Tag: apostle and High Priest
Focus on Jesus!
Scripture reading for December 12th: Hebrews 3-4
“Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. He was faithful to the one who appointed Him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor that Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.” Hebrews 3:1-3
The Bible is clear about where to fix our thoughts–on Jesus Christ! By focusing on Jesus we can have rest from worry, fear, and religious works that try to gain God’s favor. We can rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ to bring us into God’s glorious rest!
Jesus is the Apostle and High Priest that we confess. He rose from the dead and became a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 5:8-10) His perfect obedience enabled Him to be made perfect through suffering death on a cross for our sins. He is a great High Priest who knows what we are going through and how to come to our aid! (Hebrews 4:14-16) He can intercede for us day or night. His priestly ministry is always available and we have access by His own blood!
Jesus is greater than Moses, who led the people out of Egypt and gave them the law of God. Moses was supposed to lead the people into the promised land, but the people rebelled. They would not listen to God’s Word and their unbelief kept them from their inheritance! (Hebrews 3:19)
Jesus is greater than Joshua who also failed to lead God’s people to the full conquest of the promised land. Jesus ushers each of us into a new day–today! (Hebrews 4:6-7) We can enter the rest by faith in Him! By hearing His voice and responding in faith, we can place our full trust on God’s provision through Jesus Christ!
This rest is one of my favorite themes! My life has been one of constant work. I enjoy work but must be constantly reminded that I have received salvation through the work of Christ. I must daily rest in Him and only work out of that rest! Share this rest with someone close to you!
Sin’s deceitfulness!
Scripture reading for November 1st: Hebrews 3:1-19
“Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. He was faithful to the One who appointed Him, just as Moses was faithful in all of God’s house. … Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future. But Christ is faithful as a Son over God’s house.” (Hebrews 3:1-2, 5-6a)
Jesus is the focus of all true believers. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ to save us, we are adopted into God’s family and become ‘holy brothers’ with Jesus, the Son of God. (Romans 8:14-15) (Galatians 3:26) Jesus was appointed by His Father to the roles He obediently assumed. The Son of God was obedient and faithful to His calling. In fixing our thoughts on Jesus, we can grow in our worship and understanding of who He is and who we are in Him!
The writer to the Hebrews was contrasting Jesus with Moses. Moses, picked by God, was faithful to lead God’s people out of slavery and through the desert for forty years. This journey should not have taken forty years. The sin of unbelief caused the people to turn back and die in the desert! Jesus Christ was and is God’s Son, holding a position of greater honor than Moses! Jesus is leading us to Father’s house!
“So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert,. . See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at the first.” (Hebrews 3:7, 12-14) The Hebrews had not listened to God speaking through Moses during the Exodus. They had let their flesh turn their hearts back to Egypt and this kept them from entering the promised land. The sin was failure to trust God to bring them into their land! Jesus promises to take us in–Today! We must continue to pay close attention and follow Him to Glory!
Sin’s deceitfulness
Scripture reading for November 1st: Hebrews 3:1-19
“Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. He was faithful to the One who appointed Him, just as Moses was faithful in all of God’s house. … Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future. But Christ is faithful as a Son over God’s house.” (Hebrews 3:1-2, 5-6a)
Jesus is the focus of all true believers. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ to save us, we are adopted into God’s family and become ‘holy brothers’ with Jesus, the Son of God. (Romans 8:14-15) (Galatians 3:26) Jesus was appointed by His Father to the roles He obediently assumed. The Son of God was obedient and faithful to His calling. In fixing our thoughts on Jesus, we can grow in our worship and understanding of who He is and who we are in Him!
The writer to the Hebrews was contrasting Jesus with Moses. Moses, being picked by God, was faithful to lead God’s people out of slavery and through the desert for forty years. This journey should not have taken forty years. The sin of unbelief caused the people to turn back and die in the desert! Jesus Christ was and is God’s Son, holding a position of greater honor than Moses! Jesus is leading us to Father’s house!
“So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert,. . See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at the first.” (Hebrews 3:7, 12-14) The Hebrews had not listened to God speaking through Moses during the Exodus. They had let their flesh turn their hearts back to Egypt and this kept them from entering the promised land. The sin was failure to trust God to bring them into their land! Jesus promises to take us in–Today! We must continue to pay close attention and follow Him to Glory!