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Jesus Greater Than Moses
3 Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) 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.
A Rest for the People of God
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
on the day of testing in the wilderness,
where your fathers put me to the test
and saw my works for forty years.
Therefore I was provoked with that generation,
and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart;
they have not known my ways.’
As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter my rest.’”
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
(ESV)
Hebrews 3 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
At one point in the ’90s, Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson, and Andre Agassi all had an Official Fan Club, and I was a proud card-carrying member. I loved watching Andre Agassi when I was a kid. I grew up watching lots of tennis, and in my mind, no one did it better than Agassi. He was not only crazy-talented, but he had the baggy clothes, the loud colors, and the long hair to go with it. In many ways, he changed the game.
I also remember what happened in 2006. Playing in his final U.S. Open tournament, his body was giving out on him. At age 36, he was a shell of who he used to be, but he refused to let it stop him. I vividly remember Agassi’s last winning match (the 870th win of his career) against Marcos Baghdatis. It is considered by some to be the greatest U.S. Open match of all-time.
Andre needed two cortisone shots just to play. The match was close throughout but went into a pivotal 5th set where eventually Agassi grinded out the victory much to the delight of the American crowd. When he finally won, the crowd roared like a jet plane. He wouldn’t leave the courts until 3 am the next morning, and he had to be carried to his car. He had gone as far as he could. He had given everything he had left that night.
In Hebrews 3, the author draws our attention to finishing strong.
For we have become companions of the Messiah if we hold firmly until the end the reality that we had at the start. 15 As it is said: Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.
Hebrews 3:14-15 HCSB
This was the issue God had with Israel. They had started off really well by crossing the Red Sea and trusting in God. However, after wandering in the wilderness and continually doubting God, their faith disintegrated. The issue wasn’t that they had some moments of backsliding, but that they never really grew. Hundreds of years later they were still struggling with the same sinful habits.
Jesus doesn’t just expect us to start strong. In fact, the New Testament is overflowing with verses calling Christians to perseverance and endurance. Jesus’ expectation for us is fruit and we can’t produce fruit without growth. How you begin with Christ means very little if you are unwilling to persevere to the end and finish strong. So, which direction are you currently trending?