The Book of Hebrews

Greatest of All Time

Hebrews 3:1-6

1. Ronald Reagan

2. Abraham Lincoln

3. Martin Luther King, Jr.

4. George Washington

5. Benjamin Franklin

Highest ranking female, 9. Oprah Winfrey

Highest ranking living, 6. George W. Bush

High ranking musician, 8. Elvis Presley

Highest ranking minister, 11. Billy Graham

Highest ranking athletes, 20. Lance Armstrong, 21. Muhammed Ali

Highest ranking Israelite: Moses

Deuteronomy 34:10-11 – “And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, 12 and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.”

Two Sections

1. The Similarities Between Jesus and Moses

Deut. 18:15, 18

2. The Superiority of Jesus Over Moses

I. THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN JESUS AND MOSES

Hebrews 3:1-2 – “Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house.”

“Consider,” Gk. κατανοέω (katanoeō)

prep. κατα, “down, according to,” + v. νοέω, “to perceive or think”

“To observe in your mind carefully”

What is an Apostle?

1. Personally chosen by Jesus Christ (Acts 1:26; Acts 8)

2. Taught by Jesus Christ (Acts 1:22; Gal. 1:11-12)

3. Authenticated through signs (Heb. 2:3-4)

“apostle,” Gk. ἀπόστολος (apostolos), “one sent as an authoritative agent”

a. Both have authority to represent God to the people

i. Moses as an apostle

Exodus 3:10 – “Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

Exodus 3:13-14 – “Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

ii. Jesus Christ as an apostle

John 1:18 – “No one has ever seen God; the only-begotten God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”

John 5:37-38 – “And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.”

b. Both have authority to represent the people to God

i. Moses as high priest

F. F. Bruce – “It was his brother, Aaron, and not he who was high priest of Israel so far as title and investiture were concerned; but it was Moses and not Aaron, who was Israel’s true advocate with God.”

Ex. 32; Num. 14:13-20; Num. 16; Ex. 17:8-13

ii. Jesus Christ as high priest

Heb. 2:10-18; chs. 4-9

II. THE SUPERIORITY OF JESUS OVER MOSES

Hebrews 3:3-6 – “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.”

a. Moses is a part of the house of God; Jesus is the builder

Hebrews 3:3 – “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.”

b. Moses was a servant of God; Jesus is a Son

Hebrews 3:5-6a – “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.”

Num. 12:6-8 – “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. 7 Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. 8 With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the LORD.”

“Servant,” Gk. θεράπων, “highest level of trusted servant”

TAKEAWAYS

1. Don’t focus on the servants of God, focus on the Son of God.