Hebrews 3:1-6

Hebrews 3:1–6

Have you ever walked into somebody’s house and started looking around and immediately asked, “Who built this?”

Maybe it was a beautiful house. Everything was exactly where it needed to be. The bed rooms were perfect, the bathroom were well done with walkin showers and claw foot tubs throughout. The trim was perfect. The cabinets fit just right. The floors looked good. The doors actually closed like they were supposed to.

And you start looking around thinking, Somebody knew what they were doing.

While they were looking at you thinking my mom was right to ask me to clean my bedroom because you were coming over to drop off a peice of mail that was delivered to the wrong address and now your full into a unsolicited tour.

Because when something has been built well, eventually your attention moves from what was built to the one who built it.

Nobody walks through a beautiful house and says, “Man, these two-by-fours did an incredible job.”

Nobody walks up to a cabinet and says, “You should be proud of yourself.”

The work receives admiration, but the builder receives the glory.

And that is the picture the author of Hebrews is going to give us this morning.

Because he wants us to consider two people: Moses and Jesus.

And make no mistake, Moses was worthy of honor.

Moses was faithful. Moses led the people of Israel. God spoke to Moses in a way that set him apart from every other prophet. Through Moses, God brought his people out of Egypt, gave them his Law, and led them toward the Promised Land.

If anybody was worthy of honor in the household of God, Moses was.

But there is a difference between being an honored part of the house and being the One who built the house.

And the author of Hebrews wants these Christians to understand that difference because they were being tempted to turn back.

Why would you turn from the Builder to something he built?

Why would you turn from the Son to the servant?

Why would you abandon the One to whom Moses himself was pointing?

And so before the author even begins his comparison, he gives these Christians a simple command:

“Consider Jesus.”

Because Moses was faithful.

But Jesus is better.

Main Point: Since Jesus is better than moses be faithful to him.

1. Consider Jesus — vv. 1–2

The author of Hebrews reminds the reader of the brotherhood that we are a part of because of Jesus’s propitiation on our behalf. However, even in this, he is urging the readers to submit to Jesus not only because he is better than the angels, but also because he is better than Moses.

The relationship that we have with Jesus is even closer than what the Israelites had with Moses. When we trust in Christ, we are adopted into the family of God, and Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers. Jesus tells those who are near to him that “whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:50).

Those who repent of their sins and come to Jesus are brought into a familial relationship that is closer than even blood ties. Faith in Jesus grants the believer the right to become a child of God.

John 1:12–13 says:

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Furthermore, our baptism is the covenantal sign that publicly identifies us with Jesus and his people. Baptism does not make us Abraham’s offspring, but it publicly declares our union with Christ by faith. It brings us into fellowship with the visible church and shows that we are brothers and sisters with those who are united to Christ.

Further, our position is seen in adoption. We have been adopted as children so that we can cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6).

Jesus is our brother and Savior and God. We are connected to Jesus not by physical blood, but we are connected through the blood of Christ. We are marked because we share in the Spirit, partake of the same grace, and are partners in the same gospel. He is our brother.

And notice how the author addresses them in Hebrews 3:1:

“Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus…”

They had lost things on earth because they followed Jesus, but the author reminds them that their calling was never ultimately earthly. They share in a heavenly calling. You can take their possessions, you can remove their comfort, you can push them to the outside of society, but you cannot take away the heavenly inheritance to which God has called them.

He reminds them of who they are before he tells them what they are to do. They are holy brothers. They share in a heavenly calling. They belong to the family of God because of what Christ has done for them.

And because this is who they are, he tells them: consider Jesus.

“The Apostle and High Priest of Our Confession”

“He is the apostle and high priest of our confession.”

This phrase for an apostle is interesting because normally when we hear the word apostle, we think of someone being sent by Jesus with his authority. However, here Jesus himself is called an Apostle.

He was sent from his Father in heaven with a specific task. He came to reveal his Father to his followers, teach them about the kingdom, and accomplish the mission that the Father gave him. Jesus says in John 6:38:

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.”

So Jesus is the Apostle because he is the One sent by the Father. He comes from God to us with God’s authority and God’s message.

Furthermore, he is the High Priest.

This title refers to the work that he did in saving his people. Just as we saw last week, he made propitiation for the sins of his people. Hebrews 2:17 says that he became like his brothers:

“So that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”

So you have both sides of the work of Jesus right here.

As Apostle, Jesus comes from God to us. As High Priest, Jesus represents us before God.

