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"The Perfection of Christ" (posted January 2, 2012)
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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. - Hebrews 1:1-2 The epistle to the Hebrews stresses the perfect deity and perfect humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is a sevenfold proof of His deity in chapter 1 and a sevenfold proof of His humanity in chapter 2. "There is no attempt," says Dr. Pierson, "to reconcile the apparent paradox. The two aspects of this duality are put before us, the two natures combined in one personality as they have never been before, constituting Him a wholly unique Person." John 1 sets forth His co-equality with the Father; Colossians 1, His pre-eminence in all things; and Hebrews 1, His superiority to earthly prophets and heavenly intelligences. Hebrews also emphasizes the perfection of the finished work of Christ. Rationalism presents a Christ without a cross; ritualism, a cross without a Christ. This epistle has an answer to each of these heresies, for it declares that the Jesus of history is the Christ of Calvary, and that the cross takes significance and value only because of the Person who hung upon it. The sacrifices of the Levitical system were imperfect (Hebrews 10:2-3) and ineffective (10:4). In contrast to them stands the one sacrifice of the Redeemer which shall never be repeated, and which perfects forever them that are sanctified (10:14). George Henderson |