Reading Plan:
Hebrews1

Our Thoughts:
One of my favorite things I’ve ever experienced happened a few years ago in Washington, D.C. We were in town one evening and happened to come across a bookstore, which was also a coffee shop, which was also a community theatre.(They also made incredible cookies.)It was a jack-of-all-trades, for sure.
That same evening, a “slam poetry” event was taking place in the community theatre. The small room was packed with people listening to others take their talents to the stage, grab the microphone, and mesmerize the audience with their lyrics. It was as if every word was calculated, making sure each phrase by the speaker was met with an appropriate “OHHHHH!” It was one of the most incredible events I’ve ever attended.
The writer of Hebrews decides to dedicate the first chapter of this letter to be what is, in my opinion, an early Church slam poem. The subject? Jesus. The purpose? To show His greatness above all things, even the angels.
Take a second to read through the first few verses of Hebrews 1 again. What do you see? What is the first slam of this slam poem in Hebrews? We can find it in verse 2: “but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…”
This statement, made by the writer of Hebrews, has a massive impact, especially for the writer’s intended audience: the Jewish people. Hebrews all over the world had grown accustomed to reading the prophets, learning the stories of the prophets, and even experiencing prophets in their own day and age. But Jesus wasn’t just another prophet, the writer of Hebrews says. He is far greater than just Israel's Next Top Prophet. Instead, Jesus has revealed something no prophet ever could. Jesus didn’t just have a message from God; He was the message from God. (John 1:1)
The writer of Hebrews doesn’t end his slam poem there, though. He goes on to say that not only is Jesus better than the prophets, He’s better than the angels! This is the main point we will be wrapping up our time with today.
As we look at Scripture, we see two ways that Jesus is superior. First, He is superior because He is eternally God the Son. He has no beginning and no end, He is the One in whom everything was created, and He sustains all things. Second, He became better than the angels in another way: God the Son took on human form and made his dwelling among us. He is better because even though He had everything, He set aside the privileges of being God and chose to live a human life and die a human death on a cross. (Phil 2:5-10). He rose again from the grave, and, as a result, He has perfected the Way to the Father(John 14:6). Jesus has once and for all proven through His Love for us that He is the Better Word, the Better Way, the Better Life.
Now THAT’S something to write some slam poetry about!

More Questions:

• What are the things you love the most? Is it travel? Money? Relationships? Take some time today to think on them. Write them down in a notebook somewhere. Then, out beside those things, write this down on every line: “Jesus, you are BETTER.”
  
• Why did Jesus have to become human? How does this put him above and make him better than even the angels, the most heavenly of beings?
  
  

Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for Your great Love for me. You didn’t have to leave Your throne, but You did. You gave your life to that I could gain new life. Now, You are given the Name that is above every Name. You are greater than the angels. You are greater than the things I love the most. You have full reign over my heart and life. I trust You.