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HEBREWS: JESUS IS GREATER(TALK 3/9: THE GREATER ONE)SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONSCONNECT: As you go about your week, arriving at your various front lines, take a moment to bereminded of the amazing news that Jesus is your brother! How did you go with this?WARM-UP1. How are things going for your ‘one person’ who you are praying for this year? How do you think youcould best be praying for them in the coming week?READ Hebrews 3:1-62. What is the significance of chapter 3 beginning with ‘therefore’? Why is this link so important?3. What does it mean to ‘fix’ our thoughts on Jesus as our apostle and high priest? How can this be partof our daily rhythm of life?4. What were all of the various ways in which Jesus was (and is) faithful? How should this fill us with greatencouragement?5. What is God’s House? In what way is Jesus faithful as the Son over God’s house?6. How does Jesus ‘being faithful over God’s house’ effect our lives individually and as a church?7. Can you think of someone who is a great example of holding firmly to the confidence and hope that theyhave in Jesus? How has this been an encouragement to you in the face of trouble or hardship?8. When have you been tested to hold fast? What helped you to stick with your trust in Jesus?READ Hebrews 3:7-199. What were the recipients’ ancestors guilty of in the past when it came to their hearts? Why was this soperilous? What do you think that it actually looks like practically?10. Have you ever hardened your heart towards God? Why do you think that was the case?11. Are we ever in trouble of hardening our hearts toward God? What would be the early indicators?12. What is best antidote to a hardened heart? What is the best prevention?13. Who in your life is a constant encouragement to live faithfully? Have you ever expressed your gratitudefor their encouragement?14. Who can you be of encouragement to in their daily following of God? What might that involve?APPLY: Encourage someone in their faithful following of the Lord Jesus this week.PRAY: Heavenly Father, we thank you that Jesus - our great apostle, high priest, and your Son - is set overus, your house. Please correct us when we have hard hearts towards you. Please also help us that we mayconstantly be of encouragement to one another as we seek to follow Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.For sermons and additional resources, visit STBARTS.COM.AU
HEBREWS: JESUS IS GREATER(TALK 3/9: THE GREATER ONE)GOING DEEPER RESOURCESOn Your Front Line this Week For the people on your frontlines, what might they consider is greater than Jesus? How wouldyou explain that Jesus is greater?For Families Watch the video, ‘true and better’:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v IGFtfqgBQkMListen: SERMON: “God is Speaking” by Dick 4683/ SERMON: “Psalm 95 in Hebrews 3-4” by Don brary/psalm-95-in-hebrews-3-4Read: “Does every Christian have a Guardian Angel?” By John e/every-christian-guardian-angel/ Hebrews Bible reading notes from St Helens Bishopsgate (London):http://bit.ly/2nXv1uwOther Helpful Resources (For Series) BOOK: “The Majestic Son” by Peter Adam: Available on ding-Bible-Today-ebook/dp/B076KK99LQ VIDEOS ON SERIES: "The Book of Hebrews” by Don rary/the-book-of-hebrews-part-1-of-4 SERIES: “Hebrews: Such a Great s/series/4210/ VIDEO: The Bible Project Hebrews ws/For sermons and additional resources, visit STBARTS.COM.AU
Talk 3/9 (Hebrews): 13 October 2019“Learning”by the Rev’d Dr Daniel RouheadBible Passage: Hebrews 3INTRODUCTION \\ MOSES V JESUSToday, we continue our series on the book of Hebrews, as we focus on the greatnessof Jesus. So far in our study of Hebrews, the theme of the supremacy and sufficiencyof Jesus has rung true. In chapter one, we found out that Jesus is greater than angels,and in chapter two we learned that we have so great a salvation because of Jesus.Today, as we reach chapter three, we see Jesus compared with Moses.You might be wondering why the author of Hebrews points out that Jesus is greaterthan Moses. This fact may seem obvious to us. The argument outlined by the authoris like a champion tennis player who has to win each grand slam tournament toprove how great they really are. An athlete has to prove their greatness by defeatingall challengers, reaching the top and staying there.And so, in Hebrews, chapter one, it was the angels, and, in chapter two, it washumanity and temptation. Jesus is greater than the angels.Jesus was the perfecthuman being who was tempted but did not sin. The next challenger is the great hero,Moses. To the Hebrew people, Moses was one of the all-time great ancestors of faith.He was chosen by God to lead the people out of slavery in Egypt.We often compare people in the same field of endeavour, be it sport or politics orbusiness. We even ask: Who is the greatest of all time? Then we’re faced with thedilemma of what criteria to use – especially when comparing people who lived manyyears apart. Returning to tennis, who is the greatest player of all time? In the men’sgame, Rod Laver was recognized as the best ever for many years.then Roger Federercame along.now Rafael Nadal is being considered as well because he is only onegrand slam victory behind Federer. In the women’s game, Serena Williams is onegrand slam victory behind Margaret Court. Comparing players from different erascan be extremely difficult.What was the Jewish approach to this? In general terms, earlier is greater.ancestoris greater than the present. It appears that there were some people who doubted thedivinity of Jesus. So, if we remove the divinity of Jesus, then he becomes just anothergreat ancestor and since Moses came first then he is greater than Jesus. The authorchallenges that mind set to show their error and reveal why Jesus is greater thanMoses.Today, we will find that Jesus is our apostle and high priest, Jesus is greater thanMoses and we should take notice of the second warning the writer issues.
