January 29, 2012
Hebrews 3:1-6
Dear Friends in Christ,
“One more powerful than I will come.” With characteristic humility, John the Baptist pointed to the superiority of Jesus Christ. Moses had done the same thing. He told Israel that “…God will raise up a prophet like me.” The ministry of neither these two humble faithful servants brought a single sinner into God’s family. It was only the ministry of the One they preceded that accomplished that miracle.
Jesus and we are members of the same family because of Jesus’ work. The writer to the Hebrews describes this work. Jesus became one of us “that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.” This labor of love makes Jesus greater than even Moses.
In our text the unknown writer draws the comparison between Jesus and Moses to show Jesus’ Superiority to the One Who Came Before Him. Moses faithfully carried out his work as a servant. Jesus faithfully carried out his work as the Son.
Moses was a great hero of faith because he was the Lord’s servant. He was a servant because the LORD had appointed him to service in his house. The LORD’S house was the OLD Testament church. The tiny baby that Pharaoh’s daughter found in the reed basket grew up and overcame later personal arrogance to render willing and honorable service as a leader and prophet for four decades.
Moses’ desire was to help God’s people. Our English word “therapist” has the same meaning. In his service Moses used only the Word of God. This was the key to his faithfulness. Moses’ primary teaching was the law in all its aspects; ceremonial, civil, and moral. His work included “testifying to what would be said in the future.” Literally, Moses would testify to what the LORD would reveal in the future. God would reveal the perfect Apostle and Prophet who came in the person of Jesus, the Christ.
Moses testified about that Prophet like him who was coming and to whom the Hebrews and all people must listen. It is evident that Moses’ work was only preparatory not unlike John the Baptist’s. Both men readied people’s hearts for the gospel by using the law to show them their sins and so that every mouth would be silenced and all would be held accountable to God, as Paul wrote to the Romans. Just one example of this preparatory work are all the animal blood sacrifices that were used to point people to the perfect sacrifice the holy Lamb of God, Jesus, would one day offer up on the cross.
In a sense servants of a household are part of the furnishings; they belong to the house but are not a part of the family. This does not mean, of course, servants do not play a necessary and important role. It does not mean they are not loved. Moses role was necessary and important. God loved him. But Moses was part of the furnishings of God’s house as the LORD’s servant. He was not the Son of God. Herein lies Jesus’ superiority to the one who came before him.
The writer to the Hebrews was encouraging his readers not to return to the old ways of the law since they were preparatory. They were not to fix their eyes on Moses although he had faithfully carried out his work as a servant. They were to fix their eyes on Jesus. He is “the apostle and high priest whom we confess” of the new covenant of the gospel the LORD had established with Abraham.
Jesus faithfully carried out the Lord’s service not as a servant but as the Son. Jesus is the perfect apostle the Father sent out into the world to share his message of salvation. He is the perfect priest representing all sinners before God and being the one time all sufficient sacrifice that paid for our sins.
You and I and all believers share in a heavenly calling to be holy in God’s sight through Christ. Because of that calling we are not mere servants. We are not merely partners. In Jesus’ work of making us holy in God’s sight we are the recipients of brotherhood and sisterhood in God’s family.
Jesus’ work is greater than Moses work because it is not preparatory but is the fulfillment of God’s promise in the gospel. Yes, the law continues to shut our mouths and hold us accountable to God. We confess that we deserve God’s wrath and punishment for our trespasses. But we keep our eyes of faith fixed on Jesus. With our eyes on Jesus we avoid the trap of making Moses greater than Jesus.
We are able to keep the law and the gospel straight and in their proper roles. Salvation is not by works of the law but by faith in Christ alone.
Then we do not confuse the servant and the Son. To believe that I am saved by my works is to make Moses greater than Christ. It is to say that a house servant is more important than a member of the family. To proclaim salvation by Christ is to keep Jesus in the forefront of the plan of salvation.
The writer uses the picture of a house for the church. “For every house is built by someone but God is the builder of everything.” Jesus is the Son, the builder, the owner of the house and takes care of it. We are his brothers and sisters through the gospel in Word and sacrament. He is greater than we who are the building. As a side note, this passage reminds us also that the Creator is greater than the creation. Worshiping anything God has created is to rob glory and honor from God who made all things.
Our boasting then is only in Christ in whom we have hope. Our boast is not in the law or in ourselves. We know Moses was great and the law is great. Jesus is greater and the gospel is greater as it restores and saves us. This is our courage and hope in which we boast.
Amen. <SDG>
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