"God...Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, Whom He hath appointed
heir of all things, by Whom also He made the worlds...Being made so much better than the
angels, as He hath by inheritance obtaineda more excellent Name than they." --
Hebrews 1:1, 2, 4.
"...We have such an High Priest, Who is set on the right hand of the throne of the
Majesty in the heavens...But now hath He obtained a more excellent ministry..."
-- Hebrews 8:1, 6.
"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than
Cain..." -- Hebrews 11:4.
Christ has an inheritance in His people, those whom He has redeemed—the fruit
of His work at Calvary.
The divine announcement to Joseph, before His birth in Bethlehem, declared: "Thou
shalt call His Name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins."
There was none other good enough in earth or heaven to pay the price. God sent His Son
into the world on a mission of mercy: "not to condemn the world, but that the
world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17).
The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. His Name means Saviour; and
when He hung on the cross, He knew that the mission on which He was sent had been
accomplished. John 19:28 states: "Jesus knowing that all things were now
accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst." And He
said, "I thirst," to quench His parched throat for His triumphant shout:
"IT IS FINISHED!" Not, "I am finished," but all that was
necessary for our salvation was done.
He has been given a Name above every name, a more excellent Name than any
angel—the Name of Saviour.
"No angel could our place have taken,
Highest of
the high though He;
The loved One, on the Cross forsaken,
Was One of the God-head
Three!
Who saved us from eternal loss?
Who but God’s Son upon the Cross?
What did
He do? He died for you!
Where is He now? Believe it thou,
In heaven interceding!"
He came to do the Father’s will, "for God so loved the world that He gave
His only begotten Son." "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
Because He was obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross, "God hath also
highly exalted Him, and given Him a Name which is above every name: That at the Name of
Jesus every knee should bow...and...every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11).
"There is no Name so sweet on earth,
No Name so sweet in heaven;
The Name,
before His lowly birth,
To Christ the Saviour given.
We love to sing around our King,
And hail Him, blessed Jesus;
For there’s no word ear ever heard,
So dear, so sweet
as Jesus."
The "more excellent Name" is Jesus—Saviour. God has highly
exalted Him to be a Prince and a Saviour.
"Jesus, Saviour, we adore Thee;
Christ of God ascended high;
Heart and soul we
bow before Thee,
Glorious now beyond the sky.
Thee we worship, Thee we praise!
Excellent in all Thy ways!"
He not only has been given, by God, a more excellent Name than the angels, but to Him
alone the Father has said, "Thou art My Son!" Twice, while He was on
earth, God opened the heavens to declare, "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am
well pleased." He said of His Son alone, "Let all the angels of God
worship Him...Unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever"
(Hebrews 1:6, 8).
He has been given a more excellent service (ministry) than any high priest ever
had on earth. All priests’ service was only temporary, and they served on earth; but
Christ’s priesthood is heavenly and eternal. The Old Testament priests were not
permitted to continue because they died, but the Lord Jesus lives in the power of an
endless life.
"But this Man, because He continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing
He ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:24-25).
"The atoning work is done,
The victim’s blood is shed;
And Jesus now is
gone,
His people’s cause to plead.
He sits in heaven, their Great High Priest,
And
bears their names upon His breast.
And though a while He be
Hid from the eyes of men,
His people look to see
Their Great High Priest again;
In brightest glory He will come
To take His waiting people Home."
We are invited to come boldly to the Throne of
Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. He is able to
succour, and He is able to save.
Abel’s sacrifice was a more excellent sacrifice than Cain’s.
Cain brought of the fruit of his own labors to God, and was rejected; but Abel brought the
life of another given up. God has decreed that "Without the shedding of blood
there is no remission" (Heb. 9:22).
The Bible teaches plainly that it is not the life we live, but the death Christ died
that fits a soul for heaven. "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from
all sin" (I John 1:7).
The blood of Christ "speaks better things than that of Abel." The
sacrifice Abel brought, and all the sacrifices ever offered on Jewish altars, could never
put away a single sin: "Every priest standeth daily ministering and offering
oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this Man (Christ
Jesus), after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the
right hand of God" (Hebrews 10:11-12).
He rested in His finished work, and so can we.
"His precious blood has spoken
there,
Before and on the throne;
And His own wounds in heaven declare
The atoning work
is done.
’Tis finished!— here our souls can rest;
His work can never fail;
By
Him, our Sacrifice and Priest,
We enter through the veil."
Praise God, He has a more excellent Name—SAVIOUR (Jesus)! All who
acknowledge Him as such lift up His Name. Let us exalt His Name together!
Praise God, He has a more excellent service—as our Great High
Priest at the Father’s right hand in heaven. He ministers to us in our weakness.
"Here below, in weakness,
We onward speed our way;
In sorrow oft and sickness,
We
scarcely dare to pray."
Praise God, He made the more excellent sacrifice. Nothing more
remains to be done. "By one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are
sanctified" (Hebrews 10:14).
"Sweetest rest and peace have filled me,
Sweeter praise than tongue can
tell;
God is satisfied with Jesus;
I am satisfied as well!"
THE LORD’S WAY
I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith and love and every grace;
Might more of His salvation know,
And seek more earnestly His face.
‘Twas He Who taught me thus to pray,
And He, I trust, has answered prayer;
But it has been in such a way
As almost drove me to despair.
I hoped that in some favor’d hour
At once He’d answer my request;
And, by His love’s constraining power,
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.
Instead of this, He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart,
And let the angry powers of hell
Assault my soul in every part.
Yea, more, with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe;
Cross’d all the fair designs I schemed,
Blasted my gourds, and laid them low.
"Lord, why is this?" I trembling cried:
"Wilt Thou pursue Thy worm to death?"
"‘Tis in this way," the Lord replied,
"I answer prayer for grace and faith.
"These inward trials I employ,
From self and pride to set thee free
And break thy schemes of earthly joy,
That thou mayst seek thy all in Me."