Twice
in Hebrews 3 we are exhorted to “hold on”, once in v6 and once in v14. Christians need to hold on to their
faith. That’s one of the main
themes of the chapter and of the letter as a whole. The reason why we must hold on is that
Jesus is greater than all others.
Therefore, to drift from Him is definitely to go wrong.
Notice that v1 starts with
the word “Therefore…”
Remember, therefore, the greatness of the Lord Jesus Christ, which we
have seen in the earlier chapters.
i
Concentrate!
The word order of v1 is emphatic. It’s something like: “Therefore,
holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on the
apostle and high priest whom we confess, Jesus”. The writer is saying this. “Fix your thoughts on Jesus! He’s the one you must focus
on! He’s the one you must
concentrate on! If you want to hold
on to your faith, look at Jesus!”
Similarly, as holy brothers and sisters who have been called by God
Himself, we must concentrate on Jesus.
He’s our apostle. He’s the
high priest we confess.
How can you do that? Firstly, know what the Bible says about
him. Devour God’s word just like
you devour your dinner when you’re really hungry. Fill your heart and mind with what the
Bible teaches about Jesus Christ.
There is no alternative to that.
There is no way you’re going to concentrate on him if you don’t do that.
And then, secondly, just spend time
with him. Just be with your
Lord. Pray and linger with
him. Don’t be in a rush. Dwell in his presence.
As a matter of fact, there’s a very
real sense in which that is the secret of living the Christian life. It’s because people don’t know Christ
that they don’t hold on to him.
It’s because people don’t know Christ well that they don’t hold on to him
well. If you want to hold on to
your faith, this, above all else, is what you must do: look at Jesus. If you’re feeling the pull of the world,
concentrate on him! Look at him,
and everything will seem unimportant by comparison. If we’re feeling weak and powerless and
despised as a church, and if we’re wondering whether it’s all worth it,
concentrate on him! Look squarely
at him. Of course, it’s worth it!
If you’re not a Christian, you need
to concentrate on him too. John 6:40 tells you to look to the Son,
to look to Jesus, to concentrate on him.
Believe in him in your heart, turning from your sin and asking God to
forgive you. Entrust yourself to
him as the only one who can save you.
Look to him and be saved.
Turn to him today.
Concentrate on him.
ii
Commend!
The main teaching of the passage is
found in v2-6a. The writer wants us to see that Jesus is
greater than Moses. The writer
commends Jesus to his readers.
Moses was great in the eyes of the
Jews. He was the greatest man who
ever lived, the lawgiving hero of
Firstly he says (in v3) that a builder has greater honour
than the house. Moses is like the
house; Jesus is like the builder.
Moses is one of God’s people.
That’s all he ever was; that’s all he ever could be. But Jesus is the designer and founder
and head of God’s people. He’s the
redeemer and mediator and Lord of God’s people. He’s the builder of God’s people. So Jesus is greater than Moses.
Secondly he says (in
v5-6a) that a son has greater
honour than a servant. Moses
was a servant in God’s house; Jesus is a son over God’s house. Moses was a servant who served God’s
people; Jesus is a son who is over God’s people. Jesus is greater than Moses.
Thirdly he says (in v5) that Moses’ rôle was, basically, to
testify to what would be said in the future. He and his words pointed forward to Jesus
and His words. Galatians 3:24
teaches the same lesson. Moses’ era, the age of the old
covenant, was incomplete. It was
partial. It applied only until
Christ came. And then a new era
began, the age of the new covenant, the time of fullness. That, of course, is the age we’re living
in now. Moses was only a signpost
to point forward to Christ. It
would be sheer folly to desert Jesus for Moses.
We, then, should praise the name of
Jesus. And we
should…
iii
Continue!
In v6b, the writer urges his readers to
continue. His words, though, may
worry you a bit. They make
salvation appear kind of conditional, don’t they? So what is the writer saying?
James 2:26 sheds some light on it. In Chapter 2
James is saying that there is real faith and there is false faith. A false faith does not affect the
life. A true faith does. That’s not to say that Christians are
always 100% consistent; we have our ups and downs. But a true faith affects the
life.
Matthew 24:12-13 also sheds some
light. A false faith is
a
temporary faith. A true faith will
persevere. Real Christians may get
knocked right off course when disaster strikes or cave in when persecution comes
or do the most appalling things.
And yet the Holy Spirit in them won’t quite let them get away. Because of his work, they have a true
faith which perseveres, however shakily.
What v6b is saying, then, is that
real faith is that
which continues to be active and continues to persevere. Christianity is more than just making a
good start. It’s a lifetime of
service and obedience. No true
Christian can be lost: nobody will snatch us out of the hand of Jesus Christ;
nobody can snatch us out of the hand of God the Father. But we must hold on. So have a godly fear of slipping. Have a healthy suspicion of
yourself. Look to God for
grace. Daily concentrate on Jesus
Christ. Walk in step with the
Spirit. And persevere. Continue!
May God help us by his Spirit to walk with Jesus to the end.