Consider Jesus: Hebrews 3:1-19
Introduction: What is it that is having you waver in your faith? When we first put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ and acknowledge our need for a Savior, we get filled with joy and confidence. We are “on fire” for the Lord. Many of us start wavering in our faith as time passes. We start thinking that we have to do all these things to be right with God. What is it, today, that you are relying on to make you right with God? A successful job? A good prayer life? Church attendance?
The writer of the book of Hebrews wants to portray Jesus Christ as superior to every other option to the readers. The readers of this letter are Jewish Christians who once lived by the law, but have confessed their faith in Jesus Christ. These readers have endured persecution for their faith. The readers are beginning to get discouraged in trusting in something that they cannot see. These Jewish Christians are questioning their faith and considering going back to the old ways of the law.
Let’s not forget that there were still many others around that were still living by the law. Bringing their sacrifices to the temple. They were trusting in the high priest to intercede with God for them.
Pay attention that all these things are very tangible. Very seeable. And so the Jewish believers at this time were having trouble with trusting in what they couldn’t see, when all around them, they saw others trusting in very tangible things.
The writer of Hebrews wants to remind them of the profession they once made and what it meant.
v.1 – “Holy Brethren…”: The writer wastes no time in reminding these Hebrews that their confession of faith in Christ, at once, made them members of a holy brotherhood and separated them from their unbelieving kinsmen. At the time, many believers were falling back to the law and forgetting that they are now “holy brethren.”
- “…partakers of a heavenly calling…”: Christians are people who have heard and believed a heavenly calling, and are therefore partakers of it.
- We have been gripped by this calling. The word of God broke through our resistance, took hold of us with the truth and love of Christ, and reconciled us to God, and is now leading us home to Heaven… “heavenly calling.”
- To be partakers of this “heavenly calling,” we need two things: A word from God and a way to God. We will learn more about these two requirements later in the study.
- “…consider Jesus…”: Although we are partakers of this “heavenly calling,” we must realize that we are still sinners. Hopefully not, but someone in this room might be a sexual sinner, a lying sinner, a stealing sinner. You see, our “heavenly calling” does not hang on our righteousness. Our hope and confidence hangs on Jesus. This is why v.1 continues on to say, “consider Jesus.” We must realize that nothing we do makes us right with God. Our heavenly calling hangs on only one thing and that is what Jesus Christ has already done!
- What’s amazing is that this is something that we often think unbelievers should do. “Consider Jesus,” we say to the seeker. There is nothing wrong with that, but this book of Hebrews is devoted to helping Christians “consider Jesus.”
- Some might say, “Well don’t Christians automatically consider Jesus?” NO! If you look back to chapter 2, we see a warning was given to these believers. Hebrews 2:1, “We must pay closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” The warning is to “pay close attention to what they’ve heard.” What have they heard? The Gospel. So then what is the danger? The danger is constantly in our way that we will stop considering Jesus and become more interested in other things and drift away from the word and perhaps never return, proving that we were never truly partakers of the “heavenly calling.” So the danger is that we will drift away if we stop considering Jesus daily.
- The book of Hebrews calls us “Christians” to consider Jesus again and again, daily!
- This whole book of Hebrews is about Christians “considering Jesus.” Consider Jesus. Fix your eyes upon Him.
- “…the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.”: As the Apostle He speaks to us from God, as our High Priest He speaks for us to God. These two descriptions of Jesus correspond with our two needs we talked about earlier. We need two things to be partakers of the “heavenly calling.” We need a word from God and a way to God.
- “Apostle”: means “one who is sent.” So Jesus is the One sent from God to earth with the revelation of His “heavenly calling.”
- “High Priest”: means “one who is a go between, who offers a sacrifice so that there can be reconciliation.” So Jesus is our High Priest.
