Better Than Moses - Hebrews 3-4
Sermon Recap
What is the cost of confessing faith in Jesus and why – throughout history – do people keep finding him worthy of that cost?
The book of Hebrews was written to a Christian community facing these questions, among others. In response, the author of Hebrews keeps pressing them to keep their attention on Jesus. As chapter 3 opens, he calls them to “consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession.”
Jesus “the apostle” (the only time this title is used of Jesus in the NT) was sent to lead God’s people into rest. The author compares him to Moses, another famous “sent one” from Israel’s history, but then details all the ways that Jesus is greater than Moses and worthy of greater honor (see Hebrews 3:1-6).
Pointing to Psalm 95, he says that Jesus is still offering the promise of rest so “do not harden your hearts” as Israel did when it rebelled against Yahweh on its way to the promised land. If you don’t believe the promise, you won’t enter the rest, like the generation of unbelieving Israelites who died in the wilderness didn’t enter the promised land.
But, he says, “we who have believed enter that rest” (Hebrews 4:3). Even so, he insists there is rest ahead of us, so “make every effort to enter that rest” (Hebrews 4:11). However you hear the repeated warnings and promises of these chapters, it presses us into the same conclusion: keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. All the more so, because the word sent to us in Jesus is also a word that exposes us completely.
In the creation account, the first thing Adam and Eve did after sinning was get to work. They sewed fig leaves to cover their nakedness. Tim Keller points out that the human heart has been compulsively sewing fig leaves ever since, desperate and restless to find something to make us feel worthy of love or acceptance. Maybe even, worthy to stay in the garden.
But the word of God comes to us and reveals us completely, leaving us “naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.” We are vulnerable and exposed, now required to “render an account” or literally, “give a word” in our defense. What can we possibly say?
The next verse gives the answer: we have Jesus. He is our high priest, who has atoned for our sin and now stands in the heavens for us. So “hold fast to our confession.” It’s striking that the word for confession in Greek literally means “same word”. The word of God comes to us, exposes us and asks of us a word. Our only hope is to return the “same word” we were given: Jesus.
This is why so many have been willing to pay any cost to confess Jesus. He is the only one able to bring us into rest. Trusting in his work for us, we can again be “naked and unashamed” in God’s presence. We can even approach the very throne of God with boldness, knowing we will find mercy and grace.
Entering Conversation
Feel free to use any or all of these questions - or your own – in any order. The goal of our talking together is not merely better understanding, but to help us respond to what we have heard. Always, share as much or as little as you are comfortable with.
(NB: Some groups are giving intentional time this term to learning each other’s stories. If so, feel no pressure to also attempt a weekly sermon discussion. Let stories be told, maybe followed by a prayer of blessing over those who shared this week.)
What’s the best excuse you ever used (as a kid, a student, or other) to get out of a bad consequence?
What’s your go-to “fig leaf” in social situations when you don’t want to talk about yourself?
Tell about a time someone saw the real you and didn’t walk away. What did they say or do? Did it change the way you viewed yourself?
Where do you feel most restless, most un-at-ease in your life right now? Is there any way God’s promise of rest speaks into that place?
When you hear the warnings in Hebrews, do you tend to feel anxious, dismissive, or somewhere in between? What might "consider Jesus" mean for the way you personally respond to them?
The work of Jesus for us is to make us “naked and unashamed” again in the presence of God. Where might you need to “make every effort” to enter that kind of rest? For example, maybe in being fully known or maybe in trusting that you are fully accepted?
For reflection: "Exhort one another every day" (3:13). Who helps you hold on to your confession? Is there someone you need to let see you more honestly? Is there someone you can preach Jesus to in order to encourage them?
End your time by praying together. If specific concerns were shared, name them as you’re able and trust them to God’s care. Wrap up your time in prayer by praying the Lord’s Prayer together, including kids if appropriate to your group.