Consider This Jesus

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CONSIDER THIS JESUS 02.05.06

(Hebrews 3:1-6)

The key verse from our time in Hebrews the last time I spoke…

And it was only right that God - who made everything and for whom everything was made - should bring his many children into glory. Through the suffering of Jesus, God made him a perfect leader, one fit to bring them into their salvation. Hebrews 2:10 NLT

The main theme of all Scripture can is seen in this verse.

There is nothing more CHERISHED and DEAR to the heart of God than that He might BRING his many children into GLORY. (vs.10)

The God Who created everything, and for Whom everything was created, had as His priority to bring as many of us into glory as possible (the choice to be brought being ours).

Because God - the One Who created everything and for Whom everything was created - is so in love with each of us, some two thousand years ago He devised a plan by which He could make us “normal” again.

The Old Testament tells how God created everything in six days, resting on the seventh.
– The New Testament tells how through Jesus God took 33 years to completely identify with us in all conceivable ways.

Question: If God did creation that quickly, why didn’t He also do salvation that way?
– Answer: In order for Jesus to be a perfect priest, fully human, He had to enter time.

And, God becoming a man through Jesus was an infinitely greater DOWNWARD STEP than you or me becoming an EARTH WORM.

The Creator, our Creator, did this for us because He wanted us to be able to live and enjoy “normal;” walking with Him in loving intimacy now and forever; just like He did with Adam and Eve before they willfully disobeyed God; before sin.

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Today we move to Hebrews 3 (pg. 1002).

16 We all know that Jesus came to help the descendants of Abraham, not to help the angels. 17 Therefore, it was necessary for Jesus to be in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. He then could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. 18 Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted. Hebrews 2:16-18 NLT

And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are bound for heaven, think about this Jesus whom we declare to be God's Messenger and High Priest. 2 For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully and was entrusted with God's entire house. 3 But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a fine house deserves more praise than the house itself. 4 For every house has a builder, but God is the one who made everything. 5 Moses was certainly faithful in God's house, but only as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. 6 But Christ, the faithful Son, was in charge of the entire household. And we are God's household, if we keep up our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.

Hebrews 3:1-6 NLT
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The foundational thought the writer of Hebrews is trying to convey is that the supreme revelation of God comes through Jesus Christ and only through Him does man have access to God.
– He began in chapter one by declaring Jesus superior to the prophets;
– In chapter two he went on to show that Jesus was superior to the angels;
– And now in chapter three he proceeds to prove that Jesus is superior to Moses.

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Tell me what the following sentence means to you: “It’s third and inches with under two minutes to play.”
– If you know nothing about football, those words mean absolutely nothing; gibberish.
– Today is Super Bowl XL (you knew I’d get around to it). The Northwest’s own Sea Hawks are playing for the football championship. If you’re a Sea Hawks fan, that sentence - “It’s third and inches with under two minutes to play” – will represent different things depending on the context:
… On the one hand, if the Sea Hawks have possession of the ball and are ahead, then you’d be very hopeful that they’d win their first Super Bowl.
… If, on the other hand, the Steelers have possession of the ball and are ahead, then you’d be extremely disheartened knowing the Sea Hawks will probably not win their first Super Bowl.

Context brings words to life.

– This is particularly true when it comes to understanding the intent of Scriptures.

For a Jew Moses held a place which was utterly unique; he was the man with whom God had spoken face to face as a man speaks with a friend.
– Moses was the direct recipient of the Ten Commandments, the very Law of God. The greatest thing in all the world for the Jew was the Law, and Moses and the Law were one and the same thing.

In Numbers 12 we read of a time when the wandering Israelites were grumbling against Moses. This made God angry:

6 And the LORD said to them, "Now listen to me! Even with prophets, I the LORD communicate by visions and dreams (i.e. mysteriously) 7 But that is not how I communicate with my servant Moses. He is entrusted with my entire house. 8 I speak to him face to face, directly and not in riddles! He sees the LORD as he is…" Numbers 12:6-8 NLT

To the Jew it was impossible to imagine anyone closer to God than Moses was. Yet that is precisely what the writer of the Hebrews is telling them.

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The writer tells his readers in verse one of chapter three to think about this Jesus whom we declare to be God's Messenger and High Priest.
– The word he uses for think about does not mean to simply look at or casually notice a thing. Anyone can look at a thing or even notice it without really seeing it.
… The word means to fix the attention on something in such a way that its inner meaning, the lesson that it is designed to teach, may be learned.
… Two other translations of the same word say: fix your thoughts – NIV; take a good hard look – MSG

In Luke 12:24 Jesus uses the same word when he says:

Look at (consider) the ravens. They don't need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than

any birds!

– Jesus here isn’t saying, “Hey, look at the nice birdies over there; aren’t they cute?”
– Rather, Jesus is saying, "Look at the ravens and understand and learn the lesson that God wants to teach you through them."

If we’re ever to learn the truths of God, and of our very existence as humans collectively as well as individually, an indifferent superficial approach is not going to cut it.
– There has to be a determined, bulldog, purposeful, resolute tenacious effort on our part involving, among other things:
     … Our time with God; prayer, meditation, Bible study, etc.
     … Our choices to pursue God’s ways versus our own;
     … Our determined efforts to serve others versus being self-serving.

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When we do fix our attention on Jesus what do we see? Two things.

1. We see God’s Messenger / apostle / ambassador (vs.1).
– Jesus is God’s supreme ambassador to mankind.

An ambassador has all the authority of the king, leader or government who sends them.

History tells how the king of Syria, Antiochus Epiphanes, invaded Egypt. Rome didn’t want him to do that, so they sent an ambassador named Popillius to tell Antiochus to abandon his projected invasion.
– Popillius caught up with Antiochus on the borders of Egypt and they talked about this and that; they had known each other in Rome.
– Finally Antiochus asked Popillius why he’d come. Quietly Popillius told him that he had come to tell him that Rome wished him to abandon the invasion and go home.
– "I will consider it," said Antiochus.
– Popillius smiled grimly at this response. Then he took his staff and drew a circle in the dirt round Antiochus.
… "Consider it," he said, "and come to your decision before you leave that circle."
… Antiochus thought for a few moments then said: "Very well. I will go home."

Popillius didn’t have any power or authority of his own; he didn’t even have a guard it is said.
– What he did have as a Roman ambassador was all the power and authority of the then most powerful nation on earth; Rome.

Jesus, sent by God, came to earth with all God's grace and mercy and love and power for you and me.

2. We also see God’s great High Priest. What does that mean?

– To be a priest means to be a bridge-builder.
     … A priest is a person who builds a bridge between man and God. He must be able to speak to God for men, as well as to speak to men for God.
     … Jesus is the perfect High Priest because He became a man, experiencing all that man experiences (see Hebrews 4:15)
     … And, not only does He represent God, He is God.

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Verses 2-6 have the writer referring to God’s house.
– He sees the world as God's house; God's family.

In chapter one we’ve already seen Jesus as the Creator of all things.
– Moses was only part of creation; part of the house.
– Jesus is the Creator of the house; a creator always being greater than the creation.
– Moses was a servant in the house to God’s family; Jesus was the a son.
… Moses knew a little about God; Jesus was God.

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Earlier I said how the greatest thing in all the world for the Jew was the Law and Moses.
– As we come to Holy Communion, let’s consider what the greatest thing in all the world is to us.
… Is it Jesus, the Creator, or something in His creation?