Consider Jesus

Introduction

Well, good morning!

If you have your Bible, and I hope that you do, go ahead and open it up with me to Hebrews chapter 3.

And listen, as we continue working our way through Hebrews, I want you to remember the theme we've been seeing from the very beginning: Jesus is greater.

He's greater than the prophets. He's greater than the angels. We’re gonna see that He's greater than Moses in our text today. He's greater than everything else that’s come before Him. That's really what the writer of Hebrews has been showing us. He's been putting Jesus in front of us over and over again and showing us why there's nobody else like Him.

Last week, if you remember, we saw something really incredible. We saw that this great and glorious Son of God became like us, right? He took on flesh and blood. He suffered. He was tempted. He died. He made propitiation for our sins. And He became our merciful and faithful High Priest.

And then the writer ended chapter 2 by reminding us that because Jesus Himself suffered when tempted, He's able to help those who are being tempted today.

And so we've spent a lot of time looking at what Jesus did for us. But now, as we come into chapter 3, the writer wants us to stop for a moment and simply consider Jesus.

Just look at verse 1 before we get started.

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

Consider Jesus. Think about Him. Fix your attention on Him. Look very carefully at who He is.

Listen, I think that's something we need to be reminded of because we can get distracted so easily, right? We can become distracted by our circumstances or our problems. We can become distracted by other people or by good things like our families, or our jobs, or even our ministries, our church. And before long, we're looking at everything except Christ.

But Hebrews says, consider Jesus. Because whatever you're facing this morning, whatever you're walking through, whatever you're struggling with, there's nothing more important for you to do than for you to consider Jesus.

And what's interesting is that the writer’s gonna tell us to consider Jesus by comparing Him to someone these Jewish Christians would’ve known very well.

Moses.

Moses was one of the greatest men in the history of Israel. He was God's servant. He led God's people out of Egypt. God spoke through him. God gave the Law through him. He was faithful in God's house.

But listen, as great as Moses was, Jesus is greater. And that's really the heartbeat of this passage. The writer isn't trying to make us think less of Moses. He's trying to make us think rightly about Jesus.

Moses was a servant. Jesus is the Son.

Moses served in the house. Jesus is over the house.

Moses was faithful to God's people. Jesus built God’s people.

And then, toward the end, the writer says something about us. “We are his house.”

And so listen, this morning, we're gonna slow down and we’re gonna simply do what verse 1 tells us to do. We're gonna consider Jesus. That’s the title of our message this morning.

And we're gonna consider three things together as we walk through this text.

First, we’re gonna consider His Person.

Second, we’re gonna consider His Position.

And then finally, third, we’re gonna consider His People.

And my prayer this morning is that by the time we get to the end of our passage, we won't just know that Jesus is greater. I want us to see that Jesus is greater. And because He's greater, I want us to fix our eyes on Him, I want us to hold fast to Him, I want us to never look anywhere else for the hope that only He can give.

…

And so, if you’re there with me in Hebrews chapter 3…let’s stand together as we read God’s Word this morning. It says this starting in verse 1:

Hebrews 3:1–6 ESV

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.

Thank you, you can be seated.

[Prayer]

Again our three points this morning…Number 1, Consider His Person…Number 2, Consider His Position…and then Number 3, Consider His People.

The main idea for our message this morning: Consider Jesus, because He is greater.

And so if you’re there with me…you’ve got your Bibles…your notebook…let’s look at this first thing together.

I. Consider His Person (v. 1)

Again point number 1, consider Jesus’ person.

Look at verse 1 with me again.

“Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession…”

And so, before we get into these two titles, I want you to notice that first word there: “Therefore.”

That word, it connects what we're about to read with everything else we've been talking about.

Because Jesus became like us.

Because He suffered.

Because He died.

Because He made propitiation for our sins.

Because He became our merciful and faithful High Priest.

Because He’s able to help those who are being tempted…Therefore, consider Jesus.

In other words, the writer’s saying here, “After everything I've just told you about Jesus, stop and think about who He is.”

And notice who he's talking to.

He says, “holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling.”

He's talking to believers. He's talking to people who belong to Christ.

And notice how he describes them.

They're holy. They're people who’ve been set apart by God. They share in a heavenly calling. Their ultimate hope isn't here in this world. Their identity isn't here. Their home isn't here. They're people who’ve been called by God to something greater. And because of that, he says, “consider Jesus.”

Listen, church, that's important. The Christian life isn't just about making a decision for Jesus and then moving on to something else. The Christian life, its about continually coming back to Christ.

