Hebrews: Jesus is Better: Consider Jesus!

A Study of the Book of Hebrews

Jesus is Better

Sermon # 5

“Consider Jesus!”

Hebrews 3:1-6

Our world is not so very different from the world to which the letter to the Hebrews was written. It appears that even among people who consider themselves Christians that we are geared to look everywhere except in Christ for the answers to life’s harshest realities. Christians run from one spiritual fix to another hoping against hope of getting ahead in their spiritual life. Yet, most Christians would have to characterize their lives as more down than up. The bookstores are overflowing with every imaginable self-help book. But the Church seems no better off for the multiplicity of such materials. It would seem that we have neglected the most basic instruction given to the equally troubled believers to whom the letter is written. What was this fundamental principle, “Consider Jesus.”

“When life gets rough and problems seem to have no solution and everything goes bad and disappointment and depression become ‘normal’ and temptation seems impossible to resist – put your gaze upon Jesus and keep it there intently until He begins to unfold before your very eyes in all of his glorious power.” [John McArthur. McArthur New Testament Commentary – Hebrews. (Chicago: Moody, 1983). p. 77]

“Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, (2) who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. (3) For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. (4) For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. (5) And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, (6) but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.”

First, We Are Invited To Consider Jesus

The whole book of Hebrews is written to cause us to “consider Jesus.” There is more to consider about Jesus than you could ever exhaust in a lifetime. Yet in verse one of chapter three the writer of Hebrews once again asks that we “consider …Christ Jesus.” In fact it in the original language it is an imperative, which makes it a command!

The word “consider” means that we are “to fix the mind upon Jesus Christ.” Jesus used this same word when he said in Matt 5:26,28 “consider the ravens… and consider the liles” It means if one were really to “consider’ it will result in a radical change in thinking and overall outlook.

It may be that you are struggling with whether or not you are saved, you are invited to “consider Jesus.” You may be struggling spiritually to put one foot in front of the other, without somehow failing miserably, “then consider Jesus.” You may be wondering if God could forgive you for your sin, and unfaithfulness, “then consider Jesus.” You may have thinking that the sin in your life is too big, too horrible for God to forgive, “then consider Jesus.”

John Brown of Edinburgh wrote, “It is because we think so little about Him, that we love Him so little, trust Him so little, so often neglect our duty, are so much influenced by ‘things seen and temporal’ and so little by ‘things unseen and eternal.’” [John Brown. Hebrews. p. 157]

We are invited not just to consider Jesus but …

Secondly, We Are Invited To Consider His Superiority to Moses

We quite naturally move from a general call to consider Jesus to ask ourselves, “What is it that the writer of Hebrews and the God who inspired him wants us to consider about Jesus today?” And the answer is the superiority of Jesus over Moses! When the writer turns to compare and contrast Jesus and Moses, it really means something because Moses was a one of a kind in his day. He had a more intimate relationship with God than any other prophet. The Jews held Moses in such an exalted state that one of their greatest Rabbi’s (Maimonides from the 12^th century) held Moses was so great that he “comprehended more of God than any man in the past or future ever comprehended or will comprehend.” [As quoted by William L. Krewson. “Jesus Is Better Than Moses” Israel My Glory (Dec 1993/Jan 1994) p. 14)]

Kent Hughes points our six identifiable characteristics by which the Jews acknow-ledged him as the greatest of all men. He was divinely chosen for the task of delivering God people. He was the incomparable deliverer of Israel by means of unparalleled displays of power. He served as the greatest prophet, with whom God communicated directly. He was the law-giver delivering the Ten Commandments to God’s people. He served as Israel’s greatest historian recording the first five books of the Old Testament. And in spite of all his accomplishments he was more humble than anyone else on he face of the earth (Num 12:3). [Kent Hughes. Hebrews: An Anchor For the Soul. Vol 1 (Wheaton, Ill:, Crossway Books, 1993) pp. 89-90]

To the Jewish mind it was impossible to conceive of anyone standing closer to God than Moses. Yet someone did, and that is the point that writer wants to get across to us!

There are two ways in which Jesus was superior to Moses that I want to briefly give you.

