³ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. ⁴So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. (Hebrews 1:3-4 NIV)

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What do you know about the book of Hebrews?

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You might think that it’s a book written by Paul to the early church designed to encourage them to stand fast in their faith. If you think that, you might be right, but…

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- While the church for a millennium thought that Paul was the human author of the book of Hebrews, the earliest church did not ascribe it to him, and modern scholars do not believe that Paul wrote Hebrews. While the message is Pauline, the style and structure differ from Paul’s writings. In fact, many scholars believe that it was written by Barnabas, Apollos, or even Priscilla.

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- The book has no introduction and mentions no intended audience. However, it’s clear that the book was written to Jewish Christians.

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- The book of Hebrews has many themes, including encouraging readers to stand firm in their faith. But it also includes themes of avoiding returning to the old Jewish system, and Christ’s superiority over everything and everyone, including the prophets, Moses, Aaron and other priests, and even angels.

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You may know by now that ACF will be studying Hebrews in a sermon series called “The Drift” over the next several months. This week for devos, we’re looking at Hebrews 1. To summarize Hebrews 1, Jesus is supreme over everything, including angels. If you read yesterday’s devo, Kate did a wonderful job of explaining and applying the supremacy of Christ.

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As we start the book of Hebrews, think about how you would have felt to receive this message.  If you were a first century Christian, you might have already been tempted to quit on Christianity or take the easy way out because life had gotten too hard, persecution had gotten too real, and you weren’t finding joy in what God had given you. You might have doubted that Jesus was anything more than another amazing human who God had worked through like He used the prophets and leaders in the Old Testament. If that’s the case, you might have been tempted to drift back to the ways of your family, accepting trappings of religion that were actually a poor reflection of the depth and breadth of relationship that God calls us into. That’s who the Book of Hebrews was intended to reach.

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That sounds a lot like today, doesn’t it? This letter is not just for first-century Christians. Like the rest of the Bible, it’s for us in 2026 – it shows us why we place our trust in Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith (That’s coming up in a couple of weeks, in Hebrews 12). It shows us why there’s no one who can compare with Jesus – not Old Testament prophets and not modern-day influencers. Not unseen spiritual beings, and not social media. Not chasing after legends, and not chasing after jobs, financial success, or the latest fad. None of these things could compare with Jesus during the first century, and none can compare today, during the twenty-first century.  

It’s easy to say that Jesus reigns supreme in our lives, but does He really? Here’s a test – how much time do you spend on Godly things each week (including devotions, quiet time, listening to Christan music, going to church, going to a small group, praying, etc.). Now, how much time do you spend doing laundry, sleeping, eating, on computers or phones, or at work?  

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Does how you spend your time reveal Jesus’ supremacy in your life?