Jesus Is Greater Than Moses

Hebrews 3:1-6

Main Idea: Consider Jesus, the high priest who has performed a superior sacrifice on your behalf, and hold on to your hope in Jesus, the One who is greater than Moses as the Son and architect of God’s house.

1. An Apostle and High Priest Better Than Moses (3:1-4)
   1. A holy brotherhood
   2. Consider Jesus as the Scriptures portray him.
   3. Consider Moses . . . in light of Christ.
2. The Hope of God’s House (3:5-6)
   1. The servant of the house
   2. The heir of the house
   3. The perseverance of our faith

Hebrews 3 begins a new section in the overall argument of Hebrews. Chapters 1 and 2 introduced some of the epistle’s major themes and argued for the superiority of Christ over the angels. In this chapter the argument shifts to the superiority of Christ over Moses. This transition takes readers one step closer to the center of the theology of Hebrews: Jesus Christ is the climax of redemptive history and the fulfillment of all of God’s Old Testament promises, prophecies, and patterns.

An Apostle and High Priest Better Than Moses

Hebrews 3:1-4

Similar to what we saw with “for this reason” at the beginning of Hebrews 2, “therefore” in 3:1 connects the preceding argument with the author’s moral exhortation to the church. The logic is simple: in light of the great salvation provided, consider Jesus! Thus, because Jesus is the merciful and faithful high priest who has tasted death for everyone and is the source of our salvation, Jesus merits our full consideration.

A Holy Brotherhood and Heavenly Calling

Before coming to the exhortation, the author identifies his readers as “holy brothers and sisters” and those “who share in a heavenly calling.” It is easy to skip over little descriptors like these, but we must remember that the biblical authors often embed an entire theology in the words they use to describe the church. The use of “brothers and sisters” recapitulates the preceding argument that Christ is not ashamed to call us “brothers and sisters.” By virtue of becoming Christ’s siblings, we become brothers and sisters to one another in the church—the family of God. Our common brotherhood in Christ produces our new familial relationship and ultimate unity.

The word holy is important as well. Other biblical authors designate the people of God as a “holy” people (1 Cor 3:17; Eph 2:21; 1 Pet 2:5,9). This word emphasizes that the blood of Christ has sanctified and cleansed the church. The context of Hebrews gives the word an even richer significance. Holiness was an important feature of the Levitical system. Worshiping God rightly under the old covenant required holiness in every aspect of life among the old covenant people. This is why Leviticus contains such detailed instructions about sacrifices and purifications. Holiness could only come through sacrifice, which is to say, holiness was not a human achievement. Thus, when the author designates these people as a holy brotherhood, he makes a Christological claim. He is not congratulating them for achieving the status of holiness; he is rendering them holy on the basis of the priestly sacrifice Christ offered on their behalf.

The “heavenly calling” shared by believers refers to God’s purposes in our salvation and our glorification. Again, the description accents the fact that God has acted to rescue the church. He makes us what we are. We do not transform ourselves into something and then become God’s people; God transforms us into his people. These designations also remind us that believers compose the church. “Holy” unbelievers do not exist. It is impossible to share in God’s heavenly calling while remaining unrepentant. To be a part of Christ’s church requires repentance and faith. It means that the blood of Christ has cleansed you and that you are now destined for a heavenly glory according to God’s infallible purpose.

Consider Jesus as the Scriptures Portray Him

As already mentioned, the author exhorts the church to “consider Jesus.” The word consider communicates the idea of meditation. Jesus is the heart of Christianity, which means his person and work are the best objects for Christian meditation. We should remember that all people have a worldview. That means we interpret all the data we encounter through a particular grid, through our preconceptions about the world. The author of Hebrews reminds us that the ultimate axiom for the intellectual thought life of the believer is Jesus Christ. He is not simply the author and finisher of our faith; he is the author and finisher of our thoughts as well. Considering Jesus should animate the intellectual patterns of all believers and recalibrate their biblical worldview.