He is God’s authoritative messenger proclaiming salvation, and he is our eternal High Priest before the Father.

And notice what the author calls this: “our confession.”

When believers declare their faith in Jesus, and when that faith is publicly displayed in baptism, they are confessing their allegiance to Christ.

We are confessing who Jesus is and what Jesus has done. There is an identity and a commitment that comes with our confession. We confess that Jesus is the One sent from God, that he is the High Priest who has made atonement for our sins, and that he is the Lord to whom we belong.

Notice that God’s people have always been a confessing people.

Confessions are not a problem. A confession is simply saying, “This is what we believe together.”

And we do similar things when it comes to the rest of life.

We confess together that Ford means Fix Or Repair Daily.

We confess that every Chevrolet should come with a padded tailgate so that you have somewhere comfortable to sit while you wait for the tow truck to arrive.

Now, some of those confessions might divide the church.

But the Christian confession unites the church.

Together we confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

We confess that he was sent by the Father.

We confess that he died for our sins and rose from the grave.

We confess that he is our High Priest who represents us before the Father.

We confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

The question has never been whether Christians will have a confession. The question is whether our confession faithfully summarizes what Scripture teaches about Christ.

And here is what the author of Hebrews tells these Christians to do with that confession:

“Consider Jesus.”

Fix your attention on the Jesus you have confessed.

Remember the context of what is happening here. These were believers who were facing real pressure because of their confession of Jesus.

Hebrews tells us that some of them had been publicly exposed to reproach and affliction. Some had suffered alongside other believers who were imprisoned.

Some had even had their property taken from them because of their faith (Hebrews 10:32–34). Following Jesus had cost them something.

And now they were being tempted to shrink back.

I think it is significant that these believers were tempted to shrink back toward their former way of life because of the outward struggles and trials that were placed upon them. Their faith in Jesus brought them a similar reproach from mankind as Jesus himself experienced when he was here.

Yet, we tend to shrink back for lesser things.

This shrinking back, or backsliding, can easily overtake someone who allows his priorities to become disordered so that God’s glory is no longer the main thing in view.

We may not have our property taken from us because we confess Jesus. We may not be publicly ridiculed or thrown into prison. Sometimes all it takes for us to shrink back is for following Jesus to become inconvenient.

We shrink back because Sunday morning competes with something else we would rather do.

We shrink back because obedience might cost us a relationship.

We shrink back because speaking about Jesus might make the conversation awkward.

We shrink back because pursuing holiness means giving up something we enjoy.

They were tempted to shrink back because following Jesus was costing them everything. Sometimes we shrink back because following Jesus costs us anything.

And when our priorities become disordered, when our comfort, reputation, pleasure, family, money, or plans become more important than the glory of God, our eyes inevitably begin to move away from Christ.

And what is the answer to that?

Consider Jesus.

Throughout this letter, the author warns them about drifting away, neglecting this great salvation, hardening their hearts, and ultimately turning away from Christ.

And here, as he begins to compare Jesus with Moses, we see the temptation to look back toward what had come before. Moses was the great servant in the house of God. He was the mediator through whom Israel received the Law. But as great as Moses was, the author is going to show us that Jesus is greater.

So put yourself in their position.

You have confessed Jesus. You have identified yourself with him. And that confession has cost you relationships, possessions, comfort, and acceptance. The temptation would have been very real: Wouldn’t it just be easier to turn back? Wouldn’t it be easier to stop confessing Jesus and return to what you knew before?

So how do you remain faithful?

How do you remain consistent in the Christian life when following Christ costs you something?

How do you persevere until the end?

Consider Jesus.

Jesus, just as Moses, was faithful. But Jesus was faithful all the way to the end.

He didn’t fall away when temptation came. No, he remained steadfast.

He didn’t fall away when the crowds turned against him and sought to kill him. No, he continued steadfast and faithful.

He didn’t fall away and do his own thing when his friends abandoned him and he was all alone. He continued faithfully.

He didn’t abandon the mission the Father had given him when the cross stood before him. No, he willingly endured. Like a lamb led to the slaughter, he remained faithful even unto death.

He was faithful all the way to the end.

His faithfulness in the midst of the trials and tragedies of life is what we look toward and consider.

And remember what we just learned about Jesus. This faithful Jesus is our brother. He is our Apostle. He is our High Priest. Hebrews 2:18 told us, “Because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

So when you are tempted to give up, consider Jesus.

When following Jesus begins to cost you something, consider Jesus.