First, Moses is a part of the house but Jesus is the builder of the House. (vv. 2-3)

“For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. (4) For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God.”

Moses was a part of the household of God, the Jewish people. I want you to imagine a scene. The contestants are gathered for the presentation of the medals at the Olympics. The gold medal is presented to the fastest runner. Who says, “I am the greatest because I can run the fastest.” But gold medal winner for the broad-jump says, “No, I am the greatest because I can jump the farthest.” Eventually they get to the end of the line and there stands Jesus who calmly says, “No, I made each one of you, so I’m the greatest.” Jesus is greater than Moses because Jesus made Moses.

Secondly, Jesus is the Son, Moses is the Servant. (vv. 5-6a) “And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward,(6) but Christ as a Son over His own house…”

Moses was faithful in delivering the message and for that he was highly esteemed. However, Moses is still only a servant in the house of God. He was a special servant – one of the greatest servant’s who ever lived – but he was still a servant in the house of God. But not Jesus! Jesus Christ is the Son of God and as the Son of God is over God’s house.

William Barclay says “Now Moses was only part of God’s universe. He was a created man and he worked in a created universe. He was a part of the house, involved in the house. But Jesus is the creator of the house, and the creator of the housebound to stand above the house itself. Moses did not create the law; he only mediated it. Moses did not create the hose; he only served in it. Moses did not speak of himself; all he ever said was only a pointer to the greater things that Jesus Christ would some day say. Moses, in short, was the servant; but Jesus was the Son. Moses knew a little about God; Jesus was God. Therein lies the greatness of Jesus and the secret of his unique superiority.” [William Barclay. The Letter to the Hebrews. P. 25)]

We are to Consider His Superiority to Moses and…

Third, We Are Invited To Consider the Faithfulness of Christ (v. 2)

“who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house.”

Both Moses and Christ were faithful to God’s plan for their lives. When we consider the faithfulness of Christ we should want to exhibit faithfulness in our lives as well.

How are we then to cultivate lives of faithfulness?

First, Faithfulness flows from a healthy intimacy with the Savior. When we are told to consider Jesus it means to “fix our thoughts upon him.” The Apostle Paul says in Col 3:2, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Fixing our thoughts upon Jesus requires time, time studying the word of God and time in prayer. Without these their can be no real intimacy with Jesus.

Secondly, Faithfulness flows from a life of obedience. Practically speaking we must expose our lives to God’s word and adjust our thought and lifestyles accordingly. This means as I read the word of God and when I hear the word of God preached I should be asking, “What do I need to confess and from what do I need to repent?” And “How should my life be lived from this week based on what I have learned?”

Third, Faithfulness flows from encouraging association with other believer’s. In 3:13 the writer of Hebrews says, “… exhort one another daily,” And then in 10:24-25 he even further elaborates when he says, ”And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, (25) not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Individual faithfulness flows out of our corporate encouragement one to another in the things of God. It was never intended that you should have to live the Christian life alone, we are to encourage one another in the things of the Lord!

Not Only Are We Invited To Consider the Faithfulness of Christ but…

Fourth, We Are Invited To Consider the World’s Biggest “IF” (v. 6)

The world’s biggest “if” is found in verse six where it says, “… if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.” We as Baptist sometimes glibly claim to be Christians under the guise of “once saved always saved.” Yet of the over 700 listed on the membership rolls of First Baptist Church of Vilonia, the IRS could not find the whereabouts of some of them. The writer of Hebrews says in verse six that continuance proves reality of faith. Our hope is not in some decision of the past which has no effect on our lives today. The proof of our salvation is the commitment to Christ that we made in the past is still effecting the way I live my life today! Where there is no evidence of perseverance of faith there is no evidence of faith at all.

Conclusion

It is easy to lose perspective in life. To get so involved in doing good things we neglect the best thing. We let second-rate goals consume most of our energy. We can put our own ease ahead of during something for Christ. We can let the business of living become our goal. We must “put first things first” and make the business of following Jesus and doing His will our first priority.

When the storm is raging high,

When the tempest rends the sky,

When my eyes with tears are dim,