Consider Jesus. Think about Him. Look at Him. Remind yourself of who He is.

And the writer gives us two titles here that tell us exactly who He is.

First, he calls Him “the apostle.”

Now, that's not a title we normally use for Jesus, right? We usually think about the twelve apostles.

Peter was an apostle.

John was an apostle.

Paul was an apostle.

But here, Jesus Himself is called an apostle. And the basic idea of an apostle is someone who’s sent. Someone who’s commissioned to go on behalf of another.

And that's exactly what Jesus did. He was sent by the Father.

Jesus Himself said 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.”

Jesus came from the Father. He was sent by the Father. He came to accomplish the Father's will. And listen, that's important because Jesus isn't just another teacher who came along and gave us some good advice about how to live. He wasn't just another prophet saying, “Here's what God wants you to know.” Jesus is the very One whom God sent. God Himself came to us in the person of His Son.

Think about what we saw back in chapter 1. God spoke through the prophets. But in these last days, He’s spoken to us by His Son.

The prophets were servants who delivered God's message. Jesus is the Son who came from God Himself. And so when we consider Jesus, we're considering the One whom God sent to reveal Himself to us.

But then notice the second title: “High Priest.”

Now listen, we've already seen this in chapter 2. The writer called Jesus a “merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God.” And now he says it here again.

Why?

Because Jesus doesn't just come from God to us. He also goes before God for us. That's what a high priest did. The high priest represented the people before God. He offered sacrifices for sin. He went into the presence of God on behalf of the people. And Hebrews is telling us that Jesus is our ultimate High Priest.

But unlike the priests of the Old Testament, Jesus didn't offer the blood of an animal. He offered Himself.

He didn't enter an earthly tabernacle. He entered the presence of God Himself.

He didn't make temporary atonement. He made complete atonement.

That's why Hebrews 2:17 said that He came “to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”

…

And so think about the beauty of these two titles.

Jesus is the Apostle. He’s the One sent from God to us. And Jesus is the High Priest. He’s the One who represents us before God. He stands between God and His people in the most perfect way imaginable.

He brings God to us. And He brings us before God.

And that's why the writer says: “Consider Jesus.” Because if you're looking for someone to tell you what God is like, consider Jesus.

If you're looking for someone who can bring you into the presence of God, consider Jesus.

If you're looking for someone who can deal with your sin, consider Jesus.

If you're looking for someone who understands your weakness, consider Jesus.

If you're looking for someone who can represent you before the Father, consider Jesus.

There's nobody else you need to look to.

…

Listen, that's where I wanna challenge us this morning…What are you considering? What occupies your mind when you wake up in the morning? What do you think about when you're driving down the road? What do you think about when you can't sleep at night? What do you turn your attention toward when you're afraid? Because listen, whatever it is you're considering, that thing, its gonna shape you.

If you're constantly considering your problems, you're gonna become consumed by your problems.

If you're constantly considering what other people think about you, you're gonna become controlled by the opinions of other people.

If you're constantly considering money, you're gonna become consumed with getting more of it.

If you're constantly considering your circumstances, your circumstances are gonna determine your joy.

But Hebrews says, consider Jesus. Not occasionally. Not just on Sunday morning. Consider Him. Think about who He is. Think about what it is He’s done. Think about what He’s doing. Think about where He’s taking you.

Listen, when you do that, everything else begins to fall into its proper place. Because your problems might be big, but Jesus is greater.

And your sin might be serious, but Jesus is greater.

Your suffering might be painful, but Jesus is greater.

Your fears, they might be real, but Jesus is greater.

And that's why the writer begins this section the way he does. He doesn't tell us to consider our circumstances. Or to consider ourselves. He says, “Consider Jesus.”

…

And then look at the next phrase in verse 1: “the apostle and high priest of our confession.”

That word “our,” it matters.

He's not just the Apostle. He's not just the High Priest. He's OUR Apostle. He's OUR High Priest. It’s very personal.

The One who was sent by the Father, He came for His people. The One who represents us before the Father, He’s representing His people. If you're in Christ this morning, you can say, “He’s mine, and I’m His.”

That's why we don't simply admire Jesus. Or just study Him. We consider Him. We fix our eyes on Him. Because the more clearly we see who Jesus is, the more clearly we understand who we are.

And listen, that's where the writer goes next. Because after telling us to consider Jesus, he begins comparing Jesus with Moses.