- So we see that Jesus fulfills both needs of ours to be partakers of the “Heavenly calling.”
v.2 – “Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.”: This verse automatically disarms prejudice. Why? By according Moses the highest praise. He wants to show that, yes, Moses was faithful, but… The writer starts out this way intentionally. Moses was one of the most revered men by the Jewish culture. From here on through verse 6 he shows the superiority of Jesus over Moses. Yes Moses was faithful in all his house, but the faithfulness of Moses could only be exercised during the limited time of his earthly service, whereas Jesus forever and eternally lives faithfully to exercise the office of Divine Mediator from His throne in Heaven (Acts 2:36; Heb. 5:5).
- So at the same time as giving Moses credit, the writer also shows the superiority of Jesus. The writer purposely makes a comparison before he makes the contrast.
v.3 – “For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house.”: Verse 3 tells us that Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses in relation to God’s house. Why? Because Jesus is the builder of the house and Moses is a part of the house. The writer is saying that Jesus is to the people of God as a builder is to a house. Moses is to the people of God as one of the people of God. In short, Jesus is the builder of Moses. Jesus made Moses.
- So in verse three we see the contrast in that Jesus has more glory over Moses as a builder has more glory over the house he builds.
v.4 – “For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.”: Pay attention to this closely. Look at what the writer just proved to the reader…In verse 3 it says that Jesus made the house of God. Verse 4 says that the maker of all things is God. What is this telling us?? This is telling us that Jesus, the Son of God, is God.
- So He made Moses…and He made you! Consider that… He made you!
v.5 – 6a – “Now Moses was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house…”: Moses was a servant in the house of God, but Jesus is a Son over the house of God. The difference between a servant and a son is that the son, by inheritance, owns the house, and is Lord over the house, and provides for those in the house out of his wealth. The servants don’t own anything in the house, and the servants follow the word of the owner.
- So again, Jesus, as a son, is superior to Moses in these three ways: He owns the house of God, He rules the house of God, and He provides for the house of God. By comparison Moses is just a servant of his house. He doesn’t own it, rule it, or provide for it out of his wealth.
- I think we, to often, think that we are doing God a favor by being a faithful servant. We are to only be a faithful servant out of reverence and love.
v.6b – “…whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.”:
- So pay attention to how the text concludes in verse 6, “…we are His house, His people, we are partakers of the heavenly calling, “…if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.” The evidence that we are partakers of the heavenly calling is that we don’t throw away our hope! The key word in this verse is the word “if.” We are the house of God… “if…”
- Becoming a Christian and being a Christian happen the same way: by hoping in Jesus. A kind of hoping that produces confidence and boasting in Jesus.
- John Piper-
- What are you hoping in this morning? In investments? Fitness programs? Hard work? I would like to suggest that God’s word to you this morning is “Consider Jesus…and hope in Him.”
v.7-11 – “Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS, WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED ME BY TESTING ME, AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS. THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, “THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS; AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.”:
- The writer is using an illustration from the past as a warning to the hardening of their hearts, namely the way he dealt with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt. In spite of all the power and mercy God showed to His people, they still tested god with grumbling and unbelief. The result of this is that He gave them up to die in the wilderness and swore that they would not enter God’s rest in the Promised Land.
- The writer is using this story of the Israelites as an example or picture for his readers. The readers of this time had also been shown signs and wonders by God (2:4), tasted the powers of ages to come (6:5), the Holy Spirit had been at work in their midst and they even participated in its power (6:4). All of these things are similar to what the Israelites experienced as they came out of Egypt. And for a short time they were happy and seemingly confident in God…but this did not last.
- This is why this example is so important to the writer, he wants the professing Christian to last…to preserve their faith. So the writer is saying, “Remember the Israelites?…Don’t be like them! Remember the key word in v.6 “if.” All of the rest of this passage relies on that word “if.”
- So “if” we harden our hearts towards God we will drift just like Israel. Now, don’t start by asking yourselves, “What does God want me to do?” That is not the issue of this passage. Look at v.10, “Therefore, I was angry with this generation and said, “they always go astray IN THEIR HEART.”
- So, why were they not allowed to enter into the land of rest? Yes they sinned, but look at what the writer says in v.19, “because of their unbelief.” This is a heart issue guys, not something God is looking for us to “do.” We must believe and hold fast to our hope.
