Year 9, Day 107: Hebrews 3

Theological Commentary: Click Here

There are a pair of neat conversations in this third chapter.  First, the author of Hebrews begins a conversation about Jesus being greater than Moses.  From a Christian perspective, we would agree wholeheartedly with this.  In fact, most Christians would even wonder why this has to be discussed.  Jesus was, after all, the Son of God.  Moses was a great man, but he was just a man.

Remember, though, that Hebrews was written in a time when most Christians still considered themselves Jews.  Most Christians were Jews who followed the teachings of Jesus.  There wasn’t a great need to distinguish between Jew and Christian – although the time was coming quickly when that distinction would matter a great deal!  Because many of the listeners to this letter would consider themselves Jews, this passage takes on new meaning.

After all, Moses was the great Law-bringer.  Naturally, God was the Law-giver.  Moses was the agent through whom God gave the Law.  Moses was the one whom God chose to go before Pharaoh and accomplish the Exodus.  Abraham was the recipient of the covenant, But Moses was the leader that really got the ball rolling!

While Moses was the Law-bringer, Jesus is the Law-fulfiller.  Jesus completes the Law.  Jesus lived the Law.  Jesus died as the Law demanded so we could live.  While Moses was there when the first stones of salvation were laid, Jesus was the meaning behind the project and the completion of it.  Moses deserves to be respected for his place, but Jesus deserves to be lifted up as the Son of God He is.  Moses was a great man, but Jesus is salvation.

The second major issue here in this passage is an understanding of the recipients of salvation.  Don’t forget that the generation who received the Law didn’t obey it.  Because of their disobedience, they were kept out of the Promised Land.

There is a charge here.  We need to understand that salvation comes through Jesus Christ.  We do not earn salvation nor do we deserve it.  It is a gift from God.  If we do not receive the gift – or worse, if we are disobedient against the gift – we can find ourselves on the outside looking in.

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