BUILDERS ARE BETTER THAN BUILDINGS
Hebrews 3:1-6
On Memorial Day, we look back to our past, and remember those who have made our country great.
When Israel looks back to its past and remembers people who made their country great, nobody is more significant to their past than Moses.
According to Michael Shapiro, The Jewish 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Jews of All Time (1994). Jesus ranks second. Moses topped the list. Albert Einstein is the third-most influential Jew in history. Others include Sigmund Freud (4), Abraham (5), St. Paul (6), Karl Marx (7), the Virgin Mary (9) and baseball pitching great Sandy Koufax (98). But Moses is first!
Their religious system focuses on Moses and the revelation God gave Him.
Prophets and angels are important.
They’re God’s spokespersons, through whom He reveals Himself.
But the revelation through Moses is the basis of everything Jewish people cling to.
People who are entertaining thoughts of returning to Judaism must consider Moses.
Hebrews acknowledges that; then affirms:
Someone GREATER THAN MOSES has come!
JESUS’ REVELATION OF THE FATHER IS BETTER THAN MOSES’ REVELATION 3:1-6
This passage builds on previous observations concerning Jesus.
It begins with “therefore.”
“Whenever you see ‘therefore’ you need to find out what it’s “there for!”
The writer has already demonstrated how Christ identified with His people.
Jesus is a better revelation of the Father because He is God and man. 1:1-2:18
Jesus is able to help us in the midst of our struggle and temptation. 2:18
He knows what we’re going through—He’s been there.
When we’re tested and cry out for help, he comes running to help us.
[2:18 leads into 3:1, which introduces the . . . ]
LOGICAL CONCLUSION OF JESUS’ SUPERIORITY TO THE ANGELS 3:1
“Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.”
The letter is written to true brothers. 3:1a –he considers them true believers in Christ.
The letter is written to people who share in the heavenly calling.
He looks at these results of what God has done in our life as fact.
But when God’s people are under the gun, when we’re suffering for our faith,
we may not FEEL like holy brethren, nor like sharers in a heavenly calling.
They’re feeling pretty low about themselves, and about their lot in life right now!
Have you ever felt like that? What do WE do when WE feel that way? 3:1b
The solution: FOCUS ON JESUS!
When God’s people are about to be swept away by the current of the storm raging around us, the writer advises: “Fix your thoughts on Jesus”
Jesus suffered while He was being tested.
Jesus knows how to help people who are facing testing.
Therefore, when WE face the hard times of life, FOCUS ON JESUS!
He’s ready to come running to our aid when we cry out for help.
Therefore we should focus on Him—”think carefully, thoroughly, about Him”.
Jesus is the Father’s official emissary.
Jesus is “the Apostle”– “the One sent out”
Barclay—two characteristics of such an emissary:
1. The emissary carries all the authority of the king.
When Popileus Lenus met Antiochus Epiphanes, an acquaintance from Rome,
he quietly asked him to abandon his invasion of Egypt.
Antiochus responded that he would think about it.
Popileus, with no army to support him, drew a circle around Antiochus and told him to think about it as long as he desired, but give him an answer before stepping out of that circle!
Antiochus had the power to kill Popileus on the spot,
but he realizes that Popileus has all the authority of Rome behind him!
He decides to leave.
Jesus was sent by God, with all the authority of God behind Him.
2. The emissary speaks for the king.
Jesus came with the voice of God. He is God’s spokesman.
[Not only does Jesus represent God to us, . . . ]
Jesus is our representative before God.
Jesus is our “High Priest”– “the mediator.”
As Apostle, Jesus is God’s representative to us.
As High Priest, Jesus is our representative to God.
Therefore, we should focus our attention on Him!
Jesus is a better Mediator than the great one in the mind of the people of Israel.
Moses was sent out as God’s emissary.
Moses was mediator for God’s people—to represent them before God.
Moses was a great emissary.Moses was a great mediator.
He was highly esteemed by the Jewish people—but Jesus is better yet.
Fixing our attention on Jesus, doesn’t just mean to think about Him, in some abstract sense.
Most translations begin verse 2: “He was faithful.”
That’s an acceptable translation. It tells the truth about Him.
But it misses one important aspect of what the passage says.
Literally, it says, “Consider Jesus . . . being faithful.”