- When I say we must believe I know a lot of us are saying, “I believe.” I’m not talking about believing just so you go to Heaven, but believing in His goodness, to lead, protect, and provide for you.
- Israel walked through the parted Red Sea on dry ground, but the moment they got thirsty their hearts turned hard towards the Lord and did not trust Him to provide! They cried out to Him and said that life in Egypt was better!
This is what this book is written to prevent. How many professing Christians make a start with God, they hear that their sins can be forgiven and that they can escape hell and go to Heaven. They say, “What have I got to lose?” But then in a week, a month, a year or even 10 years, the test comes…a season of no water in the wilderness. Then you start to crave the pleasures of your Egypt.
v.12 – “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.”: “Take care” or “take heed!” In other words, don’t be careless or nonchalant about the condition of your heart. Look at it. Like David wrote, “Search me, Oh God.”
v.13 – “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”: By encouraging each other daily will help us escape from the hardening of our hearts by the deceitfulness of sin. This implies that you will surround yourself with other believers!
Quote by Dr. Gouge, “All the devices of sin are as fair baits whereby dangerous hooks are covered over to entice silly fish to snap at them, so as they are taken and made a prey to the fisher.”
What deceitfulness of sin is Gouge talking about? We judge and criticize rather than encourage. If you are not fellowshipping with other Christians this will not only resort in you not being encouraged, but you also will not be encouraging others, which leads to the deceitfulness of sin. (Got To Church).
v.14 – “For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast to the beginning of our assurance firm until the end.”: You know how you are excited and overwhelmed with joy and confidence at the point of your salvation? That is what we must hold fast to until the end.
- This is not to say that you can lose your salvation. It is suggesting that if you fall into unbelief that you simply started believing out of a misconception or deception.
- If we have Really become partakers of Christ than we will hold fast until the end.
v.15 – “…while it is said, “today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.”: Again, the writer quotes in repetition which enforces the lesson to be learned from the example of their ancestors.
v.16 – “For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed. Did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?: As a nation, Israel made a good start. They believed, but they believed out of deception. They believed because they were being freed from slavery in Egypt. They didn’t fully understand the requirements on their part.
- Because of their unbelief, that first generation perished in the wilderness except the two men of faith: Joshua and Caleb. They all professed belief, but did not enter rest.
- This implies that every one of us who profess to believe in Christ will not enter rest. You must really believe. Understand that Canaan does not represent Heaven. Canaan is a picture of rest for us. The Israelites are all thought to go to Heaven, but never entered physical rest. If you would say, “Brother Stephen, I know I am going to Heaven.” I am not talking about eternal rest here. The writer is showing us that there is a physical rest that we can enter once we fully give ourselves to God.
- Do you believe out of a misconception or deception or are you a Joshua and Caleb?
v.17-18 – these are examples of the disobedient ancestors.
v.19 – “So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.”: Some might think that the way to enter rest is through obedience, especially reading v.17-18. But the disobedience was a growth out of the unbelief the writer mentions in v.19. Disobedience comes out of unbelief.
Conclusion: Are you living in God’s rest? They didn’t enter because they never truly believed. Dr. Luke, in his gospel ch.6: 44 says, “For each tree is known by its fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush.”
- By my amazing discernment, I know if I see an orange hanging on a tree, that it is an orange tree.
- What fruit are you showing?
- Are you a professing believer, but it is not evident by your fruit?
- Be like David and pray what he did in Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, Oh God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”
- If you do truly believe, you don’t only have eternal rest, but you have already entered His rest. We have present rest in the assurance of our salvation.
- It isn’t enough to just make a good beginning. Jesus reminds us of the parable of the soils with the seed tossed onto the stony ground and among thorns. Real belief preserves until the end.
- If you have made a good start, praise God, but what is more important than how we start is how we finish. Don’t be choked out by the thorns. Don’t let the passing years wean you away from an on fire relationship with God, let them serve to increase your trust and reliance on Jesus.
