Think of Jesus

My Christian friends, who also have been called by God! Think of Jesus, whom God sent to be the High Priest of the faith we profess. He was faithful to God, who chose him to do this work, just as Moses was faithful in his work in God’s house. A man who builds a house receives more honour than the house itself. In the same way Jesus is worthy of much greater honour than Moses. (verses 1-3)

Read Hebrews 3:1-11

Think of Jesus. It may not sound like much to you, but to the first readers of the letter to the Hebrews this was a landmark statement, because from this point on the writer of the letter demonstrated that Jesus was greater than Moses.

What a contentious point that would have been for these Hebrew Christians. Wasn’t Moses God’s chosen leader of Israel? Didn’t Moses lead Israel out of slavery in Egypt through the Red Sea into the Promised Land? Wasn’t Moses the bringer of the covenant of God to the people of God? How could Jesus be greater than that?

Simple really. In Jesus all these great acts of Moses were duplicated, but on a higher plane. Jesus led all people out of the slavery of sin and death. He shows us the path to an eternal promised land, heaven. His covenant is not written in stone but on our hearts with his blood of suffering and death on the cross. His covenant brings us forgiveness, life and love. So think of Jesus.

Lord, by your Spirit’s power help me to always think of Jesus, so that, no matter what the situation is around me, I know that you are with me. Amen.

by Rev Tom Peitsch, in ‘Living Water for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2001)

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