July 7, 2022
Jesus: Better Than the "Best"
Hebrews 3
Danny Lamar
Central Truth
Christ has surpassed all men—remember to repent, not reject!
Key Verse | Hebrews 3:1
Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession.
Hebrews 3
Jesus Greater Than Moses
1 Therefore, holy brothers, 1 3:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 12 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 2 3:2 Greek his; also verses 5, 6 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. 3 3:6 Some manuscripts insert firm to the end
A Rest for the People of God
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
8
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
on the day of testing in the wilderness,
9
where your fathers put me to the test
and saw my works for forty years.
10
Therefore I was provoked with that generation,
and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart;
they have not known my ways.’
11
As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter my rest.’”
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 15 As it is said,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
16 For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 17 And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
Listen to the Podcast
Listen NowDive Deeper | Hebrews 3
The author of Hebrews emphasizes that Jesus is the ultimate high priest and apostle. This holds weight with the Jews, who were not fully convinced that Jesus is the Messiah. After all, how could He be greater than Moses, who received the Law from God? We soon discover that Christ is greater than Moses because, though Moses was a faithful servant, he was the servant of Jesus—who had not yet come.
Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament covenant by acting as our sinless high priest. In the Old Testament, the high priest was established to be the mediator between God and His chosen people. The mediator would intercede sin with offerings (Leviticus 4) and be holy in his own conduct (Leviticus 21:6-8). We know that Jesus was without sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). Because He had no sin, He was also able to be the ultimate Passover lamb (John 1:29). With Jesus as our perfect sacrifice and High Priest, Christians can go before God with confidence, despite our sin (Ephesians 2:18-19).
Jesus is also the ultimate apostle. Apostle is derived from the Greek term apostolos, meaning one who is “sent out” or a messenger. People today usually think of an apostle as those commissioned to spread the gospel after Christ ascended to heaven (Matthew 28:19-20). In the context of Hebrews 3, we must remind ourselves that Jesus descended to earth to reveal to us the true character of God and redeem us through His blood (John 1:1-5). He was sent from God to bring us the good news!
The author of Hebrews reminds us that man is prone to wander and uses Israel as an example. Despite Moses' faithfulness, Israel repeatedly rejects the provision of God and desires their comfort or power (Exodus 32, Numbers 14, Numbers 21 to name a few!). We are warned to run to God through Jesus (John 14:6) to break this cycle of straying because it has eternal consequences (Matthew 10:33).
Simply put: our eternity is sealed when we accept that Jesus is greater than anyone who came before Him, no matter how great a man, and put our trust in Him.
Discussion Questions
1. Why is it essential for Israel to know the supremacy of Christ versus Moses? (Hebrews 3:3)
2. What attributes or skills most define your identity? How does your identity in Christ allow you to boast on earth? (Hebrews 3:6)
3. How can you identify with Israel as they have "heard and rebelled" against the will of God? How can you recognize the hardening of your heart toward God? (Hebrews 3:15-16)