Jesus, Worthy of Greater Glory Than Moses
Pastor David Jang’s Hebrews Exposition, Lecture 5

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Pastor David Jang’s Hebrews Exposition Archive

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Cluster content connected to the pillar page for the complete Hebrews exposition · a transition point from chapters 1–4, which present the superiority of the Son, toward the theology of the high priest

1. The place of Lecture 5 in Hebrews: Jesus greater than Moses

Hebrews proclaims the superiority of Jesus Christ from the beginning. Hebrews 1 testifies that God spoke in many times and in many ways, but in these last days He has spoken through the Son. Jesus is not merely one prophet among others; He is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being. Hebrews 2 shows that this glorious Son suffered and became like His brothers and sisters, becoming the author of salvation who leads many sons and daughters to glory.

When Hebrews reaches chapter 3, the comparison turns to Moses. In the Jewish tradition of faith, Moses was not a figure to be treated lightly. He was the leader of the exodus, the one who received the law, and the servant of God who guided the people through the wilderness. For the recipients of Hebrews, Moses represented both faith and national identity. Therefore, when Hebrews compares Moses and Jesus, it is not merely comparing two individuals. It is comparing the old covenant and the new covenant, the ministry of a servant and the ministry of the Son, service within the house and the authority of the One who built the house.

This comparison does not seek to lower Moses. Hebrews clearly states that Moses was faithful in all God’s house. The issue is not Moses’ faithfulness, but the greater glory of Jesus Christ. If Moses was great, how much greater is Jesus, who built the very house that Moses served? If Moses was a servant who faithfully carried out what was entrusted to him within the house, Jesus is the Son who built and governs that house. This is the central logic of Hebrews 3:1–6.

In Lecture 5 of Pastor David Jang’s Hebrews exposition, this passage fixes the believer’s gaze once again on Jesus Christ. Faith is not completed by holding on to a great religious tradition or to a respected leader. Faith is renewed when we deeply consider Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God, the apostle, and the high priest.

2. “Holy brothers and sisters who share in the heavenly calling”

Hebrews 3:1 begins with the words, “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters who share in the heavenly calling.” In this one sentence, the identity of believers is contained. Believers are not simply people with religious interests. Believers are people who have received a heavenly calling. They do not interpret themselves only by earthly standards, worldly evaluations, or visible circumstances. They understand themselves within the purpose for which God has called them.

Hebrews also calls believers “holy brothers and sisters.” To be holy means to belong to God. Believers are not people who have produced holiness by themselves; they are people set apart within God’s calling. That calling does not remain merely individual. By using the word “share,” Hebrews emphasizes the communal nature of the Christian life. Faith is not an isolated inner activity. It is a life of being called together in God’s house and holding fast to hope together.

Remembering this identity is essential. Whenever believers are shaken, they must ask again where their calling comes from. They were not called by human approval, but by heaven. They were not called for worldly success, but to look to Jesus Christ. That is why the exhortation of Hebrews immediately continues with the command to “consider Jesus.”

3. The command to “consider Jesus”

The central exhortation of Hebrews 3:1 is this: “consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession.” Here, “consider” does not mean briefly recalling Jesus. It means looking at Him attentively, concentrating the heart on Him, and placing Him at the center of life. Hebrews asks where the believer’s thoughts are directed.

People are shaped by what they deeply consider. If they dwell on fear, fear grows larger. If they dwell on wounds, those wounds take the center of the heart. If they dwell on memories of failure, it becomes difficult to rise again. If they dwell on the opinions of others, they begin to follow social pressure more than faith. But when believers consider Jesus Christ, faith regains its center. When they look at who Jesus is, what He has accomplished, and who He continues to be for His people, their hearts stand again upon the gospel.

Pastor David Jang’s Hebrews exposition emphasizes this point. The recipients of Hebrews were living in unstable circumstances. They had experienced persecution and pressure, and they were tempted to return to a former and familiar system. To such people, Hebrews does not simply say, “try harder.” It first says, “consider Jesus.” The restoration of faith begins not with a stronger will, but with a restored gaze.

To consider Jesus does not mean repeating His name as a religious slogan. It means meditating on Him as the apostle sent by God, the high priest who brings us to God, and the Son who built the house of God. When the believer’s thoughts are fixed on Jesus Christ, faith receives direction again, even amid external shaking.