Focus on Jesus, when HE was faithful in the midst of trials.
When we’re in the pit and feel like throwing in the towel:
“Fix your attention on Jesus when HE was being tested.”
Look at what He went through.
Look at His faithfulness under fire . . . and imitate Him!
Consider how Jesus, like Moses, was faithful to the One who sent Him.
Then YOU hang in there and be faithful! –even when you’re under fire!
COMPARISON OF TWO FAITHFUL REPRESENTATIVES 3:2-6 3:2-4
2 “He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house. 3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4 For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.”
Though BOTH WERE FAITHFUL,—
Moses demonstrated faithfulness as part of the house,
Jesus demonstrated faithfulness as BUILDER of the house.
Lays foundation for basing the letter on Numbers (3:1-6 <= Num. 12:7)
Num 12:6-8 "Listen to my words: "When a prophet of the LORD is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. 7 But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. 8 With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?"
The context points to Moses’ greatness as a mediator.
He was the only one who spoke to God “face-to-face.”
Therefore, they had better not speak against him.
To a Jewish person it was impossible to conceive of anyone standing closer to God than Moses. But Jesus is better yet!
He has even more than a face-to-face encounter with God
He stands even closer to God, because He’s the Son! He’s God.
Therefore, they had better not speak against Him!
Both were faithful.
The writer doesn’t say Jesus is more faithful than Moses, though that case could be made, since Moses failed God on occasion. Jesus never did!
But that isn’t the point!
Hebrews affirms that Moses was faithful; but Christ is greater.
Moses was faithful, in spite of the high cost of commitment;
Moses was faithful, as God’s servant, to do exactly what God sent him to do.
Jesus, too, was faithful, in spite of the high personal cost of that commitment;
Jesus was faithful, as God’s Son, to do exactly what God sent HIM to do.
But Jesus is worthy of greater glory!
Note their similarities:
* Both were appointed by God;
* Both were faithful;
* Both are related to God’s house.
Our normal thought concerning God’s house, would be to think of God’s house as a church building, or, in Moses’ case, perhaps the Tabernacle.
However, in this passage it’s clear that WE are God’s house.
He is looking at the people of God as His house.
Moses was not the builder, he was part of the house.
He was a great leader among God’s people, but He’s still just one of the people.
Jesus is the One who made the building. He’s the Creator.
JESUS is the Builder; He’s the Head over the house!
* Jesus deserves greater glory.
[Interesting insertion in vss. 3-4: Inserts, without comment, an underlying assumption:]
Jesus is better than Moses because . . .
First, he tells us that the builder is Jesus. 3:3
“Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses,
just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.”
Then He tells us that the Builder is GOD. 3:4 [Which is it?!!]
“For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.”
Logical conclusion: Jesus is God!
Moses was a faithful servant
Jesus is a faithful Son. 3:5-6a
5 “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God's house, testifying to what would be said in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house.”
The term “servant” is not the normal term used, i.e., “slave.”
This unique word views Moses as:
—one who serves voluntarily/willingly
—one who holds an honorable position, worthy of respect.
Nevertheless, he IS a servant to the One Who built the house!
Moses was in the house; he was on the inside!
But Jesus is over the house.
Moses testified concerning the future;
Jesus is the fulfillment of those things. Jesus IS the future!
The law which Moses gave was temporary and anticipatory.
Jesus came to fulfill what the law pointed ahead to.
Thus, Christ is clearly greater!
[The author of Hebrews is about to issue a . . . ]
WARNING CONCERNING JESUS in 3:7-4:13
Based on Num. 12:7-8; concerning Moses, “How could you dare to speak against Him?!!”
[He points out that] Moses was God’s faithful servant in a time of rebellion.
[When] The people spoke against Him. God responds in judgment.
O.T. warns that it’s dangerous to oppose or to ignore God’s servant.
If that’s true about the servant, it’s even more serious to ignore His Son!
Jesus is greater than Moses;
we had better pay attention to what He says.
Transition to the warning passage: 6b
“And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.”
We are His house,
if we hang on and don’t throw in the towel.
It looks like he says: “If you don’t hang in there, you’ll lose it!”
Some understand this verse to say you can lose your salvation.
That’s not what he says!
