“Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession.” (Hebrews 3:1)
Continuing to expand on the awesomeness of Jesus, we start chapter 3 with comparing and contrasting Him with Moses. Moses was great! He was Egyptian royalty, then was humbled to be a commoner in a foreign land. God called him to a mission, and he spoke out against those who were oppressing God’s people. He set his people free, he saved them from slavery, and he showed them the way to the Promised Land! Moses foreshadowed what our Messiah would do: Jesus humbled Himself, leaving the glories of Heaven to be a human baby. He spoke God’s truth against the religious leaders of the day, and through His death and resurrection, He made a way for us to get to Heaven. He set us free from the bondage of sin and He is our Savior!
Moses should be honored for his faithfulness and for what God was able to accomplish through him. But as we think about great men, let’s not lose sight of how Jesus is that much greater in what He’s done and who He is. A faithful servant is fantastic, but a faithful child is not just fulfilling a duty, but is demonstrating they have accepted the instruction and teaching of their parent, have accepted the responsibility of honoring their family, and show hope that in future generations, righteousness will be their legacy. Who knew that “picking up your clothes when you mom asked” would be such a weighty responsibility?! (3 Jn. 1:4; Prov. 29:17; Prov. 23:24). The difference between Moses and Jesus is even greater when we think about the difference between building and builder. The dwelling place and the designer. The castle may look impressive, but how awesome is the CREATOR of all things?
At the end of this passage in verse 6, we see why this was being discussed. It is important to understand the greatness of Jesus because of the most-great-news of all: we are members of Jesus’ household! Brothers and sisters, the greatest gift is Jesus giving us eternal life for all who receive Him. Praise God!