The Son Has Greater Honor Than Moses (3:1-6)

Introduction

As we continue in our journey through the book of Hebrews, we want to recap where we’ve been so as to provide context for this morning’s message.

We saw in chapter’s one and two that Jesus is the very essence of God the Father, and is eternally begotten as His Son. We’ve seen that he was made a little lower then the angels for a short time by taking on the nature of man, making him the God-Man, in order to become our great high priest, and offer up his own life as the perfect sacrifice for his people. In so doing, he endured the hardships of humanity, including temptation, and the greatest of all rejections, the rejection by his father as he bore our sins on the cross. Yet, we also saw that Jesus in completion of his task was again exalted above the angels, being crowned with glory and honor, and having everything placed in subjection to him.

However, let’s not forget that the writer of Hebrews is writing to Hebrew christians who were brought up revering Moses and the law of Moses. How does Jesus compare to the great prophet and leader Moses? This morning we will begin to answer that question showing that Jesus The Son Has Greater Honor than Moses, and along with the next two sermons we will ultimately show that Jesus the Christ is Superior to Moses.

Text: Hebrews 3:1-6

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.

Main Idea: Because Jesus is more worthy of glory than Moses, we must confidently hold fast to him in hope.

This section begins with therefore, which means we consider all that has been said to this point, as mentioned in our introduction.

This section is specifically written to christians by virtue of the title holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling.

I. Consider Jesus (1-3)

Consider (katanoeo) [aor, act, imp]- to give careful thought or consideration to something…put on your thinking caps!

A. Jesus the Apostle (1)

Apostle (apostolos) - someone sent on a mission to represent the interests of someone else…closely aligned with being an ambassador but with a specific task to be accomplished.

John 12:48–50 ESV

48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

B. Jesus the High Priest (1)

High Priest - the high priest had two important duties, he offered sacrifices on behalf of the people, and he was the mediator between the people and God.

Hebrews 5:1 ESV

1 For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.

of our confession (homologia)- an open avowal of one’s beliefs. This word is used to provide a dynamic difference between one’s personal, secret beliefs, and those that one declares because of the importance of these beliefs in ones life.

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

C. Jesus the Faithful (2-3)

faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house - a comparison is drawn between the faithfulness of both Jesus and Moses, and that comparison is tied to their appointments:

Jesus, apostle (1) and High Priest (1), builder of the house (3), and son (6)

Moses, in (preposition of location) all God’s house (2) as a servant (5) and prophet (5)

So, because Jesus appointment was greater, and that he was faithful to that appointment, he is worthy of greater glory.

Hebrews 1:3 ESV

3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

II. Consider Moses (3-5)

(3) For (explanatory conjunction) Jesus has been counted worthy (axioo - [per, pas, ind[ - to regard as being valuable for) more glory than Moses. Because the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.

We’ve already seen that Jesus and Moses had different appointments, and both were faithful to those appointments. So in this section we shall look at what exactly was Moses appointment? First we will look at:

A. Moses in the House (3-5)

In verse 2, we saw that Moses also was faithful in all God’s house (taken from Num 12:7). This describes the faithfulness of Moses in God’s house. So what is God’s house? Scripture tells us that God’s house is always tied to God’s covenant community. In the Old Testament, it was Israel. In the New Testament, it is the church, or true Israel (we will see this in v. 6).

So we see here that Moses is a part of the house, or the covenant community of God. But what was his purpose? We see first of all,...

B. Moses the Servant (5)

Servant (therapon) - a person working in the service of another; a henchman, or squire, whose value lies primarily in their unquestioning loyalty to their master.

Exodus 14:31 ESV

31 Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

C. Moses the Prophet (5)

to testify to the things that were to be spoken later - this is the work of a prophet; to both forth-tell, and foretell.

Deuteronomy 5:1 ESV

1 And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the rules that I speak in your hearing today, and you shall learn them and be careful to do them.

III. Consider Ourselves (6)

As a result of considering both Jesus and Moses, we are called to place in proper priority Jesus, the son of God.

We are part of God’s covenant community (house), and show that, If indeed (conditional conjunction) we hold fast (katecho - aor, act, sub [mood of probable or intentional action] - to have, to own, to possess, and therefore stick to firmly) to first of all...

A. Our Confidence (6)

confidence (parresian - noun, direct object) - the trait of being willing to undertake activities that involve risk or danger; especially that involve being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech.

B. Our Boasting (6)

boasting (kauchema - noun, direct object) - a motive or ground for being satisfied with your (or another’s) achievements. We risk all on Jesus, and boast on what he has done!

But I want you to see the our confidence and our boasting are owned by something, and that something is...

C. Our Hope (6)

Hope (elpis - noun, genitive - possessive) - expectation that what we believe will happen. This noun is possessive in that this expectation is so sure, that it owns our confidence and boasting.

Think about it, if you have no hope, you will have no confidence nor will you be able to boast about where you are heading or what you are doing.

This word is closely aligned with the word faith (pistis) as defined in Hebrews 11.

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

What hope? I believe it is how verse 6 begins, Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son, and all that this reality entails.

So What?

Do I have the hope in Jesus, the Son of God, and His work over His Church that sparks confidence to risk everything on him?

Am I a part of God’s house?