Neither does he say we become His house by hanging on, even if we hang on
This is a demonstration that we are (pres.) His house.
Moses was faithful as a servant within God’s house.
Jesus was faithful as Son over God’s house.
Now it’s OUR turn! Will WE be faithful?
The proof that we are part of the house is hanging in there.
No one does that who isn’t really part of the house!
To hang on is evidence of our salvation;
not the basis of our salvation.
THE BEST TEST OF THE REALITY OF OUR FAITH IS ENDURANCE.
To discover if a person is part of God’s family, don’t look at a moment of emotional response, a quick decision, or a walk down the aisle. Simply mouthing the words isn’t enough!
True faith, trust in Christ, stands the test of time.
ENDURANCE is the best test of the REALITY of our faith.
CONSTANCY proves REALITY!
Take a look at a person’s life as a whole.
If they hang in there, if they don’t throw in the towel when faced with adversity,
there’s a reason for their constancy. They’re part of the family.
If they turn away, that may be evidence that they never really belonged. 1 John 2:19
Hebrews maintains the tension:
To give assurance to those who are members of God’s family.
To warn those “along for the ride” to be sure they have the real thing.
He assumes that the profession of these Christian Jews is real.
He calls them “holy.”
He calls them “brethren.”
He calls them “sharers in the heavenly calling.”
But he realizes that in O.T., as in N.T., many were “along for the ride.”
They’re “groupies;” part of the club, but not genuinely trusting Christ
That’s a genuine risk for people today also! –Just going along for the ride.
He gives warnings to cause those hanging to the fringes to examine themselves
to discover whether they’re personally trusting Him.
If we have the real thing, we’ll cling to Him when the going gets rough
—we’ll hang on, when the current rages around us.
IMPLICATIONS FOR US:
Which are we? Is our faith genuine?Will our faith endure the test of time?
Or do we just hang around, because of friends or family?
–because mom & dad, wife or girl friend want us to?
If we’re just hanging around the crowd, our so-called “faith” won’t stand the test!
Are you really trusting Christ this morning? Is your hope in Him?
If it is, it will stand the test of time! CONSTANCY proves REALITY!
Those who receive God’s blessing hang on to their confidence,
we’re sure we’ll receive what we’ve been promised! We delight in boasting about that hope.
The difference between people who are part of the house, and people outside the house, is that when the storm rages around God’s people, we can FOCUS ON JESUS!
We may still be struck by the flu, by failure, or by financial collapse! We’re human!
When we’re part of the house, the roof can still leak, the walls can still collapse,
the carpet can still wear out!
But we expect the builder to come to the rescue; when we cry out to Him.
No matter how severe the pressure we’re under, FOCUS ON JESUS!
Whatever the source of the problem, the solution is the same: FOCUS ON JESUS!
He’s been there. He knows what it’s like.
He was able to hang in there (under more extreme pressure than we’ll EVER face!)
If we FOCUS ON JESUS, He’ll give US the ability to hang in there!
Hebrews is comes back to that conclusion in the final exhortation: 12:1-3
Think back to the last “gray slush” day you experienced?
What did it feel like at the time?
What did God teach you through it?
How did Jesus come to your side when you cried for help?
What does that tell you about today’s problem, or the next one you may face?
If Christ is adequate to deal with our sin, He is adequate to deal with the storm.
If we can trust Him with our soul, we can trust Him with our life.
The key is to take our eyes off the storm, “turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace!”
Are you facing a storm this week?
Most of us do from time to time.
(You may not even see it coming yet!)
Maybe it’s not a storm like these Hebrew Christians faced.
Maybe you’re not being persecuted for your walk with God.
Maybe you haven’t lost your job because of your stand for Him.
Maybe you’re not faced with an empty cupboard.
Maybe you aren’t risking arrest and death if you don’t deny Him.
But you may be saying, “Man I wish my problem was that clear cut!
At least then I could blame God for the mess I’m in!”
I made this mess myself! There’s no easy way out of this mess!
I have good news! It doesn’t matter who made the mess.
God says trust me with it! Give it to me! I can handle it!
Hang in there! Don’t throw in the towel!
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim.
In the light of His glory and grace!”
When we focus on Him, the One God sent as His emissary,
the One who represents us before the Father’s throne,
every thing else seems pretty insignificant.