Consider Jesus Series

A Study of the Book of Hebrews

Jesus is Better

Sermon # 5

“Consider Jesus!”

Hebrews 3:1-6

Our world is not so very different from the world to which the letter to the Hebrews was written. It appears that even among people who consider themselves Christians that we are geared to look everywhere except in Christ for the answers to life’s harshest realities. Christians run from one spiritual fix to another hoping against hope of getting ahead in their spiritual life. Yet, most Christians would have to characterize their lives as more down than up. The bookstores are overflowing with every imaginable self-help book. But the Church seems no better off for the multiplicity of such materials. It would seem that we have neglected the most basic instruction given to the equally troubled believers to whom the letter is written. What was this fundamental principle, “Consider Jesus.”

“When life gets rough and problems seem to have no solution and everything goes bad and disappointment and depression become ‘normal’ and temptation seems impossible to resist – put your gaze upon Jesus and keep it there intently until He begins to unfold before your very eyes in all of his glorious power.” [John McArthur. McArthur New Testament Commentary – Hebrews. (Chicago: Moody, 1983). p. 77]

“Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, (2) who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. (3) For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. (4) For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. (5) And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, (6) but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.”

First, We Are Invited To Consider Jesus

The whole book of Hebrews is written to cause us to “consider Jesus.” There is more to consider about Jesus than you could ever exhaust in a lifetime. Yet in verse one of chapter three the writer of Hebrews once again asks that we “consider …Christ Jesus.” In fact it in the original language it is an imperative, which makes it a command!

The word “consider” means that we are “to fix the mind upon Jesus Christ.” Jesus used this same word when he said in Matt 5:26,28 “consider the ravens… and consider the liles” It means if one were really to “consider’ it will result in a radical change in thinking and overall outlook.

It may be that you are struggling with whether or not you are saved, you are invited to “consider Jesus.” You may be struggling spiritually to put one foot in front of the other, without somehow failing miserably, “then consider Jesus.” You may be wondering if God could forgive you for your sin, and unfaithfulness, “then consider Jesus.” You may have thinking that the sin in your life is too big, too horrible for God to forgive, “then consider Jesus.”

John Brown of Edinburgh wrote, “It is because we think so little about Him, that we love Him so little, trust Him so little, so often neglect our duty, are so much influenced by ‘things seen and temporal’ and so little by ‘things unseen and eternal.’” [John Brown. Hebrews. p. 157]

We are invited not just to consider Jesus but …

Secondly, We Are Invited To Consider His Superiority to Moses

We quite naturally move from a general call to consider Jesus to ask ourselves, “What is it that the writer of Hebrews and the God who inspired him wants us to consider about Jesus today?” And the answer is the superiority of Jesus over Moses! When the writer turns to compare and contrast Jesus and Moses, it really means something because Moses was a one of a kind in his day. He had a more intimate relationship with God than any other prophet. The Jews held Moses in such an exalted state that one of their greatest Rabbi’s (Maimonides from the 12th century) held Moses was so great that he “comprehended more of God than any man in the past or future ever comprehended or will comprehend.” [As quoted by William L. Krewson. “Jesus Is Better Than Moses” Israel My Glory (Dec 1993/Jan 1994) p. 14)]

Kent Hughes points our six identifiable characteristics by which the Jews acknow-ledged him as the greatest of all men. He was divinely chosen for the task of delivering God people. He was the incomparable deliverer of Israel by means of unparalleled displays of power. He served as the greatest prophet, with whom God communicated directly. He was the law-giver delivering the Ten Commandments to God’s people. He served as Israel’s greatest historian recording the first five books of the Old Testament. And in spite of all his accomplishments he was more humble than anyone else on he face of the earth (Num 12:3). [Kent Hughes. Hebrews: An Anchor For the Soul. Vol 1 (Wheaton, Ill:, Crossway Books, 1993) pp. 89-90]