Greater Than Moses Hebrews 3:1-6

-We must hold on to Jesus because He is God’s Son, not Moses

It is said that during the construction of Emerson Hall at Harvard University, President Charles Eliot invited psychologist and philosopher William James to suggest a suitable inscription for the stone lintel over the doors of the new home of the philosophy department. After some reflection, James sent Eliot a line from the Greek philosopher Protagoras: ''Man is the measure of all things.'' James never heard back from Eliot, so his curiosity was piqued when he spotted artisans working on a scaffold hidden by a canvas. One morning, the scaffold and canvas were gone. The inscription? ''WHAT IS MAN THAT THOU ARE MINDFUL OF HIM?''

I. Jesus is Our Apostle and High Priest vv. 1-2

In our passage tonight, the author of Hebrews begins to push his audience to his ultimate point: We have to hang on to Jesus.

Why, should we hold such a high commitment to faith in Christ?

First, it’s in light of all that we saw in the previous passages. We are brothers with Him in a holy calling that is both from the Lord and to the Lord.

Second, it’s because He is both the apostle and high priest of the faith that we confess:

He is our apostle because He was sent by God as His messenger to us

He is our high priest, because He represents us before God, mediating on our behalf

Third, it is because He has been faithful to God and His ministry is marked by obedience to God.

At this point, the author draws a comparison that is a key to understanding the context of the whole letter:

There is a temptation for these Jewish Christians to step away from Jesus and to fall back into the religious system delivered by Moses

The author will not denigrate Moses at all, but will instead compare and contrast them. In important ways, Jesus fulfills the kind of ministry that Moses had with the children of Israel:

He was a prophet, sent by God to His people in Egypt who spoke God’s Word to them

He was a priest, who interceded on behalf of the people before God

He was obedient and fulfilled the responsibility given to him by God

However, we must have a right understanding of their relative places in the story of God’s redemptive work: Moses gives us an image of what Christ ultimately fulfills!

John 5:39–40

[39] You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, [40] yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. (ESV)

II. Jesus is the Builder of the House of God vv. 3-4

Next, we see that contrast:

Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses

This doesn’t detract from the honor given to Moses, but it does recognize that Jesus is worthy of much more!

In the eyes of the Father

In the eyes of the angels

In the eyes of the Church

Why is Jesus worthy of much more honor than Moses?

The builder of a house is worthy of more honor than the house itself

Moses is a part of the house of God; He is only a member of that house

Jesus is Himself the builder of that house!

If I try to place Moses in a place of honor that is alongside Jesus, I am misunderstanding their relative natures:

Colossians 1:15–16

[15] He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. [16] For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. (ESV)

We need to consider the image of a sculptor. The statue is created by His imagination and intent, it is through the work of His hands, and it is for His glory!

III. Jesus is Over the House of God as a Son vv. 5-6

The author draws another comparison here:

Moses was a servant in the house of God, but as a servant

Jesus has been faithful as a Son

Why does this distinction between servant and son matter?

A Son has authority; it is the extension of His Father’s authority

A Son has an inheritance; everything that belongs to the Father is His

Moses is a servant of the Father; in fact, that makes Him a servant of the Son as well!

We have a compelling call before us: we must hold onto Jesus!

He is the central agent of our faith, both priest and apostle

He is the builder of the house of God

He is the Son over the house of God

If we don’t hold onto Him, we are letting go of the one who saves us!

What does it mean to hold fast here? It’s a step of faith and a decision to believe what you say you believe about Jesus to be true. Last week I was sharing a devotional with a bunch of teenage boys and we were talking about this kind of faith. Every time one of those boys steps onto the field, they are faced with a decision. Will they believe their coaches, their training, their strategy, and their teammates, or will they believe themselves? When they veer from that outward trust and follow their heart, the cost is destructive. When they commit to the leadership of their coaches, the result is success!