When the people around you think you are foolish for believing what you believe, consider Jesus.

When it seems easier to compromise than to remain faithful, consider Jesus.

We don’t look within ourselves and try to find enough strength to be faithful. We look outside of ourselves.

We look to Jesus. We consider Jesus.

The Christian life is not sustained by constantly considering how strong we are.

We remain faithful by fixing our eyes upon the One who was faithful to the end and who now helps his brothers and sisters remain faithful to the end.

So the author tells us to consider Jesus because Jesus was faithful. But that raises a question. If Moses was faithful too, what makes Jesus better?

Because remember, the author isn’t trying to tear Moses down. Moses was a faithful servant of God. The difference isn’t that Moses was bad and Jesus was good. The difference is that as great as Moses was, Jesus is better.

And that is where the author turns our attention next. We have considered the faithful Son, but now we need to see the greater Son.

2. Jesus Is better Than Moses — vv. 3–4

If we drew a huge compare-and-contrast sign right here and laid out Moses’s life and deeds beside Jesus’s life and deeds, we would see that Moses deserved honor. Even the author of Hebrews understands that Moses deserved some glory.

Think about it. No prophet in Israel compared to Moses. Deuteronomy 34:10 says, “There has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.”

Moses met with the Lord. Moses was the conduit through which God brought the plagues upon Egypt. He stretched out his hand over the Red Sea and God split the waters. He struck the rock and water came out. Through Moses, God performed unparalleled signs and wonders before Pharaoh and all Israel.

He was the deliverer and leader of God’s people.

Even Moses’s character was exceptional. He rejected his place in Pharaoh’s household and chose to be alongside God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of Egypt. Hebrews is going to tell us that later in chapter 11. He was willing to serve faithfully in God’s plan to bring redemption to a people in bondage.

Moses deserved honor. But Jesus deserves greater glory.

The author of Hebrews shows us this by giving us an illustration:

“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.” (Hebrews 3:3)

Think about someone who builds a house from the ground up.

They placed a screw or nail in every board. They made the plans for the house. They measured twice and cut once. They made sure the plumbing was run correctly, all the electricity was up to code, and all the door hinges were set where they needed to be.

Everything meticulously made. Everything put together. Everything done according to the plans of the builder.

When you walk into that house, you can appreciate the house. You can look at the floors, the walls, the cabinets, and the craftsmanship and say, “This is beautiful.”

But ultimately, the beauty of the house brings glory to the one who built it.

You don’t praise the house for building itself. You look at the work and give honor to the builder.

And the author says:

“For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.” (Hebrews 3:4)

Moses was faithful, but Moses was not the builder. Moses belonged to the house.

God was the builder.

Moses simply remained faithful in what God had provided for him to do.

But look at what Hebrews has already told us about Jesus. Hebrews 1:2 says that through the Son, God created the world. Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus upholds the universe by the word of his power. And Hebrews 1:10 applies these words to the Son:

“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands.”

Do you see what the author is doing?

Moses is part of the house. Jesus shares the identity and glory of the One who built it.

Jesus is the one through whom all things were made. Every piece of wood and metal ultimately exists because of him. And through his power and providence, every piece is exactly where it needs to be so that he receives all the glory and honor that is due to him.

So Moses deserves honor.

But Jesus deserves greater glory.

And maybe you are sitting here wondering, Is being faithful really worth it? Does my little place in the kingdom actually matter? Does what I am doing make any difference?

Remember the house.

There is not a screw in that house that does not have a purpose in holding something together. There is not a board that the builder placed there accidentally.

And there is not a person who is in Christ whom Jesus has forgotten.

You may not be Moses. You may never stand before Pharaoh. You may never lead a nation. You may never do anything that causes people hundreds of years from now to remember your name.

ut you have been placed in Christ’s house.

You have a purpose in God’s house.

God has equipped you with gifts to serve the church. And if I am being honest, I think we need to see this more. We need to be challenged more in this area.

At no point should the ministry and work of the church fall onto one man, such as myself. I will fail. You have seen parts of that. Look at how the bulletin often has typos or I forget to put something in it. I cannot do everything, and I was never intended to do everything.

But the issue we face is that we have to cultivate an eye for opportunities to serve.

We have to train ourselves to walk into the life of the church and begin to notice,

What needs to be done?

Who needs help?

Where can I serve?

We have a potluck. Why should it always be the ladies who stay behind and clean everything up? Y

ou ate too.

