Christ Superior to Moses
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Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. 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. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 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 Faith of the Servant and the Son
The Faith of the Servant and the Son
Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house.
Both Moses and Jesus were Faithful
They were faithful to God
To their assignments and positions
Moses was the leader of Israel who brought the Israelites out of Egypt took them to the promised land and guided them and protected them through the wilderness
He even spoke up in their defense against God when God spoke of killing them and starting over with Moses.
Time and again Moses stood up for righteousness and remained strong even when his own family deserted him.
Then there’s Jesus who was faithful and never sinned he spoke the word of God with authority and power. The word says he was faithful even to the cross. He was always obedient to God
so both were faithful to what God called them to do.
Yet vs Hebrews 3:5-6
Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 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.
You see Moses was just a servant He spoke to God but he never saw the Glory of God
but Jesus did as the Son Jesus had seen God’s glory and he knew God much better than any man even Moses. A statement that would have riled up the Israelites to whom this was written.
They revered Moses and now the writer says Jesus is superior to even Moses. Yet the writer says Moses for all his greatness was but a servant of God. This statement is supported by God when he says in Numbers 12:5-9
And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”
You see Moses had a elite position among the people he spoke to God as you and I speak to one another it was not in riddles he got to see God and God came down to him and yet God calls him a servant.
Yet Matthew 3:13-17
And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Jesus has a unique position as the only begotten Son he is of the same essence as the father they are one being. The Son knows the Father in ways that Moses never can.
So how was Jesus more faithful than Moses
The servant Moses made mistakes
And Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he commanded him. Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”
The son was perfect
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
Jesus was faithful even to death never having sinned. Even when they beat him he did not sin no reviling not threatening no judgment simply trusting in God. That is why Jesus is greater than Moses He did not sin against God.
Therefore it says
The Glory of the Servant and the Son
The Glory of the Servant and the Son
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. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)
He compares the glory of Moses and Jesus to their buildings what did they build
Moses built the Law the Tabernacle and the Sacrificial Atonement System
The Law - a list of commands to be followed by which you achieve righteousness
A grading system in which no man could pass. If you miss one question you fail. If your answer is not 100% correct you fail. If your answer is not 100% genuine you fail. If your do not uphold ever letter every rule you fail.
The Tabernacle - a place for God’s presence to reside the house of God it displayed the holiness of God and demanded respect for him only a few were allowed there in fact the closer one went to the Holy of Holies the place where the presence of God was the fewer people allowed there.
The Sacrificial System - A complicated system by which one could ask God’s forgiveness and blessings. It had 5 different kinds of sacrifices offered for different scenarios each with different animals and procedures to be followed.
Jesus built the Gospel the church and the Substitution Atonement System
The Gospel - one can exchange his filthy rags for the righteousness of Christ
Christ lived a perfect sinless life and died on the cross to pay the price for our sins that we might be forgiven our sins and be granted his righteousness through our faith in him
The church the body of Christ made up of the people who put their faith in him.
The church is not the building but rather the people who follow Christ. We are the church and therefore it is in us in our hearts that God now takes up residence no longer is he in a building but rather he lives in us
The Substitution Atonement System - a simple system in which Jesus offered himself up as the substitute for us.
Jesus stood before God and said Yes they are guilty but I will pay the price for their sins.
One sacrifice satisfies all sin no repetition needed no complications simply Jesus died for our sins and we trust in him.
The Priesthood of the Servant and the Son
The Priesthood of the Servant and the Son
Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,
Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 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.
Moses was a priest he offered sacrifices for the sins of the people and spoke to God on their behalf.
Jesus is called our high priest. He to speaks to God on our behalf and offered himself up as a sacrifice to God for our sins
Moses had to offer sacrifices for himself and for Israel as did every high priest of Israel except for Jesus.
Jesus because he was perfect had no need to offer up sacrifices
He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
Jesus also provides a better relationship with God
God no longer is this remote figure who we worship from a far for fear of death as in the days of Moses but rather we call him Father and can approach him with the boldness of a child
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Finally there is the greater hope given in Christ.
Through Moses it is our righteouness that is our hope but in Christ it is his righteousness that is our hope.