Consider Jesus

Good morning again. At this time any children that would like to go to our children’s ministry can exit right out the back doors and someone will take them to their room and they will have a lesson at their age level. For the rest of you, go ahead and turn in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 3.

The last few weeks have been really crazy. I’ve been inundated with so much going on around us. There’s so much darkness and it feels like it’s pressing in and to be honest, I sometimes get overwhelmed by it. Just a few days ago, I was sitting in the office and I was looking at some social media posts and I was just so slammed with the evilness of sin. I was struck with the pain of seeing people I love walk away from the faith of the Bible. Every June I am reminded that we have a very real enemy. Our enemy is not of flesh and blood but we see people doing the bidding of the evil one and it’s easy for us to get distracted by all of the sin, confusion, and false teaching around us. And one of the most painful things is seeing those who would profess Christ with one side of their mouth, give approval to that which cost Him His life. It devastates me mentally and emotionally.

I need to be reminded this morning about Jesus. I need to be reminded of the gospel. I need to preach the gospel to myself. So that’s what we are going to do this morning. We are going to glory in the power of the cross and person and work of Jesus Christ. It is the gospel and it is the only message that matters for eternity.

Have you ever seen a tightrope walker? When I was a child there would always be these celebrity circus specials on tv where they would have actors perform circus acts on tv. It was always a lot of fun to watch your favorite tv stars swing on the trapeze or walk across the tightrope. Generally there would be a safety net. Well, four years before I was born, in 1974, a Frenchman named Philippe Petit did something really crazy. He went out in the middle of the night and stretched a cable between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. The next morning he walked back and forth between the buildings to the awe of the crowds watching below. The question you have to wonder about these types of stunts is: How did he keep from falling to his death? If you ask one of these type of performers they will tell you the secret is to keep your eyes on the destination and don’t look down. Our passage for today would remind us keep our eyes on Jesus to keep from falling. This brings us to Hebrews chapter 3, verses 1 through 6. You can follow along as I read.

Hebrews 3:1–6 (ESV)

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

2 who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house.

3 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.

4 (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)

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

6 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.

PRAY

I. Consider Jesus (v. 1-2a)

Verse one begins with a transition word, therefore. It’s the author connecting what he is about to say with what he has already written. He is using it to say that in light of the great salvation provided we should consider Jesus because He is the merciful and faithful high priest that we heard about last week. He has tasted death for everyone and He alone is the source of our salvation.

The author refers to his audience as holy brothers and tells them that they share in a heavenly calling. A lot of times in our reading we just breeze right by descriptors like these but the author uses those specific terms for a reason. He’s communicating an idea about identity and purpose in the people he is addressing. Holy is used before brothers to make emphasis that the blood of Christ has sanctified and cleansed the church. It is by the blood of Christ alone that people can be made holy. So when he says holy brothers he is identifying a new identity and a new family for those in Christ.

The fact that these blood bought brothers and sisters, members of the family of God also have a shared heavenly calling accents that God has acted to rescue a specific group of people, the church. Jesus makes us what we are. God transforms us into His people. It is only believers that compose the church. There are no holy unbelievers for it is only those who are in Christ who are made holy. This is so important to understand. No one shares in this heavenly calling who is unrepentant. In fact, it’s impossible. Being part of Christ’s church requires repentance and faith. This is in keeping with the message that Christ Himself preached here on earth.

Mark 1:14–15 ESV

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Remember that based on chapter 2 verse 10 we know that God intends to bring many sons to glory. Jesus’ was sent on a mission to bring many sons to glory. The trajectory or direction of this calling is heavenward. Heaven is where Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father and where He calls us from and beckons us to. This language of calling being used echoes the pilgrimage of the Israelites. They sought to enter into a divine rest. This language would have connected specifically with the Jewish Christians reading this as it’s first audience.

Consider Jesus as the scriptures portray Him

This exhortation to consider Jesus carries the idea of meditation. Thinking on Jesus. Jesus is the focal point of Christianity. The person and work of Jesus are the absolute best objects for Christian meditation. We are to think on Him. Consider His works and the goodness of His character. We should glory and be in awe of His sacrifice and the truth that He tasted death so that we could be set free from the fear of death and the power of sin. When the world looks dark Christian, consider Jesus. Focus on Him. Never consider Him outside of the biblical and theological context in which He is presented to us in scripture. Consider Him rightly according to how the Bible reveals His character.

As the author instructs us to consider Jesus, he continues to identify Jesus in various ways. Here Jesus is referred to as the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. Apostle being used may give us pause at first because that is how we refer to those who had been with Jesus and ministered in the early church. However, the Greek term that is used here means someone who has been sent or sent one. Whereas the apostles of the early church were sent out by Jesus, Jesus had been sent by the Father on a mission to rescue the church from sin and death and restore us to the Father. The text here tells us that Jesus was faithful to the one who appointed Him. He was faithful in His service to God the Father and stuck to the mission that He was sent to accomplish. Last week we focused in on Jesus as our high priest who makes atonement for our sin. The author of Hebrews will continue to unfold this further in the book.

