lectionary.com

Christmas · The Nativity of Our Lord (Christmas Day) · Year A

Hebrews 1:1-6 (7-12)

God Has Spoken by a Son

December 25, 2025

Christ Glorified in the Court of Heaven, Fra Angelico
Christ Glorified in the Court of Heaven, Fra Angelico, c. 1423–1424National Gallery, London
The central panel of a dismembered altarpiece whose surviving pieces are scattered; here Christ sits in glory surrounded by ranks of angels playing instruments, each one individually characterised.Hebrews opens by setting the Son above the angels, and this is a painting with a great many angels in it, all of them below him.Fra AngelicoA Dominican friar who painted, canonised in 1982, whose work was made for the cells and corridors his brothers lived in.National Gallery, LondonFounded in 1824 by buying one banker's collection, and deliberately placed in Trafalgar Square so that people from every part of London could walk to it.National Gallery, London
LSB Three-Year Lectionary
GospelJohn 1:1-14 (15-18)Jn 1:1-14 (15-18)
EpistleHeb. 1:1-6 (7-12)Heb 1:1-6 (7-12)
Old TestamentIsa. 52:7-10Is 52:7-10
PsalterPs. 2Ps 2

Overview & Insights

“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.” (Hebrews 1:3)

The opening four verses are a single periodic sentence in Greek, built on an alliteration of p sounds and moving from many prophets and many times to one Son and these last days. Two of its terms for the Son, apaugasma, a radiance thrown off from a source, and charakter, the impression left by a die, are shared with Wisdom 7:26, which describes wisdom in almost the same words, so the writer is speaking a language his readers already knew. From v. 5 the sentence gives way to a catena of scriptural citations, seven in all, the first two being Psalm 2:7 and the dynastic promise of 2 Samuel 7:14, both addressed to the Son and neither, the writer insists, ever said to an angel. Verse 6 has the angels worship him, following the Greek of Deuteronomy 32:43. The bracketed verses continue with Psalm 104:4 and Psalm 102:25-27, the latter ascribing creation to the Son.

From Sermons.com: Join Today to access the most scholarly & well written preaching resources anywhere.

Take it further: Hebrews 1:1-6 (7-12)

Commentary

Enduring Word Bible Commentary Hebrews Chapter 1Enduring Word Bible Commentary Heb Chapter 1 Enduring Word · David Guzik

David Guzik on God speaking by his Son, the radiance of God's glory, above the angels.

Commentary on Hebrews 1:1-4 [5-12]Commentary on Heb 1:1-4 [5-12] Working Preacher

Lutheran preaching commentary keyed to the Christmas Day epistle.

Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12 CommentaryHeb 1:1-4; 2:5-12 Commentary Center for Excellence in Preaching

Reformed preaching commentary on the Son who is the exact representation of God's being.

Hebrews 1:1-2 CommentaryHeb 1:1-2 Commentary Precept Austin

Verse by verse evangelical exposition with word studies on the opening of Hebrews.

Hebrews 1:1 CommentariesHeb 1:1 Commentaries BibleHub

Classic commentators gathered on God speaking in these last days by his Son.

Background & Word Study

Hebrews 1:1 Greek Text Analysis (Interlinear)Heb 1:1 Greek Text Analysis (Interlinear) BibleHub

Word by word Greek with parsing for the letter's opening declaration.

Hebrews - Enter the BibleHeb - Enter the Bible Enter the Bible

Luther Seminary background on the sermon-letter's structure and Christology.

Book of Hebrews OverviewBook of Heb Overview BibleProject

Visual overview of Hebrews and its portrait of the superiority of Christ.

The Church Fathers

Hebrews 1 - CatenaHeb 1 - Catena Catena

Patristic comments from the church fathers gathered verse by verse.

Prep at sermons.com

Ready to write?

  • Full sermons on John 1:1-14 (15-18)
  • Illustrations cleared for use in worship
  • Commentary, quotes, and Bible dictionary
Open it at sermons.com →

Trusted by pastors since 1995.

Free every Tuesday

Illustrations & Sermon Prep in your inbox

The coming Sunday’s readings, a cleared-for-use illustration, and a sermon-prep head start. One email, free.