The Eternal Christ

Hebrews 1: 1 – 13; 13: 5 – 9

Even in a rapidly changing world of increasing uncertainties, with ambiguous outcomes, there is much to be grateful to God. And it is reassuring to realize that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb 13:8). His divine constancy is boldly defined by the writer of the Hebrew epistle as God Himself, the eternal One who occupies the same throne as the Father (Heb 1:3,8,12; cf., Mal 3:6). This immutability or unchangeableness of God, compared to man’s earthy finiteness and lack of wisdom, certainly does not preclude His ability to identify with our human predicament (cf., Heb 4:15), as ‘sameness’ (v.8) is imbedded in His perfect foreknowledge and plans as He flawlessly executes all the details concerning our lives with unrelenting love, righteousness, power, and wisdom, to bring about His glorious purpose.

Our humanity often demands that any purposeful relationship is based on mutual trust and stability, and this is no different in our rapport with God. A person’s historical phenomenology and other’s experience of him provide the evidence for forward trust building. Idolatry is devoid of such convictions! Likewise, Jesus’ divine ancient reputation that was referenced as the ‘same yesterday’ provides the secure basis of our present fellowship with Him. This continuous link is borne by the Word, as God’s way of historical self-revelation, and through the work of His Holy Spirit, as He presently indwells us, making our onward journey with Him increasingly affirming and purposeful.

This doctrinal statement (viz., v.8) is not a stand-alone, as its context emphasizes its other-centred practical application (Heb 13:1-7). Firstly, the writer exhorted believers in the exercise of brotherly love which is costly (cf., 1 John 3:16) and the religious obligation of extending intentional hospitality to strangers (with reference to strangers in the Christian community), to be empathetic in serving the outcasts of society (i.e., friends in prison and those who are slaves; cf., 1 Cor 12:26), to chastity and honouring each other’s marriages, to be contented and free from covetousness (Matt 6:24; Luke 12:15), and to imitate the unwavering exemplary conduct and faith of their leaders. Logically, he concluded that as God proved Himself to be trustworthy in the past, and as believers learn to trust Him today and for their future, their anxieties would remain unfounded. 

​The second segment warned against entertaining strange doctrines of certain ritual practices over food, as believers had been set free by Christ’s sacrifice once for all (Heb 13:9-14; cf., 2 Tim 4:3). They have a vague perception that their freedom had been secured, but were unaware how that was applied specifically, thereby hobbling their growth, and certainly crimping their apologetic preparedness to confront materialism and heresy – perhaps the two greatest tests for the church today. The writer’s attitude here in his corrective mode illustrated for us Godly graciousness in handling disagreements. Conviction for sins is the Lord’s prerogative, never ours; hence using Scripture to defend his arguments, the author’s gracious words lack a vindictive and oppositional quality that embraced the potential for the wrongdoer’s restoration and healing. To be like Christ is to appreciate and know Him as being the same yesterday and today and forever.