanse us from the penalty of sin.
See Jesus as God revealed.
Jesus is the embodiment of God. He came to dwell among us, revealing not only the way to God but also giving us a way to relate to God. We grow in our relationship with Him through the Word.
See Jesus as King.
King Jesus executes God's sovereign plans from beginning to end. He creates, redeems, and is coming back to reign.
What Now?
Knowing the sufficiency and supremacy of Christ and the reasons He came to Earth leaves you with a choice—how to respond to the good news of Jesus.
If you’ve struggled with old patterns and traditions getting in your way of fully trusting in and seeing the supremacy of Christ, you aren’t alone. This is why studying the book of Hebrews—verse-by-verse—can renew your relationship with God. To grow in your relationship with God’s Son, you must grow in your relationship with God’s Word.
Ask God to stir within your heart to get into the Word daily. When the Word gets in you, it transforms you, giving you strength, perseverance, and wisdom to battle whatever comes your way.
Dive deeper into the book of Hebrews, see Christ’s supremacy and sufficiency, and grow your faith! Get our FREE Book of Hebrews Study Guide—a comprehensive video series with weekly questions to see and know Jesus better.