Have you ever been inspired or deeply moved by a simple photograph or picture?

I’m sure we’ve all had this happen to us. More than once I’ve read accounts from the battlefield of soldiers who have kept a photo of their wife or children with them while in combat. And as the fighting ensued, there would be opportunities to gaze at that picture, and draw courage and strength.

Well, this is something like what we discover in the first four verses of the Epistle to the Hebrews.

There is a magnificent ‘photograph’ here. It is a picture of Jesus our Lord. And the intent of this photo was to promote courage, faithfulness, and resolve in the hearts of some first-century believers who were sorely tempted, by persecution and hardship, to abandon the Christian faith and their Lord and Savior.

The picture of Jesus that is presented here contains some truly stunning details. In fact, there are seven phrases employed by the author to describe the One who is indescribable!

Of the Son of God, we learn that:

He is the One who is the “heir of all things.”
He is the One who is the Creator of “the world.”
He is the One who is the very “radiance” of God’s “glory.”
He is the One who is the “exact imprint” of God’s “nature.”
He is the One who “upholds all things” by His powerful “word.”
He is the One who has accomplished the “purification for sins.”
He is the One who has taken His seat “at the right hand of the Majesty on High.

Here is a portrait of the eternal superiority, glory, power, and majesty of the Son of God! And it is presented to us for the express purpose of moving our hearts to worship Him. And, as a result, to serve Him with faithfulness and persistence.

On Sunday, we will begin our examination of this beautiful picture our Lord and Savior. So let us pray that as we consider it, we too shall be “ lost in wonder, love, and praise.”