Jesus, Greater Than Moses Hebrews 3:1-19

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1 Jesus, Greater Than Moses Hebrews 3:1-19 Message by Michael J. Barnard January 29, 2017 Teaching Aim: To demonstrate the superiority of Jesus the Messiah over Moses and the Old Testament Law. To understand part of the prophetic ministry of Moses was to help prepare the Jewish people for their coming Messiah. To realize how blessed we are to live in the Age of Grace when the way of salvation is open by grace through faith to all who believe in Christ. To understand the door will not always remain open and to see the urgency in coming to Christ today! DIGGING DEEPER INTO GOD S WORD (BIBLE STUDY) Part I: The greatness of Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession (Heb. 3:1-6) 1. According to verse 1, how do we know that the Book of Hebrews was written to Jews who already believed in Christ? Because of outside pressure, many of the Hebrew Christians were considering leaving the Christian faith and returning to Judaism. What did the writer of Hebrews ask these individuals to do? Why is it the responsibility of each person to consider the person and work of Jesus Christ carefully? 2. Who do you think most people would choose as the greatest apostle? Why is it people don t usually think of Jesus? What is the meaning of the word, Apostle (vs. 1)? (See Dictionary) Does Jesus meet this qualification? (See John 3:17, 34; 5:36-38; 8:42) 3. What is the role of the Jewish High Priest (vs. 1)? How does the High Priesthood of Jesus Christ differ from that of the Levitical priests? (See Rom. 6:10; Heb. 9:26b-28; 1 Pet. 3:18) 4. Who does the author of this book choose to compare the faithfulness of Jesus with (vs. 2)? Why? How important was this person in Jewish history? What house is the writer of Hebrews referring to when he speaks of Moses being faithful in all His house? 1

2 5. According to verse 3, who has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses? Why? A metaphor is A figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable, in order to suggest a resemblance (Webster s Dictionary). Why do you think the Holy Spirit uses the metaphor of a building to describe the Church? (See 1 Cor. 3:9-13; Eph. 2:19-22; 1 Pet. 2:4-7) 6. In light of John 1:1-3 & Col. 1:15-16, what can we learn about the nature of Jesus from verse 4? In what two ways might the term house of God be used in verse 5? What dual function did Moses have in that house? Why is Jesus greater than Moses (vs. 6)? According to the following Scriptures, who is part of Christ s house? (See Gal. 6:10; Eph. 2:19; 1 Pet. 4:17) 7. Verse 6 has been used by some to teach that Christians can lose their salvation. Is there such a thing as temporary eternal life? Or is this a contradiction of terms? (See John 3:16, 36; 10:27-30; 1 John 5:13) Part II: Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts (Heb. 3:7-15) 1. What Scriptures did the writer of Hebrews quote from in verses 7-11? According to this Psalm, who is the real author of Sacred Scripture? What failure in Israel s history did the Holy Spirit refer to in this passage? How did the people of Israel rebel against God in Exod. 17:1-7? What are some ways that you ve rebelled against God in the past? What was the result? 2. How did the people of Israel rebel against God in Num. 13:25-29? What was their punishment? (See Num. 14:29-34) Have you ever found yourself wandering in the wilderness because you were disobedient to God (vv. 8b-9)? How long did it take you to repent and get right with Him? 3. Why was God angry with the generation living at the time of Moses (vs. 10)? Do you get frustrated when people refuse to follow the Lord today? What can we learn about unbelievers from 2 Cor. 4:3-4? How should this affect the way we deal with people today? 2

3 4. How angry was God at the approximately 600,000 fighting men who refused to trust and obey Him (vs. 11)? Does God still discipline Christians today when we sin? (See Heb. 12:3-11) What is the purpose behind God disciplining His children? 5. What kind of rest was the Holy Spirit referring to in Psa. 95:11? What kind of rest was the writer of Hebrews referring to as he wrote to Hebrew Christians who were considering going back into Judaism (vs. 11)? Why is it that people always think the grass is greener on the other side? 6. In verse 12 we find the second warning in the Book of Hebrews, what is it? In light of verses 7-11, who did the writer of Hebrews warn the Hebrew Christians not to be like? How urgent was this warning according to verse 13? 7. What did the writer of Hebrews encourage the Hebrew believers to do in verse 13? (See Heb. 10:24, 25) Why do you think sin can be so deceitful? (See 2 Cor. 11:13-14) What are some practical ways that Christians can encourage one another today? Why is so important for us to encourage each other today? 8. What is the proof of true faith according to verse 14? Does this mean there won t be ups and downs in our lives and times that we stumble? How should the Christian respond when he or she sins? (See 1 John 1:9) 9. Four times the word today is used in chapter 3 demonstrating the urgency of the writer s warning (vs. 15). Why is it important to act today and not wait until tomorrow? What are some ways that we harden our hearts to sin today? What is the danger? 3

4 Part III: A warning against unbelief (Heb. 3:16-19) 1. What are some ways that the generation of Moses heard God and saw His miracles displayed (vs. 16)? (See Exod. 14:21-22; 16:12,31; 19:16-21) Did this keep the Israelites from sinning? What great things has God done in your life? Do you still rebel against Him? Why? 2. How long was God angry with that generation according to verse 17? Of the approximately 600,000 fighting men, how many died in the desert? How many of the men fighting age and over did God allow to enter the Promised Land Canaan? (See Num. 14:29-31) What will unbelief always lead to if not dealt with? 3. According to verse 18, who was punished? What was their punishment? How did rest in this instance relate to the Jews and the Promised Land of Canaan? Why is Israel called Palestine today and not Israel or Canaan? Why is it that a lack of trust always keeps us from receiving God s best? What are some areas in your life where you haven t trusted God like you should? 4. As stated, some 600,000 men died in the desert because of their unbelief, they did not enter the Promised Land of Canaan. However, the Israelites under the leadership of Joshua did enter the land (See Joshua 3:1-17), but found no lasting rest, ongoing battles have persisted in the land ever since (vs. 19). The writer of Hebrews is preparing to take his teaching a step further in chapter 4 as he begins referring to another kind of rest, what is it? In who is that rest found? 5. What stood out to you the most in our study of Hebrews chapter 3? Did you learn anything new from this chapter? What are 5 practical applications that you can apply to your life?

5 MINER S CORNER ~ Manna to live by! Jesus is greater than Moses and the Mosaic Law. As the ultimate Apostle, Jesus represents God to man; as the ultimate High Priest, Jesus represents man to God! With Jesus as our High Priest, we can go directly to Him in the heavenly Holy of Holies anytime in prayer, day or night! Moses was a faithful servant in the house of Israel ; Jesus is not only God s Son overseeing His house, He is the Creator of heaven and earth! A rebellious heart will anger God and likely cause us to spend time wandering in the wilderness! Sin is deceiving; Satan is the Father of lies and comes to us disguised as an angel of light! Unbelief will ultimately keep many people from entering the Promised Land Heaven! True believers in Christ are faithful in the end, despite the ups and downs of life! 5