1. JESUS: APOSTLE & HIGH PRIEST \\ VERSES 1-2Let’s turn to verse 1: “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenlycalling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and highpriest”.Verse 1 encourages us to fix our thoughts on Jesus. God gives us the freedom to becreative in how we fix our thoughts on Jesus. Maybe it’s through song, study, prayer,movie, conference, retreat, whatever activity we chose. When we gather for worshipor Bible study or any number of other activities, and when we invite other people tojoin us, they are all different ways of fixing our thoughts, our mind, on Jesus.Verse 1 goes on to say that we are to “acknowledge Jesus as our apostle and highpriest.”The word “apostle,” means “sent by God.” When we hear “apostle”, we may think ofthe twelve disciples. When Jesus called the twelve, they were not just disciples, orfollowers of Jesus. In Luke 6:12-13, “ One of those days Jesus went out to amountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, hecalled his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designatedapostles”. Then in Luke 9, Jesus gave them power and authority and sent them out to“proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick” (9:2).Paul also identified as an apostle of Jesus Christ. In Romans 1, Paul writes that hewas “called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God” (1:1). He was sent tothe Gentiles to proclaim the kingdom of God to them – “to call all the Gentiles to theobedience that comes from faith for Jesus’ name’s sake” (1:5).Moses was also an apostle. At the burning bush, Moses was commissioned byYahweh and sent to Pharaoh. Yahweh said to Moses: “I have seen the misery of mypeople.I have come down to rescue them.So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaohto bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” Moses became the leader of theIsraelites, brought them out of Egypt, lead them through the desert and broughtthem to the brink of the Promised Land.The term apostle uniquely applies to Jesus, because God sent Jesus to fulfil hissalvation work. Moses played an important role in God’s rescue of the Israelites fromslavery in Egypt. The apostles of Jesus, the twelve and Paul, proclaimed the goodnews to a particular group of people in their particular time. But, Jesus is thesupreme apostle, because Jesus’ death and resurrection defeated sin and death onceand for all! It is from Jesus whom all other apostles derive their authority.Jesus is also our high priest who represents us in the presence of God.
The High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies once each year on the Day ofAtonement to offer the required sacrifices. In this moment, the High Priestrepresented the people of Israel seeking God’s forgiveness for the sins of the nation.Moses also represented the Israelites in the presence of God. When the Israelitesturned away from God by making the golden calf, God was so angry that he said thisto Moses, “Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that Imay destroy them. Then I will make you a great nation” (Exodus 32:10). Moses spokeup on behalf of the Israelites – he “sought the favour of the Lord his God” by saying,“Lord, why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out ofEgypt with great power and a mighty hand? Turn from your fierce anger; relent anddo not bring disaster on your people.Then the Lord relented and did not bring onhis people the disaster he had threatened” (Ex 32:11-14).But, Jesus is the Great High Priest. Unlike Moses, Jesus interceded for all of us onthe cross. Unlike the High Priests of Israel who had to make atonement each year,Jesus’ death on the cross was the perfect and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of thewhole world – it doesn’t have to be repeated, ever! When Jesus died, “the curtain ofthe temple was torn in two from top to bottom”. It was torn from the top as a clearsign that it was God who was responsible. The tearing of the curtain was a visiblesign that the barrier between God and humanity had been removed forever by Jesus.Romans 8:34 tells us that “Christ Jesus who died - more than that, who was raised tolife - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us”.2. JESUS MOSES \\ VERSES 3-6The writer acknowledges that “Jesus was faithful to the one who appointed him, justas Moses was faithful in all God’s house” (Heb 3:2). But. “Jesus has been foundworthy of greater honour than Moses” (Heb 3:3). As we explored what it meant forJesus to be our apostle and High Priest, we began to see how Jesus was greater thanMoses.Here the writer uses an interesting analogy. “Jesus has been found worthy of greaterhonour than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honour than the houseitself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything” (Heb3:3-4).I wonder if that is true today – is the builder of a house given greater honour than thehouse itself. I suspect we don’t greet visitors to our homes with a statement aboutwho built it. If we think about the most distinctive modern buildings around theworld, could we name the architects and builders who constructed them?
