Consider Jesus

Reading: Hebrews 3 – 4:13

“Therefore, holy brothers… consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession….” (3:1)

Moving on from Jesus’ supremacy over angels, the writer of Hebrews now makes the point that Jesus is also greater than Moses….

For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses…. Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. – Hebrews 3.3, 5-6 (ESVUK)

… And now reminds us of the Holy Spirit urging us to not harden our hearts when we hear God’s voice (3:7-11). Consider Jesus, my friends! Do not resist Him! It is the deceitfulness of sin that hardens our hearts (3:13). An unbelieving heart is an evil heart (3:12), and it prevents us from entering His rest (3:19). Yes – there is an offer of rest – hallelujah! And that offer of rest still stands (4:1, 6-7), we only need to believe to enter that rest (4:3). Rest from what, you ask? Rest from our futile striving in earning our salvation – only Jesus saves (Hebrews 9:27-28)! Just as God rested from all his works (4:4), there also still remains, today, a Sabbath rest for those who would believe in Him (4:9,10).

We could read so many novels to escape the humdrum and realities of life, all the day’s news to get ourselves absorbed in what’s happening in every corner of the globe, and academic books and journals to widen our knowledge of the world and space. But I urge you, my friends, to open the Word of God – just try this different experience. You will never find any other book that will discern your thoughts and intentions (4:12) – and this Jesus, to whom we must give account (4:13, John 5:22), but also who saves (Acts 4:11-12), you will find in this book: “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me” (Psalm 40:7, KJV).

“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. – Deuteronomy 18.15-18 (ESVUK)