Heb. 3:1-6, Jesus Superior to Moses

Now might be a good time to review the outline of Hebrews inside the front cover of this booklet.  We have laid the “foundational truths” of Jesus’ superiority to the angels (as Son of God, Deity) and His being made lower than the angels (as Son of Man, Humanity).  The Holy Spirit now begins to make the primary argument to the recipients of the letter.

In Heb. 3:1 consider these two questions:

·       What are Christians?  They are “brothers in holiness.”  This distinguishes the recipients from Jesus’ connection with all Israel and all humanity.  They are His brothers in holiness.  They are “partakers of the heavenly calling.”  As Jesus “partook” of flesh and blood (2:14; He became fully Man), so we are just as fully partakers of the calling from heaven, to be “holy and without blame” (Eph. 1:4).  This is what we have become.

·       Who is Christ Jesus?  He is the “Apostle of our confession.”  This might seem a strange title unless you remember that an Apostle is a “delegate, a messenger, one sent with orders.”  God has spoken “by His Son” (1:2).  Jesus preached the gospel by which these believers became partakers of the heavenly calling.  He is also the “High Priest of our confession.”  Not only did Jesus preach the message; He performed the ministry through which these believers became partakers of the heavenly calling.  His Priesthood is the subject of Heb. 3-10.

Since Jesus is superior to the angels, He must be superior to Moses.  And He is (3:2-5).  Moses was revered by the Jews, so this was an issue with which Jewish believers must reckon.  Truly, Moses was no slouch according to the Bible.  He was a great intercessor (Ex. 32:11-14), the “friend of God” (Ex. 33:7-11), humble (Num. 12:3), and above all, faithful in his house (Num. 12:5-9).  This last thought is God’s evaluation of Moses, that he was faithful in all his house, referring to the house of Israel.  But Moses was faithful as a servant in that house.  Jesus, as the Creator, built the house!  Both Jesus and Moses were appointed by God, and each was faithful to God’s call.  But One had a superior position to the other.

The New Testament regularly distinguishes between Moses and Jesus.  For example, “The law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).  Moses actually supported Jesus.  Jesus said, “If you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me" (John 5:45-47). The recipients of Hebrews were of Jewish background, and had thus grown up with a high view of and respect for Moses.  But now, as believers in Christ, they needed to make this important distinction.  They needed to see Christ for who He was and is!  That is the message of Heb. 3:1-6.