Hebrews 3:1-6

Hebrews 3:1-6

The author of Hebrews begins by showing that Jesus Christ was greater than angels. Now he takes his argument to the next level: Jesus is greater than Moses. For the Jews, Moses is one of the ultra-great people in all of history. Jews as a family trace their family tree to Abraham, but as a nation, they date back to Moses. For Jewish Christians, who were being pressured to leave the Christian faith, part of that pressure would have been the return to Moses and the law. The author of Hebrews does not denigrate Moses but gives him his due, a practice we should follow. However, the author places Moses in his proper context as he relates to Jesus.

Moses is a type, a foreshadowing of Jesus. He was a picture that would make the Messiah more understandable when he arrived. The similarities between Moses and the Messiah are fascinating but too numerous to study at this moment. The contrasts are also interesting, and the author touches on a couple to demonstrate the grandeur of Christ.

The author begins in the first verse. Jesus is described as a high priest. Aaron, Moses’ brother, was a high priest, but that was an honor and office to which Moses was never admitted. A second is that Moses is described as a faithful servant in the house. There is no doubt he was a long-suffering, faithful, even if imperfect, servant. But that role is in contrast to Jesus, who is described as both the builder of the house and the Son. Jesus’ glory is greater than Moses’ in the same way the builder and owner and eternal Son is greater than the house servant.

We must not miss a critical point from verse six. The church, the collection of the saved Jews and Gentiles, is the house over which Jesus is faithful. We are that house if we remain faithful. In the original context of this letter, this is a warning for Jewish Christians not to leave the faith and to return to Judaism. For us there is a call to remain faithful to our calling as disciples. Few of us are apt to become Jews if we leave the faith. We are more likely to return to unbelief and the world. Instead, we must remain firm to “the end.” The end is not specified; that may be so we can apply it in several ways.

“Thank You Lord, for Moses and all Your servants to point to Jesus. AMEN”