Listen, Moses was faithful. Moses was a great servant of God. Moses was used mightily by God. But the writer says there’s One who’s worthy of more glory than Moses. And that's Jesus.

And so first, consider His Person.

He’s the Apostle. He’s the High Priest. He’s the One sent from God for us. He’s the One who represents us before God. Consider Jesus because He’s greater.

II. Consider His Position (vv. 2-4)

But listen, it’s not enough to just consider His person…the demons, they consider the person of Christ. We have to consider His position as well…that’s our second point.

Look at verse 2 with me again. It says:

“Who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God's house.”

Now listen, the writer isn’t trying to tear Moses down. He actually gives Moses a ton of credit. He says Moses was faithful. Moses was a faithful servant of God. He was chosen by God. He was used by God. He led God's people. He delivered God's Word. He was faithful in God's house.

And that's important because sometimes, in order to exalt Jesus, we think we have to make everyone else look bad.

But that's not what Hebrews is doing here. Moses was great. But what he’s saying, its that Jesus is greater.

Look at verse 3.

“For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses…”

Pay attention…More glory. Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses. The writer isn't saying Jesus is just a little bit better than Moses. He's showing us that there’s an entirely different category here.

And then he gives us an illustration to explain it. He says: “…as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.”

Now think about that for a second.

If you walk into a big, beautiful house and you say, “Man, this house is incredible,” eventually somebody's gonna ask, “Well, who built it?” Right? Because you understand that the house didn't build itself.

The house has a builder. And the builder deserves more honor than the house itself. That's the argument Hebrews is making here.

Moses was in the house. Jesus is the builder of the house.

Moses was a part of what God was doing. Jesus is the One through whom God was doing it.

Moses served God's house. Jesus is responsible for God's house.

And then verse 4 takes this argument even further.

“For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.”

Now listen, don't miss what the writer’s doing here. He's not just giving us an illustration about construction. He's making a statement about who Jesus is.

If the builder of all things is God, and Jesus is being presented as the builder who’s worthy of greater glory than Moses, then the writer’s pointing us to the deity of Christ.

Jesus isn't simply another servant inside God's house. Jesus is God the Son. And that's why His position is so much greater than Moses.

Moses was a servant. Jesus is the Son.

And church, this is why we have to be careful about how we think about Jesus. Because sometimes we can reduce Jesus down to being our helper. Or our teacher. Our example. Our friend.

And listen, He is all those things. But He’s so much more than that at the same time.

He’s Lord.

He’s King.

He’s Creator.

He’s the Son of God.

He’s the One who’s worthy of more glory than anyone or anything else.

John Owen, he said, “The glory of Christ is the foundation of all our faith, and the spring of all our obedience.”

Think about that.

The glory of Christ isn't just something we talk about on Sunday morning. It should change how we live. Because when you really see Jesus for who He is, you can't keep treating Him like He's just another part of your life.

If Jesus is greater, then He deserves greater.

Greater attention.

Greater affection.

Greater obedience.

Greater worship.

Greater trust.

And listen, that's where I think we need to examine ourselves. Because we live in a society that’s constantly trying to shrink Jesus down. It wants Jesus to be a good teacher. It wants Him to be a moral example. It wants Him to be someone who makes you feel better about yourself. Or someone who stays in His little box and doesn't make any demands on your life.

But Hebrews won't let us do that.

Consider Jesus. Consider His person. Consider His position.

He's not your equal.

He's not just another religious leader.

He's not simply another teacher.

He's the Son of God. And if He's the Son of God, then listen to me…He has complete authority over you.

He has authority over your marriage.

He has authority over your parenting.

He has authority over your finances.

Over your sexuality.

Over your career.

Your time.

He has authority over your church.

Over everything. Because He is greater.

And listen, that's why the writer’s comparing Him to Moses. Moses was probably the greatest servant these people could think of. But even Moses was pointing beyond himself. Moses wasn't the destination. Moses was pointing people toward Christ.

The Law, the sacrifices, the tabernacle, the priesthood, none of that stuff was the destination. They were all pointing to Christ.

That's why Jesus said in John 5:46, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.”

Moses knew that there was something greater coming. And now Hebrews is saying, He's here. The One Moses pointed toward, He’s come. And He's worthy of more glory. He's worthy of more honor. He's worthy of more praise.

…

And listen, you should take this very personal. Because whatever has the greatest position in your life, its gonna have the greatest influence over your life.

And so what sits on the throne of your life?

