5: Better Than Moses

So, our precious sister and my highly esteemed colleague, Betty Maher, sent me this to set up today’s teaching.

“All men should make coffee for their women. It says it right in the Bible…

HEBREWS” Turn to someone and say…” I don’t care who you are, that’s funny right there!”

If we asked everyone here to name the top American leaders of all time, there would no doubt be names like

Washington or Lincoln who topped the list.

If the 1st century Hebrew audience were asked about the top Jewish leaders of all time, there is no doubt who that

Abraham and Moses who be in the top 2.

In the New Testament writings, Moses is mentioned by name almost 80 times!

Moses is often quoted as an authority such as: “Moses commanded (Mark 1:44)…permitted (Mark 10:4)…wrote (Mark 12:19)”.

The Old Testament laws and writings of Genesis-Deuteronomy were known as “the Law of Moses” (Lk 24:44, Jn 7:23).

But once again, the spotlight of the Scriptures isn’t placed on prophets, angels, or Moses, because Jesus is Better than all of them.

And Jesus is Better than Moses, as the writer is about to make crystal clear.

Catch the Context Last week we recognized that Jesus is Our Humble High Priest, the One who has experienced yet conquered temptation. After making payment for our sins on the cross, our Humble High Priest is able to help us when we are tempted because He is merciful & faithful. He is not ashamed to make us holy and call us His family!

Hebrews 3:1–2 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. He was faithful to the One who appointed Him, just as Moses was in all God’s household.

Just as the author had earlier compared and contrasted Jesus to powerful angels and imperfect human priests, now he does the same with Jesus and Moses. As we’ve seen throughout this incredible writing, the author wants us to consider Jesus - to focus our gaze on WHO He is and WHAT He has done for us.

Then the author compares & contrasts Jesus as the Apostle and High Priest to Moses - the hero of the Hebrews.

Apostle. Now, why does the author call Jesus “the Apostle”? This is THE ONLY TIME this term is used of Jesus in all of the New Testament writings.

Of course, Jesus called His closest disciples “apostles” - which literally means “sent out” - they were the authorized messengers of Jesus. But way before Jesus sent them out, the Father sent Jesus out to proclaim the good news.

And 1400 years before Jesus put on skin and came to the earth, Moses had been sent out (apostle) from Yahweh to bring the Hebrew people out of slavery.

High Priest. And then, as we saw last week and earlier in this writing,

Jesus is called our “high priest” (Heb 2:27) as He is the mediator between God and mankind, the WAY (Jn 14:6) that mankind can have relationship with God. In fact, early Christians were known as “followers of the Way” (Acts 9:2, 19:9, 23).

So how is Moses referred to as “high priest”? While Moses’ brother (Aaron) was the official high priest, Moses was the true mediator between God and the Hebrew people as he is the one who spoke to God on their behalf, and who God used to speak to them. Let’s take a quick look to see how important Moses was as the high priest of Yahweh to the Hebrew people.

Exodus 33:7b–11 (LEB) ...all seeking Yahweh would go out to the tent of assembly, which was outside the camp. And at the going out of Moses to the tent, all the people would rise and stand, each at the opening of his tent, and gaze after Moses until his entering the tent.

And at the entering of Moses into the tent the column of cloud would descend and stand at the opening of the tent, and He would speak with Moses. And all the people would see the column of cloud standing at the opening of the tent,

and all the people would rise and bow in worship, each at the opening of his tent. And Yahweh would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his neighbor. And he would return to the camp…

So while both Moses and Jesus were faithful apostles & high priests, sent by God (apostle) to speak for God & mediate (high priest) between God and His people, the author highlights how Jesus is Better than Moses.

Hebrews 3:3-4 For Jesus is considered worthy of more glory than Moses, just as the builder has more honor than the house. Now every house is built by someone, but the one who built everything is God.

Moses is compared to the house, while Jesus is compared to the builder of the house. Remember when Jesus said this:

Matthew 16:18 I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

Jesus built His house/church with the building materials supplied by the Father, “the one who built everything”. Remember when Jesus prayed to the Father saying this:

John 17:6–8 I have revealed Your Name to the people You gave Me from the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they know that everything You have given Me is from You, because I have given them the words You gave Me. They have received them and have known for certain that I came from You. They have believed that You sent Me.