You know where the trash can is.

Pick up a plate.

Wipe down a table.

Take out a trash bag.

We finish worship and there is something that needs to be put away.

Don't just walk past it and assume somebody else will get it.

You see someone come through the door that you don't recognize.

Don't wait for the pastor to go speak to them.

Go introduce yourself. Welcome them in. Show them where the restrooms are.

You know someone hasn't been here for a couple of weeks. Don't immediately think, I wonder if the pastor has called them. You have a phone too.

Call them. Tell them you missed them. See if they're okay.

You see somebody struggling to carry something. Help them.

You see trash on the floor. Pick it up.

You hear about somebody who is hurting. Pray for them. Call them. Take them a meal. Sit with them.

Cultivate an eye for service.

Because one of the problems we have is that we can become really good at seeing what needs to be done while assuming somebody else needs to do it.

Instead, we ought to begin asking, “Is this something the Builder has put in front of me that I can do?”

Last week I was trying to get everything ready for church. People were coming in, the remote for the TV wasnt working, I was trying to get things where they needed to be, and Dan came up to me, grabbed all the bulletins and said, “I’ll pass these out for you.”

I didn't have to ask him.

He had cultivated an eye for service. He saw something that needed to be done, knew it was something he could do, and did it in order to serve others.

It may seem like a small thing. But remember the house. There isn't a screw in the house without a purpose.

Not every act of service is going to be noticed. Not every act of service is going to happen from this pulpit. Not every act of service needs a title attached to it.

Sometimes faithfulness is simply seeing something that needs to be done and doing it for the good of Christ's house and the glory of the Builder.

So the question isn’t whether you have a place in the house. The question is whether you will be faithful in the place where the Builder has placed you.

Moses was.

Moses was faithful in God’s house as a servant. But Jesus is greater. He is faithful over God’s house as the Son.

And if we are his house, then the author now turns the question toward us:

Will we be faithful to Christ?

Which brings us to our final point: Be Faithful to Christ.

3. Be Faithful to Christ — vv. 5–6

Moses’s faithfulness was extraordinary. He was a servant. But Moses’s position was unique because he was a part of the very household that he served.

Hebrews 3:5 says:

“Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later.”

Moses was not an unimportant servant. He was not just another person in the house. God gave Moses an extraordinary position among his people. Numbers 12 tells us that when others questioned Moses’s position, God himself defended him, saying, “He is faithful in all my house.”

But notice that even with all the honor given to Moses, he was still a servant in the house.

And his service pointed beyond himself.

Moses was faithful “to testify to the things that were to be spoken later.” His ministry was never meant to terminate upon himself. Moses and the old covenant were pointing forward to something greater that was still to come.

Moses himself said in Deuteronomy 18:15:

“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers. It is to him you shall listen.”

Moses was faithful while pointing toward the better Prophet who would come later.

Think about that.

Moses’s faithfulness included pointing people away from himself and toward Jesus.

Moses was great, but he was a servant.

Moses spoke with God, but Jesus is God.

Moses delivered God’s Word, but Jesus is God’s final Word.

Moses served faithfully in God’s house.

But Jesus is the Son who rules over the house.

Jesus, in contrast to Moses, shows us a difference in both authority and relationship.

Moses was a servant in the household.

But Christ is the Son over the household.

Christ owns and governs the household. We are a part of the household of Christ. Christ owns us. He also has the authority to tell us what to do.

And when we focus on Christ’s household, we are not talking about a “big, big house” where we can play football, as DC Talk tried to get us to believe. Nor are we talking about a “mansion over the hilltop,” as some of you enjoy singing.

What we are referring to is a people who belong to Christ.

We are his family, his tribe, his community. We are the people over whom Christ reigns as King. We are the people who live under the ministry of Jesus as our High Priest.

We enter this house only through the blood of Christ.

We don't get into this household because our parents were in it. We don't get into this household because we grew up around the church. We don't get into this household because our name is on a church roll.

We enter through Christ.

Through his blood, sinners are forgiven. Through faith, we are united to him. Through adoption, we are brought into the family of God.

And because we are a part of his house, we live and love as people of the house.

We belong to one another because we belong to Christ.

But don't miss the authority in this picture either. This is his house.

Jesus is not a guest in the house. He is not another servant alongside Moses. He is not someone we invite in and then tell him how we would like the house to be run.

He is the Son over the house.

Christ owns the house.

Christ governs the house.

Christ determines what happens in the house.

