Best of the Best

We all have that era we long to return to—a time when life felt simpler, more controllable, more hopeful. Maybe it's the 80s or 90s with their iconic music and fashion. Perhaps it's a season when we felt more capable, more athletic, more confident. We love nostalgia because it represents a time when things made sense, when we had a handle on our circumstances.

But sometimes our desire to look backward reveals something deeper than mere sentimentality. Sometimes we're running—running from disappointment, from discouragement, from the feeling that our current reality isn't enough. And in those moments of spiritual desperation, we search for something tangible, something we can see and control, something that feels more sufficient than faith alone.

This is the human condition that the book of Hebrews addresses so powerfully.

When Jesus Feels Insufficient
The early Jewish Christians faced intense persecution and discouragement. Their faith in Jesus hadn't produced the immediate, visible results they expected. In their struggle, they were tempted to return to the old covenant—to the temple rituals, the sacrificial system, the tangible religious practices that gave them something concrete to hold onto.

We do the same thing today, don't we?

When Jesus feels insufficient, we run to other things for validation. We seek prophecies that promise us specific outcomes. We turn to spiritual leaders who become more authoritative than Scripture itself. We elevate family members—our mothers, grandmothers, mentors—to savior-like status. We look for formulas, techniques, and spiritual shortcuts that give us a sense of control over our salvation and circumstances.

After the Civil War, a man named E.W. Kenyon created what we now know as the Word of Faith movement, teaching that we could manifest reality by speaking things into existence. The appeal was obvious: take control of your salvation, create your own outcomes, become like God yourself. It sounds empowering, especially when you feel hopeless.

But it's built on a dangerous lie—that Jesus isn't enough.

The Superior Christ
The book of Hebrews opens with a thunderous declaration: Jesus is superior to everything and everyone. He is the full and final revelation of God.

"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" (Hebrews 1:1-2).

There is nothing beyond Jesus. No new revelation surpasses Him. No prophecy goes further. No spiritual experience transcends Him. He is the complete expression of God's character and purposes.

Consider what Scripture tells us about Jesus:

• He is the heir of all things. Everything the Father possesses belongs to the Son. Not just spiritually, but actually—all creation, all authority, all power.
• He created the world. Jesus isn't just a messenger from God; He is God. The same hands that formed galaxies took on human flesh.
• He is the radiance of God's glory. Remember Moses coming down from Mount Sinai with his face glowing from being in God's presence? The Israelites couldn't even look at him. But that glory was temporary, reflected, and fading. Jesus doesn't merely reflect God's glory—He IS the radiance of God's glory. We can look directly at Him and see the Father.
• He is the exact imprint of God's nature. The ancient church father Athanasius used the term "homoousius"—same substance. Like a copper coin bearing the image of a ruler in copper, Jesus is made of the same substance as God the Father. He is fully God.
• He made purification for sins and sat down. The Old Testament priests never sat down—their work was never finished. They continually offered sacrifices that could never truly cleanse. But Jesus sat down. His work is complete. Sufficient. Final.

When your family is falling apart, Jesus is sufficient. When you're struggling in school, Jesus is sufficient. When your marriage is crumbling, Jesus is sufficient.

You don't need anyone else's bruised feet walking for peace—Jesus' nail-pierced feet already walked that path for you. He is the Prince of Peace. He doesn't have to earn peace; He IS peace.

Even Angels Bow
Hebrews goes on to make a stunning comparison: Jesus is superior even to angels.

In Jewish thought, angels held tremendous significance. They brought divine revelation, served as God's messengers, and appeared throughout Israel's history in powerful ways. The "angel of the Lord" spoke in the first person as God and manifested His visible presence—in the burning bush, to the patriarchs, throughout Scripture.

But where in the Bible do angels claim supremacy over Jesus? They don't. In fact, Scripture consistently points to Jesus' preeminence over angelic beings.

Jesus is called the "begotten" Son—speaking not of creation but of His unique relationship with the Father. He is the "firstborn"—a term indicating absolute authority and preeminence, not chronological birth. Angels are part of His creation. They worship Him. They serve His purposes.

If angels are inferior to Jesus, then Jesus' message of salvation is superior to any message angels ever delivered.

Don't Drift Away
This brings us to a crucial warning: "Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it" (Hebrews 2:1).

The message delivered through angels—including the Law given to Moses—was reliable and just. But it pointed to something greater: the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

How do we drift away from this superior message?

Through busyness. School, work, family responsibilities crowd out prayer, Scripture reading, and fellowship with other believers. We forget why we're here.

Through sin. Our sinful hearts pull us away from the Lord because we don't want to hear His voice of conviction and correction.

Through spiritual warfare. Peter warns us that Satan prowls like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. When we drift, we become vulnerable prey.

Through neglect. We simply stop prioritizing time with the Lord, allowing our relationship with Him to grow cold.

Through sensationalism. We prefer messages that tickle our ears—pastors on high wires, jumping on trampolines, getting haircuts while preaching—over the simple, profound message that Jesus died for our sins.

Paul warned the Galatians: "If even an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:8).

The Greater Message
Here's the beautiful, scandalous truth at the heart of the gospel: Jesus, who is superior to angels, became lower than angels for a little while—for our salvation.

The God of the universe, who created all things and holds all things together, became like you and me. He took on human flesh, experienced human temptation, suffered human pain, and died a human death.

"For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted" (Hebrews 2:16-18).

Jesus gets it. He understands your struggles, your pain, your hopelessness. He was tempted in every way you are, yet without sin. He can empathize with your weakness because He experienced human life in all its difficulty.

This isn't just philosophical metaphor—it's historical reality. Jesus walked this earth. He ate, drank, napped, laughed, wept, and experienced everything you experience. Eyewitnesses testified to His life, death, and resurrection. The Father Himself declared at Jesus' baptism and transfiguration: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

The miracles, signs, and wonders performed by the apostles testified to Christ's supremacy. The gift of the Holy Spirit confirms the truth of the gospel message.

Hold Firm
So don't go back. Don't run away. Don't seek alternate validation. Don't lose hope.

Jesus is superior to all things, and you can place your hope in Him. He is the best of the best.

When everything around you feels insufficient, Jesus remains sufficient. When your own strength fails, His strength is made perfect in weakness. When you're tempted to drift toward something more tangible, more controllable, more immediately gratifying, remember: there is nothing—absolutely nothing—better than Jesus.

The old covenant pointed to Him. The angels serve Him. The prophets spoke of Him. All of Scripture bears witness to Him. And one day, He will finally destroy the power of death, defeat Satan completely, and redeem all things by subjecting them to Himself.

Until that day,