Introduction
Will you keep following Jesus when your commitments get tested, when the “exceptions” start sounding reasonable and the old, familiar life feels easier to return to? The central truth of Hebrews is this: when you’re tempted to leave Jesus for anything else, God calls you to see that Jesus is better, greater, superior, and worth enduring with.
That’s why Hebrews is such a timely book for us. Commitments always get challenged. I feel it in something as small as a New Year’s goal (I’ve talked myself into “exceptions” more times than I’d like to admit), and we all feel it in something as serious as following Christ. The more you commit to Jesus, the more you’ll walk the narrow way, the more unfamiliar you’ll look to the world, and the more pressure you’ll feel, both from within and from without, to go back to what you used to know. Hebrews was written into that very tension. It’s addressed to a Hebrew audience, Jewish believers living in the early years of the church, when it was becoming increasingly difficult to be both Jewish and openly committed to Jesus. There was tension within the community (even in the New Testament you see disputes about how Jewish Gentile converts needed to become), and pressure from outside (as Rome began distinguishing Christianity from Judaism and targeting Christians for persecution). The temptation was real: “Maybe we should just go back.”
And Hebrews answers that temptation with one repeated word: better (along with “greater” and “superior”). The author keeps comparing Jesus to things people might cling to instead, good things, even God-given things, and shows us that Jesus is greater than all of them.
Today we begin right where Hebrews begins: Jesus is better than the prophets (Hebrews 1:1–3).
Main Points
Will you keep following Jesus when your commitments get tested, when the “exceptions” start sounding reasonable and the old, familiar life feels easier to return to? The central truth of Hebrews is this: when you’re tempted to leave Jesus for anything else, God calls you to see that Jesus is better, greater, superior, and worth enduring with.
That’s why Hebrews is such a timely book for us. Commitments always get challenged. I feel it in something as small as a New Year’s goal (I’ve talked myself into “exceptions” more times than I’d like to admit), and we all feel it in something as serious as following Christ. The more you commit to Jesus, the more you’ll walk the narrow way, the more unfamiliar you’ll look to the world, and the more pressure you’ll feel, both from within and from without, to go back to what you used to know.
Hebrews was written into that very tension. It’s addressed to a Hebrew audience, Jewish believers living in the early years of the church, when it was becoming increasingly difficult to be both Jewish and openly committed to Jesus. There was tension within the community (even in the New Testament you see disputes about how Jewish Gentile converts needed to become), and pressure from outside (as Rome began distinguishing Christianity from Judaism and targeting Christians for persecution). The temptation was real: “Maybe we should just go back.”
And Hebrews answers that temptation with one repeated word: better (along with “greater” and “superior”). The author keeps comparing Jesus to things people might cling to instead, good things, even God-given things, and shows us that Jesus is greater than all of them.
Today we begin right where Hebrews begins: Jesus is better than the prophets (Hebrews 1:1–3).
Your Faith Will Be Tested
I want you to name this honestly: following Jesus is not a one-time decision; it’s an enduring commitment. And endurance gets tested.
The early believers were feeling the test in their culture, in their relationships, and in their safety. You and I may not be tempted to “go back to Moses” in the same way, but we are absolutely tempted to go back to whatever is familiar, old patterns, old identities, old comforts, old ways of coping, old sources of meaning.
So as we study Hebrews, I’m training you to expect the tension and to interpret it correctly: pressure doesn’t mean Jesus isn’t worth it; pressure is often the very moment you must re-exalt Christ in your heart. The solution Hebrews keeps giving is not “try harder” first, it is “see Jesus clearly” first.
God Has Spoken Fully By His Son
Hebrews opens with God’s voice:
“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son…” (Hebrews 1:1–2)
God truly did speak through prophets, through burning bushes, angels, dreams, visions, and timely messages. The prophets often called people to repentance, warned of judgment, and offered hope of cleansing and restoration.
But here is the difference you must hold onto: the prophets delivered partial light; Jesus is the full light. The prophets pointed forward; Jesus fulfills.
So if you want to know God’s plan, you do not need to chase the latest messenger or trend. In these last days, God has made His message plain in Christ:
- God’s righteousness is not achieved by yours; it is given through Christ.
- God’s people are not one ethnic nation; they are all who believe (John 3:16 is the implied heartbeat here).
- Forgiveness is not through repeated animal sacrifices; it is paid in full at the cross.
- Hope is not a political revival; it is the coming kingdom Christ is preparing.
This is part of how Hebrews keeps you from drifting: don’t downgrade God’s clearest word by trading it for lesser voices.
Jesus Stands Outside All Timelines
Hebrews says the Son is the One:
“…whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.” (Hebrews 1:2)
Do you hear the majesty? Jesus is not merely another voice inside history. He is the Creator at the beginning and the Heir at the end. He is the One through whom the world was made (echoing John 1:1–3), and the One to whom all things are headed.
That means every other “prophet of the age”, every celebrity, influencer, activist, academic voice, has the same limitation: they are a product of their time, and their message expires with their time. Culture shifts so fast that what was celebrated 50 years ago can be mocked today, and now it happens even faster: voices rise, get “canceled,” and are replaced.