As great as Moses was, he was only part of the building, not the Builder.

While Moses was highly revered among the Hebrew people, they still expected a future prophet that would fulfill a similar role to His own.

Following the resurrection & ascension of Jesus, during the Hebrew Festival of Pentecost, Simon Peter introduces Jesus as that prophet, spoken of by Moses 1400 years earlier:

Acts 3:22–23 Moses said: The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to everything he tells you. And everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be completely cut off from the people. [Deut 18:15,19]

While that prophecy from Deut 18:15-19 immediately applied to Joshua, Moses’ 2nd in command who took over upon his death, and other Hebrew prophets who would follow, *it is clear that the Hebrew people saw this “prophet like Moses” as either speaking of the coming Messiah or the herald preparing His way.

And during Jesus’ life the Hebrew people were expecting to see this “prophet like Moses.”

It’s obvious that some thought he could be John the Baptist as they asked him, “Are you the Prophet?” (Jn 1:21b)

Some certainly thought Jesus fit the description of “a prophet like Moses.” We see this in how the people responded to Jesus’ message (Jn 7:40) and miracles - like the feeding of 5000+ with a young man’s lunch (side note: the only miracle recorded in ALL 4 GOSPELS).

John 6:14 When the people saw the sign He had done, they said, “This truly is the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

Moreover, the disciples of Jesus claim that Moses is writing about Jesus! After meeting Jesus, Philip told Nathanael…

John 1:45 We have found the One Moses wrote about in the law (and so did the prophets): Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth.

Jesus echoed this when He said…

John 5:46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about Me.

And here is Jesus, a 30-year old man, telling some much older than Him - that Moses - their Hebrew hero - wrote about Him!

Side Note: This is the calling card of almost every cult leader - trying to read THEMSELVES into the ancient writings.

So what’s the difference between Jesus cult leaders? Very simply - EVIDENCE. The message and miracles of Jesus proved that He was better than Moses - perfectly fulfilling the role of what Moses called “a prophet like me” (Deut 18:15).

And then there was the ultimate evidence - the resurrection of Jesus from the dead! After His resurrection, Jesus pointed to the Scriptures to show they spoke of Him, starting with the writings of…GUESS WHO? (Moses)

Luke 24:27 Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted for them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

As great as Moses was, Jesus is Better Than Moses! Moses was an important MEMBER of the house, but Jesus was the MAKER of the house!

The Hebrew audience of this letter was being tempted to return to the Old Covenant, and they needed to note that they could not return to Moses and ignore Jesus since Moses was faithful to point people TO Him.

Far from discounting the vital role Moses played reminds the readers that…

Hebrews 3:5–6a Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s household, as a testimony to what would be said in the future. But Christ was faithful as a Son over his household.

Again, the writer draws the comparison between Moses and Jesus. Moses was a faithful servant, but Jesus is a faithful Son.

It wasn’t the servant who had authority over the house, but the Son of the owner was the AUTHORITY over the house as he was the inheritor of the house.

Moses was a faithful servant, but Jesus is Better than Moses, because He is the faithful Son.

Hebrews 3:6-7 But Christ was faithful as a Son over his household. And we are that household if we hold on to our confidence and the hope in which we boast.

Those who trusted what Moses said and wrote were right to do so as he was a faithful servant, so HOW MUCH MORE should we hold on to our confidence and the hope we have in Jesus, the faithful Son!

This ISN’T confidence or hope in our own abilities. It is confidence in WHO Jesus is and WHAT Jesus has done. It is the hope that what He says will come to pass, will come to pass - that we will one day be with Him because He has made us part of His household - His family!

And now, just as He is faithful to us, may we hold on - keep a tight grip and don’t slip - to be faithful to Him! Consider Jesus and hold onto Him!

Is that TRUE OF YOU?

FEET2FAITH

Get back in the Gospels and read about Jesus! Get back to the WONDER of Who He really is!

When you’re struggling, call a Christian friend to REMIND YOU WHY Jesus is worthy of your life! We all need someone to talk us off the ledge, talk some sense into us, to pray and check on us. (Your Staff and deacons/wives are here for you!)

Hold on to Jesus & Remember His faithfulness. Write down how He is been faithful and write down how you have been faithful to Him over the day! (e.g. didn’t lust, didn’t gossip, encouraged another, shared the Gospel)

PRAY