Sunday sermons | Passionate worship

This sermon was preached by Pastor Keith Cardwell at Swift Presbyterian Church.

Jesus Is Greater Than Moses
Hebrews 3:1–6
Feb. 5, 2017
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time • Chaplains’ Sunday

L EADER, LAWGIVER AND HERO. Moses is among the most revered ancestors in Jewish thought. While Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are renowned for their faithfulness, Moses is known as a great leader and the one through whom God led his people to the promised land.

You know his story. Cathy shared it earlier [in “Time with the Children”]. Saved from death. Hebrew in the pharaoh’s palace. Murderer. Refugee. Called by God. Plagues. The Red Sea and freedom. Leader during wilderness wandering. Lawgiver.

That’s true. However, the writer of Hebrews sets out to prove that Jesus of Nazareth is even greater. Fix your attention on Jesus. Over and again that’s the message of Hebrews. Jesus is the greatest because he is the Son of God.

Jesus is the greatest because he is the exact representation of God. Jesus is the greatest because he sits at God’s right hand — the position of greatest honor and authority. Jesus is greatest because he is savior. Jesus is greater than the angels. Jesus is greater than Moses. Jesus is the greatest.

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FIX YOUR EYES UPON JESUS. That doesn’t simply mean to look at him. Or to read his words or read about him. To invoke his name is not in any sense really seeing Jesus. To fix our attention on Jesus is to focus on him in such a way that we may learn what he has to teach us. If we are to ever learn and live Christian faith and truth, a lackluster, disinterested, detached glance is never enough.

There must be a concentrated gaze that we see, understand, and stand firm the way Jesus sees, understands and stands firm for God. Jesus is the greatest.

The writer of Hebrews in no way wants to diminish the role of Moses. He does not trash Moses. He does not put down Moses so that Jesus can look better in comparison. That’s often the way we operate. Trash someone else so our hero is seen in better light. Demean others with the intent that our team, our side, our country, our family, our religion, our view, our race comes across as better.

The writer does not throw Moses under the bus. Moses is praised. Moses is lifted up. Moses is revered. Moses’ leadership and lawgiving are affirmed and honored and praised. There’s no question that Moses is great!! But Jesus is superior even to the great Moses.

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FOR US, LIKE LAST WEEK, this might be a no-brainer. Of course Jesus is greater than Moses. But let’s expand that idea. Let’s look at leaders and lawgivers. Let’s see, learn, understand and live that Jesus is greater than any leader and lawgiver of our time, or of our history.

Jesus is greater than George Washington. Jesus is greater than FDR. Jesus is greater than JFK. Jesus is greater than Ronald Reagan. Jesus is greater than Barack Obama. Jesus is greater than President Trump.

This is not a Democratic sermon or a Republican sermon. This is a Christ sermon. There are policies proposed by Democrats that are antithetical to Christ. There are policies proposed by Republicans that are antithetical to Christ. How does a follower of Christ respond? We stand firm for policies that fulfill the commands of Christ. We stand firmly against policies that oppose Christ.

Let us look at our heroes. Biblical heroes. David. Peter. Pricilla and Aquilla. Christians’ heroes. Early church martyrs who died for their faith. Mother Teresa and her work among the poorest of the poor. Dorothy Day who worked for such social causes as pacifism and women’s suffrage through the prism of the Catholic Church. Jesus is greater than any of them, all of them.

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JESUS IS GREATER THAN LEADERS and heroes in our family — our fathers, our moms or grandparents whom we hold in great esteem. Or in our schools. Jesus is greater than that student you look up to, the one you wish you were like. Jesus is greater than our military heroes and our civic heroes.

Jesus is greater than our celebrity heroes. We might like their music. They might be great actors. But Jesus is greater. Sports heroes. As you watch the Super Bowl today remember that Jesus is even greater than Foley’s own Julio Jones or Tom Brady. Jesus is greater than any hero, leader or lawgiver ever.

Christians serve God alone. Our allegiance as Christians is to God alone. We serve Him alone. We worship Him alone. His will is our will. His ways are our ways. His desires are our desires. He alone deserves our full and complete obedience. Fix your attention on Jesus. Focus on him in such a way that you may learn what he has to teach and live as he calls us to live. Because Jesus is greater than any of our leaders, and lawgivers, and heroes.

— Keith Cardwell

Hebrews 3:1–6
New International Version

Jesus Greater Than Moses

3 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. 2 He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. 3 Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 4 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,”[a] bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. 6 But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house,if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.