And if we are his house, then our lives are lived underneath the authority of the Son who rules over us.

With all this good news concerning the house, there is also a warning here in verse 6.

The author says, “And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.”

There is that word again: if.

The author of Hebrews will not allow us to talk about belonging to the house of Christ without also talking about persevering in Christ.

He has already warned us not to drift away. He has warned us not to neglect so great a salvation. And now he tells us that those who belong to the house of Christ are those who hold fast.

So the question becomes: Will we hold fast to the Son?

Now the question here isn’t, “Can we lose our salvation?” The question is, “Will our faith persevere?”

Because perseverance does not earn our place in the house. Perseverance reveals that we truly belong to the house.

Jesus shows us this in the Parable of the Sower.

In Matthew 13, Jesus describes seed that falls on rocky ground. At first, it looks alive. Jesus says that this is the person who “hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.” There is a response. There is excitement. There appears to be life.

But there is no root.

And Jesus says:

“When tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.” (Matthew 13:21)

For a time, it looked like the seed was growing. But when persecution came, what was underneath was revealed.

That sounds a whole lot like the situation Hebrews is addressing.

These people had heard the gospel. They had been among the people of God. They had confessed Christ. But now persecution and suffering were pressing upon them, and the temptation was to turn away.

Jesus says that there is another seed. This one falls on good soil. It hears the Word, understands it, and bears fruit.

The difference is not that the true Christian never faces difficulty. The difference is that genuine faith endures through the difficulty.

John says something similar in 1 John 2:19:

“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.”

Notice what John does not say. He doesn’t say that they were truly Christ’s and then stopped being Christ’s.

He says their leaving revealed something about what had been true all along:

“They were not of us.”

If they had truly been of us, John says, “they would have continued with us.”

That is the warning of Hebrews 3:6.

Holding fast does not make you a Christian.

Holding fast reveals that you are a Christian.

We are not saved because we persevere. We persevere because God has saved us.

That does not make the warning any less serious. In fact, it makes the warning incredibly serious.

You cannot look back at a prayer you prayed twenty years ago, a baptism you received, your name on a church roll, or some emotional experience you once had and say, “It doesn’t matter what happens now. I know I’m saved.”

The question Scripture continually puts before us is: Are you holding fast to Christ?

Is your confidence still in Jesus?

Is your hope still in Jesus?

When suffering comes, do you cling to Jesus?

When temptation comes, do you cling to Jesus?

When the world offers you an easier road, do you cling to Jesus?

Because those who belong to the house hold fast to the Son.

He is our confidence and our boasting in our hope. Our confidence is not in how tightly we can hold onto Jesus, but in how tightly Jesus holds onto us. Our boasting is not in our faithfulness, our works, or our ability to persevere. Our boast is Christ. Our hope is Christ. Our confidence is Christ.

And because our confidence is in him, we hold fast to him.

When everything else around us is shaken, Christ remains. When our strength fails, Christ remains faithful. When persecution comes, Christ remains our hope. When temptation comes, Christ remains our High Priest who is able to help us.

So Christian, hold fast to your confidence. Hold fast to your hope. Hold fast to Christ.

And how do we do that?

We go right back to where we started:

Consider Jesus. So church, the call of this passage is really quite simple:

Consider Jesus.

When you are tempted to look at yourself and wonder if you are strong enough to make it, consider Jesus.

When following Christ costs you something, consider Jesus.

When the world around you tells you that what you believe is foolish, consider Jesus.

When you are tired, when you are discouraged, when you are tempted to drift, consider Jesus.

Consider the One who was faithful to the Father all the way to the cross.

Consider the Apostle who was sent from heaven to reveal God to us.

Consider the High Priest who shed his blood to make propitiation for our sins and now represents us before the Father.

Consider the Son who is greater than Moses, who is not merely a servant in the house, but the Son over the house.

And consider what it means that we are his house.

We have been brought into his family through his blood. We belong to him. He is our confidence. He is our boasting. He is our hope.

Moses was faithful.

But Jesus is better.

And the same Jesus who was faithful to the end is the Jesus who will help his people remain faithful to the end.

So don't look within yourself and ask, “Do I have enough strength to make it?”

Look to Christ.

Don't boast in how tightly you are holding onto him.

Boast in Christ.

And don't allow the suffering, temptations, disappointments, or distractions of this life to cause you to drift away from the One who has saved you.

Hold fast to the Son.

And when you wonder how you can possibly do that, remember where we started:

Consider Jesus.