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Sermon #5655

The Wonder of the Cross

A Sermon on Hebrews 1:1-3

Originally preached April 12, 1963

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Scripture

Hebrews 1:1-3 ESV KJV
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of …

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Sermon Description

In this sermon on Hebrews 1:1­–3 titled “The Wonder of the Cross,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones exposits the book of Hebrews and carefully explains the great theme of the entire epistle: the glory and preeminence of Jesus Christ. Special attention is given to the latter part of verse three as the author of Hebrew only notes Jesus’s earthly ministry of purification of sin. The purification and cleansing of sin, as Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains, has to be the center of the focus of Christian faith because it perfectly displays the glory and humility of Christ. Dr. Lloyd-Jones also explains the strangeness and the meaning of the cross: the cross is strange to the world because the glory of God is displayed in one of the most humiliating places and symbols in the world. The cross also means to be the fulfillment of all the Old Testament types. In glory and humility, Jesus Christ came to purify and cleanse sins of the world on the cross, putting an end to the Old Testament rituals and offering the ultimate way of salvation. As a result, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says, Jesus has now “sat down at the right hand of God,” displaying both His glory as the Son and the finished work on the cross.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. God spoke through prophets in the past but now speaks through His Son (v. 1-2)
  2. The Son is the heir of all things, the creator of the worlds, the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being (v. 2-3)
  3. The Son provided purification for sins and then sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven (v. 3)
  4. The work of Christ on the cross was strange and paradoxical (weakness yet all-powerful, poverty yet heir of all things, shame yet radiance of God's glory)
  5. The cross was necessary to deal with the guilt and stain of sin
  6. Christ purged our sins Himself, not through an agent or substitute
  7. The work of Christ on the cross was completed and finished, not needing repetition
  8. The depth of the problem of sin is exposed by the cross
  9. The cross is the only way for forgiveness and salvation
  10. God is speaking through the message of the cross, calling us to repent and believe

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Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.