Consider Jesus: Our Apostle, High Priest, and Son

Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house. For Jesus had been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. [00:07:16]

It's not our own righteousness that makes us holy. You know, it's not going to be St. John because of anything John's done or St. Mitch or whatever. That sounds a little like St. Nick in some ways. Well, anyhow, but it's not going to be that kind of a relationship or anything that happens, but we are holy brethren. Brethren means we're part of a family, right? We're brothers with Jesus Christ. We're brothers and sisters with one another. Part of our family is big. [00:09:23]

You're going through a difficult time. He says in here also that you are partakers, that is participants, of the heavenly calling along with God. He's got something with us. We are part of God's plan and He's calling. Our instructions come from heaven. They're not from earth. They're not from whatever's going on. They're not from whatever's happening out of Washington, D .C. or anything else. That's who we are in Jesus Christ and we're participants with that. Isn't that exciting? [00:10:00]

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Isn't that amazing? That's who we are. It's because of Jesus that He calls us the righteousness of God in Him. [00:10:50]

There's something interesting in that word that I did the title from consider Jesus when he uses that word right here it's not a suggestion it's a command in the Greek it's in the imperative hence I put an explanation point at the end of the message title there consider Jesus you gotta do that and the word there means to really think about it to ponder these things. [00:13:46]

There are no less than 11 11Greek words in the New Testament rendered consider.The one employed by the Holy Spirit in Hebrews 3 .1 signifies to thoroughly think of a matter so as to arrive at a fuller knowledge of it.That's what it means to consider. [00:16:26]

You know what?There's no greater activity we can do than to be considering and thinking about Jesus. Contemplating the things about him. Letting our minds be filled with who he is. If you get nothing else from this message, from any of the other points, and you leave here today and say, hey, I'm going to think more about Jesus, this message has done its job. [00:17:09]

Our confession of Jesus Christ as Lord. That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. Not maybe. He's the one we confess. And he calls him the apostle and high priest of that confession. Are you thinking about Jesus as the apostle and high priest? That's what we are called to be able to do. [00:17:56]

He cared enough to come. And he is the apostle. It's interesting. Notice there's the definite article there, and it shows up in the Greek too. He doesn't say, Jesus an apostle. He is the apostle. He is the one that was sent by God.And he was sent there for us. [00:18:53]

But we do want to see who did the owner of the vineyard send? His son. His most precious part of him that he sent there. He has done the same for us. Jesus is the apostle. He is the one who has been sent for you and for me. So think about that. Consider what that meant for God to come. [00:20:56]

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men and being found in appearances of man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death of the cross.Therefore God has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and those that are on the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. [00:21:47]

As the apostle, he speaks to us from God. As our high priest, he speaks for us to God.That's a great spot to have him. Have you considered it? Consider Jesus. Think of what he's doing. He is one who loves and cares for us enough to go ahead and to come and be obedient to everything that God has said. But then also, he's our advocate and speaks to God on our behalf. [00:24:23]

He says, guess what? He exceeds Moses.He is higher than Moses who they would have put on a huge pedestal and what he has done. And he says that he exceeds the faithfulness of Moses. Now, Moses was faithful. He acknowledges that right here. Look at what Moses had done. Everything that God had sent him to do in Exodus chapter 3, Moses was kind of reluctant to go. [00:27:45]

You know, Jesus was faithful in his ministry, wasn't he?Even in the difficulty and everything that he knew he would have to face. In John chapter 17 verses 4 and 5, he says this. He goes, I have glorified you. He's praying to the Father. I have glorified you on the earth. I have finished the work which you have given me to do.And now, O Father, glorify me together with yourself with the glory which I had with you before the world was. [00:29:52]

When we look at the faithfulness of Jesus Christ, we are not just looking backward at what he did at the cross. We're looking forward and we're looking at what he's doing in our lives right now as he is living to make intercession. [00:37:19]

He is the son over his house. That's pretty important, right?And we think about it and he makes a distinction in here as to the difference between Moses and Jesus.And Moses was faithful, he says, as a servant. But Jesus is faithful as a son. He's got a vested interest. [00:38:05]

But you know there's an interesting thing here because as he's faithful over his house he steps it up a notch and says and we are his house did you catch that he talked earlier about who we are in jesus christ all right when he calls us that that that we are saints and that we are partakers of the heavenly calling and all of those things but he says we are that house that he cares for that he's interested in that he looks out for and he says that so jesus has a great interest in the things concerning us. [00:40:52]

If i'm going to have someone who's going to intercede it's great that he's the son he's got access to the father when there's things that go on but he also has a vested interest in me because he has invested in me through the cross and he's invested in you through the cross but he's building us together and we are considered that house that's who i want interceding if i want someone to plead it's not an attorney that i hired it's someone that has a vested interest in what's going to happen right here. [00:41:33]

You also as living stones are being built up a spiritual house a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to god through jesus christ we're blocks and being built up together we are that house that he has that's a really nice picture isn't it as we sit there and we want to consider jesus and the fact that he is the son over his house and all that he's doing and we think about the greatness of jesus we come back and we need to consider jesus turn our thoughts towards him and to be looking to jesus. [00:42:08]

So this week let's consider jesus the apostle and high priest of our confession the one who exceeds the faithfulness of moses and the son over his house which you are. [00:44:16]

If you're one of those people that doesn't know jesus this way you need to consider him a different way consider that he loves you enough that he gave himself for you and if you don't have a relationship with jesus christ there's no better time than to to fix that right now that you might be able to consider him even as we have talked about. [00:44:38]