February 16, 2024
Read Leviticus 3, Psalm 47, Hebrews 3
When I was a student pastor or when I was coaching a rec league soccer team, I knew I could always get the students talking by asking some opinion questions. Who is the greatest basketball player of all time… Who is the greatest soccer player of all time, who is the greatest superhero of all time…. This would always kick start a debate between everyone. As a cello player the debate was between Lenard Rose or Yo Yo Ma and Pablo Casals. You probably have people that you consider the greatest (fill in the blank) as well.
When it comes to the greatest person to have ever lived You must go to Jesus of Nazareth. He was a real historical person who lived in the first century AD. (In fact, He is the reason we split time BC/AD). There has been no other person on the planet that has ever had the influence and power to change people’s lives that Jesus the Christ. He did not amass an army, try to conquer any land or territory and yet He alone has changed the world. How many other religions want to claim a piece of Jesus because of his influence? To Buddhist Jesus was one of the 28 Buddhas that have come, To Muslims Jesus was a mighty prophet, and there are many other religions that will try to connect him to their own worldview.
The author of Hebrews is writing to a Jewish audience. His main point in Hebrews 3 is that Jesus is greater than Moses. “For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. 5 Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house.” vv. 4-6a. The author of Hebrews was using an analogy that Moses was a servant in God’s house, but Jesus, the Son was the owner of the house.
The rest of Hebrews 3 is the first of four warnings in Hebrews. These warnings are to encourage the believers not to “fall away” in disbelief. “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” vv. 12-13. These verses point out the danger of sin. If we persist in sin or allow it to take hold in our lives it can pull us away from our relationship with the Lord. The good news is that any one of us can turn back to God in one moment. Repentance is a positive word.
If you are searching and really looking for what’s true. If you are trying to decide what is the right worldview, what is the correct religion, let me encourage you to start with Christianity with the original Jesus and his own teachings about himself and reality.
What else do you see in these chapters? What words, phrases, or themes stand out to you?
Add your thoughts below.
DId God Really Say... 