Our Confession refers to a declaration or profession of belief in Jesus. In scripture we have the earliest Christian confessions recorded. They include that Jesus is the Christ, that He is Lord, and that He is the Son of God. These really summarize the early Christian teachings. Later the author of Hebrews exhort the readers or hearers to hold fast.

II. Look at Moses in light of Jesus (v. 2b-5)

Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant. Moses is a key figure in Jewish history and in the Old Testament narrative. He was faithful to God in spite of facing pretty extreme opposition and a lot of straight up disappointment from the Israelites. As he was leading them out of slavery and toward the promised land, they grumbled and wanted to return to Egypt where they were slaves rather than follow Moses.

Numbers 11:4–6 (ESV)

4 Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat!

5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.

6 But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”

There were others who challenged his position of authority over the Jews.

Numbers 12:1–2 (ESV)

1 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman.

2 And they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it.

Moses was faithful though he did not understand everything. He wouldn’t have had all of the information and yet he stayed faithful despite the opposition he faced. That’s not to say he was perfect. Moses certainly had a sin nature as all humanity does except for Jesus.

Moses’ life and ministry displayed the superiority of Christ. In fact, they were meant to point away from Moses and toward the Messiah. Moses’ ministry existed to testify to the things to come.

Deuteronomy 18:15 (ESV)

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—

The priesthood in the Old Covenant, the sacrifices, and the entire Old Covenant system serve the same purpose - to point to Jesus, the Messiah. The Old Testament is like a giant arrow pointing to Jesus.

Romans 3:21 (ESV)

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—

On the road to Emmaus, after His resurrection, Jesus shares with some of his followers who didn’t recognize Him all about how the scriptures are all about him. The Old Testament was the only scripture they had at the time. He’s sharing about Himself using the Old Testament. That should greatly impact the way we read the Old Testament today. That’s what the writer of Hebrews wants of us. We should think of Moses in light of Jesus. We should think of everything in light of Jesus.

This passage shows the superiority of Jesus over Moses, who the Hebrews would have very high regard for. In verse 3 we see Jesus as counted as worthy of more glory than Moses. As the divine Son Jesus is worth infinite amounts of glory. It is possible that the audience of this book of Hebrews may have been struggling with Christ’s superiority over the law of Moses and over angels, hence the ideas communicated in the first three chapters.

The point is not to emulate Moses but that we should look to Jesus who is superior in every way. We see should consider Jesus and hold fast to Jesus who is faithful over God’s house not just as a servant, like Moses, but as a Son.

We must hold fast to Jesus who is able to save and sustain.

III. Hold fast to Jesus (v. 6)

Verse 6 introduces us to another major theme in Hebrews, the theme of warning against failing to persevere in the faith.

Hebrews 3:6 (ESV)

6 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.

That little word “if” should catch your attention. Being his house is to say the people of God. So we are the people of God if we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

This passage and scripture as a whole teaches that only those who persevere in the faith will be saved and that ALL who have genuine faith will persevere. We must have confidence in and boast in our hope in Jesus. Christ is our only hope in life or death. It is only Christ that can save us. Our works can not save us and our works can not keep us saved.

Ephesians 2:8–9 (ESV)

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

We come into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ when God has convicted us of sin and we repent of our sin and believe the good news of the gospel that Jesus Christ, the perfect God-man died in my place for my sin on the cross. He was a substitute and took the wrath of God that my sin deserved. He absorbed it on my behalf and in exchange gives me His righteousness. He died for my sin and three days later He rose from the dead and that proves that the sacrifice worked and it is sufficient for every sin. He sanctifies me, that means makes me holy and set apart for His use. Those who have had genuine faith in Jesus will persevere till the end. The idea is that we should hold fast and make sure that we are examining our lives and consider everything in light of Jesus.

We must persevere in confidence in the truth of our hope in Jesus Christ. Our boasting must only be in the gospel and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Mohler writes that, “by faith we confidently trust that Christ’s righteousness belongs to us. He is our only boast. He is our unfailing hope.

Conclusion/Call for Response

How do we hold fast? We stay focused on Jesus. When we lose our focus, just light a tightrope walker who loses their focus on their destination and looks down, they fall. Peter found this out on the water.

Matthew 14:22–33 (ESV)

22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.

23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,

24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.

25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.

26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear.

27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”

29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.

30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”

31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Peter got distracted by all of the seeming chaos going on around Him and instead of focusing in Jesus, he focused down and sank.

Application:

Focus on Jesus. Keep Him on your mind.

Read about Him.

the Bible