Consider Jesus

CONSIDER JESUS 

Hebrew 3:1-6 (NKJV)

 

“Christ Is Superior” is the banner that flies over all the Book of Hebrews.

1.  He is superior to the Prophets. 

His revelation is superior, for the Prophets revelation was in part, but the revelation Jesus’ is complete.

2.  He is superior to the Angels.

They are spiritual beings but are limited.

Jesus is God’s Son and is unlimited.

He became a man, but for the purpose to become the believers substitutionary sacrifice.

Now, in chapter 3:1-6, the writer is going to prove that Jesus is superior to Moses, and to do this was a considerable undertaking because:

1. Moses was a national hero to all Jews.

2. He led their ancestors out from Egyptian bondage – through forty years of wilderness wonderings – and up to the border of the Promised Land.

3. He wrote the first five Books of the Bible.

4. He was the Prophet to whom God had given the law.

To the Jew, Moses was the greatest prophet who ever lived.

 

The writer, in his desire to prove the superiority of Christ never undermines, but merely states the facts.

He begins his argument in verse 1 with “Therefore.”

1. This draws a conclusion to his preceding argument that Christ is superior to the Prophets and to the Angels.

2. Now he asks his readers, whom he calls “holy brethren” to consider Christ in respect to Moses.

This is not referring to a quality of life, but to a position in salvation.

The basic meaning is “to be set apart for God.”

3. The words “holy brethren” could also be used of OT believers, so to make the distinction that he is talking to NT saints he adds the words, “partakers of the heavenly calling.”

4. In our last lesson we discussed the word “partaker” which is a translation of the word KONONEIA and means having all things in common.

But here the word “partakers” comes from MET-OKH-OS which means to share, and here it is referring to all who share in the “heavenly calling” which refers to the Church.

Now, after the writer has gotten their attention he asks them to “consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.”

1. The word “consider” means more than a casual glance, but to fix one’s mind upon it; to give serious thought to.

It means “to thoroughly think on this matter so as to arrive at a fuller knowledge of it.”

2. To consider Christ means to behold Him; to thoroughly ponder who He is and What He is; to thoroughly weigh His dignity, His Excellency, and His authority.

3. The writer goes on to say consider the Apostle.

Christ is more than an apostle – He is THE APOSTLE!

This may be why no other apostle is mentioned in this Book.

 

The writer, in his desire to prove the superiority of Christ over Moses makes a comparison between to two.

In this text he brings to the forefront two distinctions:  One is a servant and the other is a Son.

 

 I.  MOSES WAS FAITHFUL AS A SERVANT.   2b & 5

² “who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house.”

⁵ “And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward,”

The word “house” is used seven times in this text and the repetition in itself tells us it is most important.

In our text, house refers to the house of God.

For most people today, house of God signifies a place of worship, but the NT never refers to a building as God’shouse.

The NT refers to God’s people as God’s dwelling place. (1 Cor. 6:19, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who …?).

In the case of Moses it was the house of God as related to Israel.

Moses was faithful in all his house, but only as a servant.

1. To speak of Moses to the Jews was a very delicate and difficult thing to do, for it is almost impossible for anyone other than a Jew to understand the veneration and affection in which the Jews regarded Moses.

2. Everything about their religious life and their thoughts about God; their practices and observances; their hopes for the future were all connected with Moses.

3. Moses was the apostle of God sent to them – he was their mediator – But still,  he was a servant.

4. Moses was faithful in the discharge of all his duties that Jehovah placed on him.

He never withheld one word which God told him to speak.

He built the Tabernacle according to the pattern he received from God on the Mount, all the sacrifices and offerings were delivered to the people exactly as God gave them.

So, we see that Moses was faithful in all his house – but only as a servant.

The writer is not discrediting  the greatness of Moses.

He goes on to say that because Moses was a faithful servant, that everything he did was for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after.

The writer was bringing out that there was no clash between Moses and Christ, but that Moses ordered all things in his house so that they might be a witness and pledge to what would afterwards be exhibited in Christ.

That is why Christ could say in John 5:46, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.” 

In Luke 24:27, we read, “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”

And while Moses was faithful, he was a servant,

 

II.  JESUS WAS FAITHFUL AS A SON.  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.” 

Here is the final proof that Christ is superior to Moses.

In verse 3, we read that Christ is “counted worthy of more glory than Moses.”

The writer lists seven immeasurable proofs of what Christ, as Son, is superior to Moses, as servant.

1.  Verse 1.  Moses was an apostle – Christ is the Apostle.

2.  Verse 3.  Moses was a member of a “house” – Christ was the Builder of an house.

Dr. Vernon McGhee explains: “Moses was faithful in God’s house, but the Lord Jesus is the one who built the house. He is the Creator; Moses is a creature. There is the difference, my friend.”

Hebrews 3:3 (NIV), “Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.

3.  Verse 4.  Moses was connected with a single house – Christ, the Creator, built all things.

4.  Verses 4-5.  Moses was a man – Christ is God.

5.  Verses 5-6.  Moses was a servant – Christ is the Son.

6.  Verse 5.  Moses was “a testimony” of things to be spoken afterward – Christ is the substance and fulfillment of what Moses witnessed.

7.  Verse 6.  Moses was but a servant in the house of Jehovah – Christ was Son over His own house.

 

But the question may be: “what has all this to do with us?”  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.”

Christ’s position of honor in this verse relates to his own possession “whose house are we.”

Here the house is defined. The house is a spiritual house, made up of believers, and this signifies that we belong to God.

We no longer belong to ourselves. When we became children of God we gave up our rights – we gave up our independence.

“Whose house are we” speaks of the church of the living God.

1 Tim. 3:15, “ but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

Who built this house?   God did!

Every saved person is saved because God saved them.

Every person that has received eternal life has received it because God has given it to them.

We are partakes of the divine nature because God loved us – He is the architect of His own house.

Then the Scripture adds in verse 6, “if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”

We are of the household of God “if …”

The writer is not saying that salvation can be lost – but that perseverance is the proof or reality of our salvation.

Charles Swindol says, “You want to find proof of the reality of a persons faith?  Look at that person’s life as a whole, up to the very end.  Don’t look at the moment of emotional response or at a span of involvement.  Look at that life as a whole. The one inside has Jesus as his high priest who ministers like no one else can.  When the roof caves in, He is the one we can turn to.  And when we do, the act of turning is an act of faith that validates its reality.”

The main difference between one inside the household of God and one outside is that  the one inside has Jesus as his high priest who ministers like no one else can.  When the roof caves in, He is the one we can turn to.  And when we do, the act of turning is an act of faith that validates its reality.”