We’ll be in Hebrews 3:1-6 today:
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. 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. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 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.
The author of Hebrews is continuing to build his case for the superiority of Jesus over all things. Moses was the prime example that all other Jews looked up to. In seminary, my Old Testament professor hammered this point home so strongly that it has stuck with me ever since. The question we were asked was: according to the Old Testament, who was the best prophet? At first glance you’d start thinking through Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, after all, they wrote the big books! Maybe it was Elijah who beat the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel? Maybe his successor Elisha who raised people from the dead? Nope! According to Deuteronomy 34:10-12, “And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 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, and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.” So it would be pretty hard to top Moses, right? According to one tradition, Moses was lauded even higher than the angels! But Jesus’ prophetic role far exceeds even Moses!
Moses’ role was temporary and earthly, while Jesus’ role is permanent and heavenly. As I was sermon prepping this week I was reminded of Jesus’ statement “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36) Yes, Moses served the heavenly kingdom, but he wasn’t the creator of all things! Think of some of the masterpieces you may have seen, perhaps Michaelangelo’s David statue. That is a magnificent piece of marble! But it doesn’t have a soul, nor was it created in the image of God like humans are. Similarly, Jesus built the house, Moses simply served in it! Jesus is the one that Moses pointed to, therefore we look to him as the perfect prophet! Jesus won’t ever get angry with us like Moses did with God’s people. We also see that Jesus is over all of God’s house as a son, not as a servant, like Moses was. If you’ve ever watched Downton Abbey you’ve seen the servant quarters. They weren’t given free access to the house like the children are! Yet at the same time, we are that house that God is building. We are that house that Moses pointed to, the house that is being built up with Christ as the head where we will one day be perfected and called to a heavenly home.
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Pastor Mike's Musings 