Jesus is greater than moses

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ set your minds on the realities of Heaven, where Christ sits at God's right hand in the place of honour and power. Let Heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. For you died when Christ died and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-4)

The aim of the letter is to affirm the superiority of Jesus above all. He was shown to be greater than the prophets who were a very respected group of people; considered to have God's ear. God spoke to His people, through the prophets, throughout the ages. The point was that Jesus was greater than them in as much as God has spoken through His Son. They all had bits of the jigsaw. Jesus was the full picture. So we saw that Jesus is greater than the prophets.

The next step was to show that He is greater than the angels. At that time there was a strong belief in angels. That wasn't a problem. The problem was that they were being asked to believe that the angels could open the way in to the presence of God.  They couldn't. There is only one way in to the presence of God and that one way was Jesus. "I am the way, the truth and the life no one comes to the Father except by me" So we saw that Jesus is greater than the angels.

Now the assertion is taken one step further. These people were on the point of returning to that which they had received from their forefathers from the teaching of Moses. When we face uncertainty the tendency is to pull back to what is familiar rather than press on in to the unknown.

They were making comparisons. Moses had delivered their forefathers from their Egyptian bondage. Jesus had not delivered them from their Roman bondage. They could not yet see that He had come to deliver them from a greater bondage. Moses had instigated the tabernacle service. Jesus hadn't added any such inspiring ritual to them. They could not see that God's purpose was to build a temple made out of living stones. Neither could they see that the way in to the presence of God was not through their own efforts to keep Moses' law but through the law of Moses having been totally fulfilled in Christ Jesus.

Moses had a unique place in their hearts. God had spoken to him as a man speaks with a friend. He had been in the presence of God and received the commandments which were the essence of their way of life. He was ranked higher than the angels. God said of him that he was the most faithful in His entire household. He was a leader of great renown. So now, having shown that Moses was greater than the Angels the writer sets out to establish that Jesus is greater than the greatest man of Israel. He was faithful to speak all that God told him to speak. He was faithful to accomplish all that God gave him to accomplish. He argued with God. But he obeyed Him. He was a remarkable man. His faithfulness was unique even when the people he led were unfaithful.  No one could conceivably closer to God. That's why the point is made; the Son is more faithful. He is counted as more worthy of glory than Moses. So he writes; consider Jesus as the apostle of faith & as the high priest.

AS THE APOSTLE OF FAITH
This is the only reference to Him as apostle. He was sent as an apostle of the Good News to a fallen world. He was god's ambassador. He was sent with the authority and power of God. He was the undiluted voice of God.

AS  THE HIGH PRIEST OF THE FAITH
A priest is a pontifex (bridge builder) over the chasm of sin that separates man from God. To do that he must know God and he must know man. Jesus is the high priest because He is perfectly God and perfectly man. He is the only one who ever has, can and will ever be able to fulfil that function. That's what makes Him the apostle of faith. That's what makes Him the high priest of the faith.
Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses because His relationship was more exalted than that between Moses and God. Moses was God's servant. Jesus was God's Son. Moses was faithful as a servant in God's house. Jesus was faithful as a Son over His house.

This passage concludes with these words: we are god's household if we keep up our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ. The way to do that is to set your minds on the realities of heaven Let Heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down  here on earth. The reality is that Jesus is greater than the prophets; greater than the angels and He's greater than Moses.

​Article by Mick Smith
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