But Christ is not a commentator on reality. Christ is the Truth Himself. So when you’re tempted to leave the eternal Word for the temporary word of man, Hebrews calls you back: Jesus is better.
Jesus Is The Radiance Of God’s Glory
Hebrews continues:
“Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person…” (Hebrews 1:3)
This is not poetic exaggeration; it is doctrinal bedrock. Jesus doesn’t merely reflect God, He reveals God because He shares the divine nature.
Think of Moses in Exodus 34: he came down the mountain with his face shining because he had been near God’s presence. Moses reflected glory. That’s beautiful, and I pray you and I would reflect God’s presence too.
But Moses was not the presence of God.
Jesus is different: He is the radiance, the shining forth, of God’s glory. He is the “exact imprint” or “express image” of God’s person. Even the greatest prophet is still human. James reminds us Elijah “was a man with a nature like ours” (James 5:17). But Jesus is not “like us” in His nature; He is God the Son.
So when the temptation comes to treat Jesus as merely one spiritual option among many, or as just a great teacher alongside other great teachers, I want you to refuse that downgrade. Hebrews will not allow it. Jesus is in a category by Himself.
Jesus Holds The World Together
Hebrews also says Jesus is:
“…upholding all things by the word of His power…” (Hebrews 1:3)
This is deeply stabilizing for your discipleship. Many modern messages, religious or secular, sound like this: nothing is holding the world together; everything is random; doom is inevitable; fear should rule you. You hear predictions of collapse from every angle.
But Scripture says Christ holds all things together. The world does not end because the headlines say so. The world ends when Christ says so. God has made promises, like the reminder of the rainbow after the flood, that history is not out of control.
And here’s a tender, personal application I want you to receive: if Christ can hold the universe together, He can hold your life together. Even when your mind feels loud, even when your anxiety feels prophetic, even when the pressure feels unbearable, Jesus is not fragile, and His grip is not weak.
Jesus Purges Sin And Reigns In Power
Hebrews climaxes this opening comparison with the gospel itself:
“…when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…” (Hebrews 1:3)
No prophet could do this. Prophets could diagnose sin, warn about sin, weep over sin (Jeremiah), call for repentance, and even give visions pointing toward salvation (Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel). But none of them could remove sin.
And neither can anything else you might turn to today. There is no self-help system, no therapist’s couch, no ritual, no achievement, no “fresh start” resolution that can finally purge guilt and shame from the soul.
Only Jesus.
He “by Himself” purged sins, His cross is sufficient, and then He sat down, which means the work is complete and His authority is real. He is both the lowly Savior who went to the cross and the exalted King reigning at the right hand of God. From lowest to highest, Jesus stands alone.
So when you feel the fork in the road, when you’re tempted to find cleansing somewhere else, I want you to come back again to Christ alone. In Him, anyone becomes a new creation; the old is dealt with; forgiveness is real; and the same Spirit who raised Jesus is at work in His people.
Conclusion
Hebrews begins by training your eyes: don’t merely admire Jesus, exalt Him. The prophets were real, God-sent messengers, but they were never meant to replace the Son. In these last days, God has spoken by Jesus, and Jesus is better: greater than the timelines of history, the voices of culture, the fears of the age, and the sins that haunt you.
So I’m calling you to one steady practice for this whole journey through Hebrews: whenever you feel the pull to go back, pause and ask, “What am I tempted to leave Jesus for?”, and then answer it with worship: “Jesus is better.” Keep your view of Christ high, because a low view of Christ is one of the quickest paths to drifting away.
Father, You are the God who speaks. Thank You that in these last days You have spoken to us by Your Son. Forgive us for the ways we chase lesser voices, settle for familiar comforts, or look for cleansing anywhere but Jesus. Lift our eyes to see Christ as He truly is, Creator and Heir of all things, the radiance of Your glory, the exact imprint of Your nature, the One who upholds all things by the word of His power. Thank You that He purged our sins by Himself and now reigns at Your right hand. Strengthen us to endure, to resist the temptation to go back, and to trust that Jesus is better. In His mighty name, amen.
Conclusion
Hebrews begins by training your eyes: don’t merely admire Jesus, exalt Him. The prophets were real, God-sent messengers, but they were never meant to replace the Son. In these last days, God has spoken by Jesus, and Jesus is better: greater than the timelines of history, the voices of culture, the fears of the age, and the sins that haunt you.
So I’m calling you to one steady practice for this whole journey through Hebrews: whenever you feel the pull to go back, pause and ask, “What am I tempted to leave Jesus for?”, and then answer it with worship: “Jesus is better.” Keep your view of Christ high, because a low view of Christ is one of the quickest paths to drifting away.
Closing Prayer
Father, You are the God who speaks. Thank You that in these last days You have spoken to us by Your Son. Forgive us for the ways we chase lesser voices, settle for familiar comforts, or look for cleansing anywhere but Jesus. Lift our eyes to see Christ as He truly is, Creator and Heir of all things, the radiance of Your glory, the exact imprint of Your nature, the One who upholds all things by the word of His power. Thank You that He purged our sins by Himself and now reigns at Your right hand. Strengthen us to endure, to resist the temptation to go back, and to trust that Jesus is better. In His mighty name, amen.