The very distinctive London skyscraper, The Shard, was designed by Renzo Pianoand built by Mace Group. The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest structure andbuilding in the world. It was designed by Adrian Smith and constructed by SamsungC & T Corporation. This is Sydney’s University of Technology’s School of Businessbuilding. Governor General Peter Cosgrove described it as “the most beautifulsquashed brown paper bag I've ever seen.” It was designed by famous Canadian-bornarchitect Frank Gehry. I wonder if you could name any of the builders of thesefamous buildings.But in ancient times this was definitely true. People would have seen a building andwould have known who built it – the Pyramids which memorialized and gave honourto the Pharaohs, is just one example.The writer of Hebrew’s writes, “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,”bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. But Christ is faithfulas the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to ourconfidence and the hope in which we glory” (Heb 3:5-6). Moses was a faithful servantin the household of faith, but he did not build it. We become God’s house when wehold firmly to our faith in Jesus – a faith which finds it origin and completion inJesus. He is set over the house; he is honoured whenever we gather and acknowledgewho he is and what he has done for us. When people drive past St Bart’s, our hope isnot that people think Hutchinson’s did a wonderful job (even though they did), notthat people think about what a great job we have done in funding the project (eventhough many have been generous), but that people think about how great Jesus isand feel drawn to find out more about him!3. WARNING AGAINST UNBELIEF \\ VERSES 7-19From verse 7, the writer issues another warning about turning away from Christ. Thefirst warning, which we heard about in week one of this series, was to not drift awayfrom Jesus or ignore the great salvation offered to us by Christ (Heb 2:1,3). This isthe second: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in therebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness.” (Heb 3:7-8) The writer istalking about a more deliberate act, not just drifting away from Jesus and theChristian faith, but rebelling against God and actively rejecting the salvation offeredto us by Christ.The writer uses the example of the Israelites as they travelled to the Promised Landfrom Egypt. Even though they had witnessed God’s power and majesty, theycontinued to grumble, complain, question and disobey God’s commands. Theyfrequently expressed the desire to return to Egypt and the oppressive slavery fromwhich God had rescued them. “Don’t be like them!” is the urgent warning. “See to it,brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns awayfrom the living God” (Heb 3:12).
The consequences of turning away from God are dire. When faced with the prospectof coming up against the people who lived in the Promised Land, the Israelites raisedtheir voices, wept, grumbled and complained against Moses and Aaron and againstGod. Instead of trusting in God who had brought them this far, in God’s promisesand power, they turned away from God and his plan. Their plan was to choose a newleader and go back to Egypt! We can only imagine how badly that would have turnedout!What happened to the Israelites who rejected God’s plan of entering the PromisedLand? “Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses ledout of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with thosewho sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swearthat they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?” (Heb 3:16-18)Jesus has opened the way to salvation, to the same rest that God offered theIsraelites. Due to their unbelief, the Israelites never experienced the fulness of God’ssalvation. The same fate awaits us if we do the same.if we drift away.if we ignorethe good news.if we harden our hearts.if we turn away from the living God. Wemight be able to confidently say that we would never produce a golden calf to replaceGod, but other things, such as wealth, prestige, career, sport, and leisure, can gainthe number one place in our lives.The writer offers a suggestion as to how we might hold fast to Jesus and not betempted to turn away from him. “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you hasa sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage oneanother daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened bysin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our originalconviction firmly to the very end” (Heb 3:12-14).We must encourage one another daily. If we are to remain faithful, we need toregularly encourage each other in the faith. That is why it is important to meetregularly with other Christians – whether it be on Sundays as we worship together,or during the week in small groups, social groups or on our front lines. The power ofsin has been defeated, but sin still exists - the Holy Spirit helps us to stay true toJesus.but we also need to help each other keep Jesus as number 1.No-one is strong 100 % of the time, so when you are strong, you help the person nextto you, and when you stumble, someone who is strong will help you. We all need tofight against unbelief every day and put our faith in Jesus, the centrepiece of ourfaith.
CONCLUSIONMoses served God faithfully. Moses brought the Israelites out of Egypt, lead themthrough the desert, gave them the Ten Commandments and brought them to thebrink of the Promised Land. Moses was the only man to be in such close presencewith God that after their meeting Moses had to put a veil over his face because itglowed so brightly.But, Jesus did more than reflect the glory of God. From John 1: “For the law wasgiven through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has everseen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationshipwith the Father, has made him known”.Jesus has opened up the way to knowing God through his death and resurrection. Letus stay faithful to Jesus, encouraging one other and bringing glory to Jesus, thearchitect of our faith.Let us pray.
by the Rev'd Dr Daniel Rouhead Bible Passage: Hebrews 3 INTRODUCTION \\ MOSES V JESUS Today, we continue our series on the book of Hebrews, as we focus on the greatness of Jesus. So far in our study of Hebrews, the theme of the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus has rung true. In chapter one, we found out that Jesus is greater than angels,