Is it Jesus? Is it your family? Your money? Your political views? That’s a big one! Is it your hobbies? Because listen, you can say all the right things about Jesus and still live as though something else is Lord.

But Hebrews tells us to consider Jesus. Look at where He stands. He's above Moses. He's above the prophets. He's above the angels. He's above every earthly authority. He's above every person you've ever looked up too. And most importantly He's above you.

Jesus is Lord.

And when you really understand His position, it changes how you respond to Him.

You don't negotiate with Him.

You don't put Him on the same level as everything else.

You don't give Him whatever time you have left over.

You don't obey Him when it's convenient. Or worship Him only when you feel like it. Because He's worthy of more glory. He's worthy of more honor. He's worthy of your whole life.

And listen, that's why the Christian life isn't about adding Jesus to your life. Jesus becomes your life.

Paul said in Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ.”

That's what it looks like when you understand His position.

Jesus isn't simply part of my life. Jesus is Lord over my life. And that's the difference between simply admiring Jesus and actually following Jesus.

And so, church, consider His position.

Moses was faithful. But Jesus is greater.

Moses was a servant. But Jesus is the Son.

Moses served in the house. But Jesus built the house.

And if the builder of all things is God, then Jesus isn't just worthy of our respect. He's worthy of our worship, and that's exactly where the writer takes us next.

Because we've considered His person. We've considered His position. But now he's gonna tell us something incredible about His people.

III. Consider His People (vv. 5-6)

Point number 3, we have to consider His people.

Look at verses 5 and 6 with me again.

“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…”

Now, we've already talked about Moses and Jesus being compared here.

Moses was faithful as a servant. He served in the house…Jesus is faithful as a Son. And Jesus is over the house. But now the writer brings us into the picture.

“And we are his house.”

That's an incredible statement, right? Just think about what he's saying here.

He's not saying we simply go to God's house. He's not saying we simply worship in God's house. He's saying we are His house.

God's people are the house of God. And that's actually a theme we see all throughout Scripture.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?”

Peter says in 1 Peter 2:5 that we are “living stones” being built into a spiritual house.

And so when Hebrews says “we are his house,” he's talking about the people of God.

And listen, that ought to change the way we think about the church. The church isn't just some building. This building isn't God's house. We are.

You can tear down this building, and God's house is still standing. You can move the church to another building, and God's house is still standing. Because God's house isn't made out of brick and mortar. It's made out of people who belong to Christ. And that means that when you become a Christian, you don't just become somebody who believes a certain set of doctrines.

You become part of a people.

You belong to Christ.

You belong to His church.

You belong to His house.

And listen, I think that's especially important for us to remember because Christianity, it’s become very individualistic.

We talk about “my relationship with Jesus.”

We talk about “my faith.”

We talk about “my walk with God.”

And yes, there’s a personal relationship that each of us has with Christ. But Scripture never presents Christianity as “Jesus and me, and that's all I need.” When Christ saves you, He brings you into His family. He makes you part of His body. He makes you part of His house. You don't just belong to Jesus. You belong to His people.

And that's why the way we treat one another matters.

That's why church membership matters.

That's why gathering together matters.

That's why serving one another matters.

That's why encouraging one another matters.

That's why bearing one another's burdens matters.

Because we are His house.

…

But then, look at how verse 6 ends. Because the writer doesn't just say, “We are His house.” He says, “And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.”

Now this is where Hebrews begins to move us toward the warning that we're gonna see throughout the rest of the chapter.

“If indeed we hold fast…”

And so, we need to understand what he's saying here. He's not saying you become part of God's house by holding on hard enough. He's not saying Jesus saves you, but then it's ultimately up to you to keep yourself saved.

No.

We know from the rest of Scripture that salvation belongs to God from beginning to end.

Jesus said in John 10:28, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

And so when Hebrews tells us to hold fast, it’s not telling us how to earn salvation, it’s describing what genuine faith does. True faith perseveres. If Christ truly saved you, you will continue to cling to Christ.

You may stumble.

You may struggle.

You may fall.

You may have seasons where your faith feels weak.

But you won't ultimately let go of Christ. Because Christ won't ultimately let go of you. That's why I love that picture we talked about last week of a child learning to walk.

A little child takes a few steps, falls down, and what’s he do?

He reaches back out for his father.

He doesn't say, “Well, I guess walking isn't for me.”

No.

He gets back up. He reaches out. And he holds on tightly. That's the Christian life.

Sometimes you stumble.

Sometimes you fall.

Sometimes you struggle.

