Jesus Is . . . Greater Than Moses! Series

Jesus Is . . . !

Hebrews 3:1-19

June 25, 2017

Last week we were looking at Hebrews 2, which started out by reminding us if we don’t hold onto the truth, which is Christ, we very easily will drift away from that truth. We will slowly move from active faith to a passive faith.

It’s very possible for individuals, as well as companies and even churches to lose their focus and begin to drift.

I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say that many churches have drifted and no longer focus on the Great Commission. Some have become gathering places or social ministry organizations with no mention of Jesus. Spiritual drift is a danger that we all need to pay attention to — which makes today’s text important because in it the author of Hebrews cites some ways for us to hold fast to Jesus.

In the first verse, the writer tells us ~

1 Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, CONSIDER Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,

If I asked you to consider something . . . you would take that to mean - - - “you’re simply going to think it over. No big deal!”

When the writer uses the phrase CONSIDER Jesus -- he wants us to do more than mull it over in our mind. You see, in Greek, the word consider really means ~

consider exactly, consider decisively; concentrate by fixing one's thinking; understand fully, closely consider, think decisively to a definite clear understanding.

That’s what the writer wants the reader to grasp. He wants us to make a decision. Fix our thoughts decisively on Jesus! He is the apostle. It’s the only time Jesus is referred to this way. An apostle is a messenger, one who is sent by God, and He was sent by God, and again, as we saw at the end of chapter 2, Jesus is called the high priest. We confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

This is kind of the prelude. Now the writer wants to make a point about Jesus. Remember the first two chapters were comparing Jesus to angels. And the writer tells us how much greater Jesus was than the angels. He was above the angels, yet for a time became lower than the angels so that He could bring redemption to you and I. Then Jesus was seated in heaven with the Father.

Now the writer wants to take it up a notch. And he’s going to compare Jesus to Moses. Listen to what he says ~

2 Jesus was faithful to Him who appointed Him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God's house.

3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses — as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.

4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)

5 Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later,

6 but Christ is faithful over God's house as a Son. And we are His house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

The writer is comparing Jesus to the biggest and greatest of the Jewish leaders, Moses. Moses was esteemed by the Jews as a hero of the faith far above any other Jew who ever lived. Here’s a quick view of his resume to help us understand why.

God miraculously protected Moses as a baby and personally provided his burial.

Between these two points in his life are miracle after miracle after miracle.

He confronted the Pharaoh and called down the plagues.

He organized the Hebrew slaves and led them out from Egypt through the wilderness to the Promised land.

God spoke to Moses face to face.

Moses was considered Israel’s greatest prophet.

He saw the glory of God firsthand and even had this glory reflected in his own face so that he had to wear a veil so he wouldn’t blind the other Hebrews.

God used Moses to give the people the 10 commandments,

Moses authored the first 5 books of the OT, called the Pentateuch (Law of Moses)

Moses is mentioned over 700 times in the Bible.

But—in spite of all his achievements, Moses was humble. Numbers 12:3 says, “The man Moses was very humble, more than all the men who were on the face of the earth.”

Deuteronomy gives this epitaph of Moses ~

10 And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face,

11 none like him for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land,