However, we must never “consider Jesus” outside of the biblical and theological context in which he is presented. If we think on Christ, we must think on him rightly. That is why the author of Hebrews clarifies that we must think on Christ according to how Scripture reveals his character. The author specifically highlights two aspects of Christ’s ministry: he is our “apostle,” and he is our “high priest.” We rarely use the term apostle to refer to Christ. This is because we never think about the meaning of the term. Apostle simply means “sent one.” Thus, the twelve apostles are those specifically commissioned by Jesus Christ and “sent” out on his behalf. In the same way, Christ is the apostle of the Father, the One sent from heaven with a specific message and mission to accomplish. Jesus is also the “high priest,” a designation the author will continue to unfold throughout the rest of Hebrews.

Consider Moses . . . in Light of Christ

The author of Hebrews primarily wants us to consider the faithfulness of Christ. He demonstrates the faithfulness of Christ by comparing him with Moses. Jesus “was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was in all God’s household” (emphasis added). The introduction of Moses into the argument at this point may initially seem strange, but when we remember the overall argument of Hebrews, then we can see that this is absolutely necessary.

Hebrews is written to believing Hellenistic Jews. Thus, the primary theological background for Hebrews is the Old Testament. The Jews steeped themselves in the Old Testament Scriptures and exercised the utmost reverence for their major historical figures like Moses. In order to assure his audience that Christ superseded Judaism, the author of Hebrews constructs several arguments to show Christ’s superiority to the old covenant. Hebrews 1 and 2 already demonstrated Christ’s supremacy to the angels. Now the author contrasts him with Moses.

It is impossible to think about the old covenant and Judaism without considering Moses. God used Moses to liberate his people in the exodus, which the Old Testament treats as the paradigmatic example of how God acts on behalf of his people. Moreover, God used Moses to deliver the law to Israel. The old covenant is essentially the legacy of Moses’s ministry to the people of Israel.

Even without Hebrews, a careful reading of the Pentateuch and the Gospels would be enough to demonstrate that Christ is greater than Moses. Moses was a man; Christ is the God-man. Moses was a sinner judged for his sin; sinless Christ is judged for the sins of his people. Moses turned the water of the Nile into blood; Christ changes water into wine. Moses led the children of Israel out of bondage to Egypt but failed to lead them into the land of promise; Christ, the second Moses, leads his people out of bondage to sin and takes them all the way into the eschatological land of promise.

Yet, as true as these observations are, we must not allow them to detract from the specific argument made by the author of Hebrews in the following verses. The argument does not contrast the faults and failures of Moses with the successes and achievements of the Lord. Instead, it highlights the faithfulness of Moses (3:2) and his achievement of faithfully discharging his office as a servant in the house of God. If Moses is worthy of glory as a servant, how much more worthy is Christ—the One who built the house?

At a glance, the logic of verse 4 can be difficult to understand. Fundamentally, however, the author makes a simple point. The “house,” later identified as the people of God, had to be built by someone. Every house needs an architect. Christ functioned as the architect of God’s house—that is, God’s people. Thus, Christ is greater than Moses simply because he created Moses.

The Hope of God’s House

Hebrews 3:5-6

The author continues to demonstrate Christ’s superiority over Moses in verses 5 and 6. Whereas Moses was faithful over God’s house as a servant, Jesus Christ is faithful over God’s house as a Son. Sonship is greater than servanthood.

The Servant of the House

The typical word translated “servant” in the New Testament comes from the Greek word doulos. While “servant” is certainly an acceptable translation, it may not capture everything that the word doulos conveys. Some scholars, for example, translate the word as “slave.” Many modern translations avoid this rendering due to the negative connotations it produces for American readers. The language of slavery often conjures up images of the brutal, ethnically based slavery of the antebellum American South. Nevertheless, “slave” does capture the lowly stature of a doulos.

However, the word translated “servant” in this passage does not come from doulos. It comes from the Greek word therapo¯n. A therapo¯n held a position of nobility under the authority of the one who appointed him. Thus, verse 5 highlights Moses’s place of rank and honor. In fact, Hebrews 3:5 echoes God’s own words concerning Moses in Numbers 12:7. He was a faithful servant and an able man in God’s household.

But what did it mean for Moses to be a faithful servant? The author clarifies that by faithfully discharging his ministry, Moses testified “to what would be said in the future.” In other words, Moses’s life and ministry displayed the superiority of Christ. They meant to point away from Moses and toward the Messiah. Moses’s ministry existed to testify about things to come. Passages such as Deuteronomy 18:15 demonstrate this. As the author of Hebrews will later show, the priesthood, sacrifices, and entire old covenant system serve the same purpose.