But you keep reaching for Christ. You keep holding fast. You keep boasting in the hope you have in Him. Because He's faithful.

And that's really the contrast that Hebrews has been showing us.

Moses was faithful. Christ is faithful.

Moses was a servant. Christ is the Son.

Moses was faithful in God's house. Christ is faithful over God's house.

And if you belong to Christ, you are His house. So hold fast. Don't turn away. Don't go looking for something better. Don't go back to the world. Don't put your hope in yourself. Or in your morality. Don't put your hope in your baptism. Your church attendance. Your good works.

Boast in your hope in Christ. Because He's the One who saves. He's the One who keeps. He's the One who helps. He's the One who’s faithful.

And listen, this is why the command at the beginning of the passage matters so much.

“Consider Jesus.”

Because when you consider Jesus—when you really look at Him—you realize there's nowhere else worth going.

He's the Apostle.

He's the High Priest.

He's greater than Moses.

He's the Son over God's house.

And if you're in Christ this morning, you are His house. So hold fast to Him. Keep your confidence in Him. Keep boasting in Him. Keep your hope in Him. Because He is greater.

And that's gonna become incredibly important as we continue to move into the next section of Hebrews. Because beginning in verse 7, the writer takes us back to the wilderness. He's gonna remind us of a generation of Israelites who saw God's works, they heard God's voice, they experienced God's deliverance—and yet they hardened their hearts and turned away.

He's gonna warn us: Don't be like them.

…

But listen, before we move into that warning, the writer wants us to settle something in our hearts right now:

Consider Jesus.

Consider His Person.

Consider His Position.

Consider His People.

And remember, if you belong to His people, then hold fast to the hope you have in Him.

Closing

And so listen, as we come to the end of this passage, I want you to think about what Hebrews has put in front of us this morning.

The writer’s taken us from Moses to Christ.

Moses was faithful, but Jesus is greater. And the One who’s greater than Moses is the One who came to save sinners like you and me.

And so if you’re a believer this morning, what are you gonna do with that?

Because it’s one thing to hear that Jesus is greater. It’s another thing all together to live like Jesus is greater. If Jesus is greater, then He deserves more than whatever’s left over after you've given your time and your attention to everything else.

He deserves your worship.

He deserves your obedience.

He deserves your trust.

He deserves your whole life.

And so don't just leave here today knowing more about Jesus. Take what you've heard and live it.

When you're tempted to trust yourself, trust Christ.

When you're tempted to follow the world, follow Christ.

When you're tempted to give up, cling to Christ.

When you're tempted to believe that something else can satisfy you, remember that Jesus is greater.

Maybe you've been a Christian for five years, twenty years, fifty years. Don't think you've outgrown your need for Jesus. You don't graduate from Christ. You don't move beyond Christ.

The same Jesus who saved you, He’s the same Jesus you need today. So keep your eyes on Him. Keep your hope in Him. Keep holding fast to Him. Because He is faithful.

…

But listen, maybe you're here this morning and you're not a Christian. Maybe you've never truly trusted in Jesus Christ. Maybe you've spent your whole life trying to be good enough for God. Or maybe you've tried religion. Maybe you've tried morality. Maybe you've tried to clean yourself up and make yourself worthy of God's acceptance.

But here's the problem: You can't.

You're a sinner, and I'm a sinner. Every one of us, we’ve rebelled against a holy God, and none of us can stand before Him on the basis of our own goodness. And that's why Jesus came.

The Son of God—the One who’s greater than Moses, greater than every prophet, greater than every priest—He became man. He lived the perfect life you could never live. He died the death you deserved. He took the wrath of God in the place of sinners. And three days later, He walked out of that grave victorious over sin and death.

And so your hope this morning isn't found in yourself. Or in being a good person. Your only hope is Jesus.

So don't walk out of here today simply acknowledging Jesus.

Run to Him.

Turn from your sin.

Repent.

Trust in Christ.

Rest completely in what He’s done for you. Because there’s coming a day when every one of us, we’re all gonna stand before God, and on that day the only thing that’ll matter is what you’ve done with Jesus.

And so if you’re already a believer, hold fast to Him. And if you're not, then come to Him. Because He’s greater. And He’s the only Savior worth having.

Would you bow your head and close your eyes with me?

The praise team’s gonna come and play for us one more time. This is your time to respond to you’ve heard.

We’ll have some pastors up front…I’ll be in the back…if you need one of us to pray with you, that’s what we’re here for…but you take this time and I’ll close us in just a moment.

[Prayer]