Paul makes a similar claim in Romans 3:21. The Law and the Prophets bore witness to the righteousness of God available to sinners in and through Jesus Christ. The entire Old Testament is one large arrow pointing to the coming Messiah. Whether through typological patterns, promises, or prophecies, Moses faithfully discharged his service in the household of God by pointing to one greater than himself, Jesus Christ. Christ fulfilled all that Moses said in ways beyond Moses’s own understanding. Christ then is superior to Moses, just as Moses himself would affirm.

The Heir of the House

Hebrews 3:6 draws an explicit contrast between Jesus and Moses. Moses was a servant. He was a faithful servant, but still just a servant. Jesus, however, is the Son. Jesus is not just a servant in the household; he is the One who inherits the house and functions as its Lord. As the writer of Hebrews explains, the household is nothing less than the people of God, those who “hold on to” their confidence and “boast” in their hope. This means that the household over which Jesus is faithful is the household he built by shedding his blood for sinners.

Other passages in the New Testament also use house language (the Greek word oikos means “house” or “household”) to describe the church and to show that Christ serves as its foundation (Acts 4:11; Eph 2:19-20; 1 Pet 2:5). To say, then, that Moses was a faithful servant in God’s household is to say that he was a servant among God’s people. Christ, however, is the Savior of God’s people. When the author says, “we are that household,” he also subtly affirms the deity of Christ. Verse 5 calls it “God’s household.” “His” in verse 6, however, refers to Christ. Thus, the writer of Hebrews affirms the divine sonship of Christ. He is both the eternal Creator (3:4) and Redeemer (3:5-6) of God’s people.

The Perseverance of Our Faith

The final phrase of 3:6 troubles Christians because it seems to suggest that our salvation is conditional. Obviously the people of God are those who “hold on to” their confidence and “boast” in their hope, but why would the author include the conditional “if”? Is the author casting doubt on the certainty of eternal salvation available in Christ?

Hebrews, perhaps more than any other New Testament book, affirms the sufficiency of Christ and his work for our salvation. Nevertheless, warnings against failing to persevere in the faith appear throughout the book. This verse introduces that major theme in Hebrews. The author of Hebrews and the rest of Scripture teach that only those who persevere in faith will be saved, and that all who have genuine faith will persevere. Believers constitute the household of God, which is to say that the church is made up of persevering believers who have authentic faith.

Our works neither save us nor keep us saved. Only Christ can save us. We must hold on to our “confidence” and retain our “boast” in the gospel and in the Lord. We do not boast in ourselves and our own spiritual achievements. We boast in the cross and in the hope of resurrection. The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints does not mean we enter God’s kingdom by faith and stay in God’s kingdom by works. Instead, it means we enter God’s kingdom by a faith that will persevere and never fail. By faith, we confidently trust that Christ’s righteousness belongs to us. He is our only boast. He is our unfailing hope.

Reflect and Discuss

1. How does the description of “holy brothers and sisters” inform how we should live both in the context of the church and in the world? Do you think about your church in familial terms? What are some ways you can become a better “brother” or “sister” within your church?
2. What does it mean for Jesus to be the high priest of our confession? What are some ways this applies to our lives?
3. What does holiness look like in the life of the New Testament believer?
4. The author of Hebrews urges us to consider Jesus. The world urges us to consider anything else. What are some of the most prominent things the world urges you to consider instead of Christ? What are some helpful ways you can learn to consider Jesus more frequently and rightly in your current context?
5. What evidence does the text give that suggests Christ is superior to Moses? What other places in the New Testament point to Christ’s superiority over Moses?
6. The author of Hebrews highlights faithfulness in the lives of Jesus and Moses. What should Christian faithfulness look like in our current cultural context?
7. How does considering Jesus and meditating on his work aid and fuel faithfulness?
8. What does it mean for Christ to be the builder of the house? How does Christ’s role in God’s household differ from Moses’s role in God’s household? What is our role therein?
9. In light of the way Moses is described as a faithful servant, in what specific ways are we to serve Christ?
10. What does holding on to our confidence and boasting in our hope look like from day to day? How does the author use the conditional “if” to encourage us and solidify our hope in Christ and in his work for our salvation?