4. Jesus is the apostle sent by God

Hebrews calls Jesus “the apostle of our confession.” An apostle is one who has been sent. This expression shows that Jesus is the One who came to us from God. Jesus is not a path that human beings invented in order to reach God. Jesus is the way God sent to humanity. Jesus Christ is the One sent by God to reveal His will and His heart to us.

Moses was also a great servant who delivered the word of God. He stood before Pharaoh and proclaimed God’s command, delivered the law to the people of Israel, and declared God’s will in the wilderness. Yet there is a decisive difference between Moses and Jesus. Moses was one who received the word, but Jesus is the Word who became flesh and came among us. Moses delivered the word given within the house, but Jesus is the Son who fully reveals the will of God.

Jesus does not merely explain God. In Jesus, the character, will, and salvation of God are revealed. To look at Jesus is to see what God is like. Therefore, when Hebrews calls Jesus the apostle, it testifies that He is the final and complete revealer who has come from God.

Believers must build their faith upon this truth. They must not seek God by guesswork, but look to God as He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the One who came from God to us, and He is the One who has fully revealed God’s word and heart.

5. Jesus is the high priest who brings us to God

Hebrews also calls Jesus the “high priest.” If the title apostle shows the direction from God to humanity, the title high priest shows the direction from humanity to God. Jesus not only reveals God to us; He leads us to God. These two directions meet perfectly in Him.

In the Old Testament, the priest came before God on behalf of the people. Sacrifice was the place where the problem of sin was addressed, and the high priest stood before God as a mediator on behalf of the people. Yet the priests of the old covenant had to offer sacrifices repeatedly, and they themselves were weak human beings. In later chapters, Hebrews explains in greater detail that Jesus is the better high priest. Hebrews 3:1 introduces Jesus as high priest as the opening point of that larger flow.

Jesus is not merely the One who gives us knowledge about God. Jesus is the One who brings us to God when sin had made it impossible for us to draw near. He is the mediator, the way, and the ground of the believer’s confidence. Believers can approach God not because their own merit is sufficient, but because Jesus Christ stands as their high priest.

Therefore, the most important question on the path of faith is not only, “how much do I know?” The more fundamental question is, “upon whom is my heart now focused?” Those who consider Jesus discover again the way to come before God. Even when guilt and fear weigh down the heart, believers receive boldness to draw near to God in Jesus Christ, the high priest.

6. Moses is a faithful servant; Jesus is the Son of God

Hebrews 3 does not deny Moses’ faithfulness. On the contrary, Moses is presented as faithful in all God’s house. He obeyed God’s word during the exodus, led the people through the wilderness, and served faithfully in the work of declaring God’s will. Hebrews does not evaluate Moses as a failed leader. Moses was indeed a faithful servant in God’s house.

However, what Hebrews emphasizes is not the “difference in faithfulness” between Moses and Jesus, but the “difference in position.” Moses is the servant who served within the house; Jesus is the Son who built and governs the house. A servant faithfully performs the work entrusted to him. The Son, however, possesses the authority and inheritance of the house. The servant belongs within the house, but the Son represents the house. The servant carries out the master’s will, but the Son fully reveals and completes the Father’s will.

When this distinction is understood, the message of Hebrews 3:1–6 becomes clear. No matter how faithful Moses was, he was not God’s house itself, nor was he the owner of that house. He was one who served within the house. Jesus, by contrast, is the One who built God’s house. Just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself, Jesus, who built God’s house, is worthy of greater glory than Moses, who served within that house.

This also provides an important standard for the faith of believers today. In the life of faith, people sometimes rely heavily on visible leaders, traditions, systems, and experiences. Of course, God works through faithful servants. Yet believers must not hold on to a servant as though he were the master. However great Moses may be, he is not greater than Jesus. Faithful servants should be respected, but the worship and hope of believers must be fixed only on Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

7. Jesus Christ, the builder of God’s house

Hebrews 3:3 says that “the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.” This comparison is simple but powerful. If a house is beautiful and strong, the wisdom and ability of the builder are displayed. A house does not build itself. Every house has a builder. Hebrews uses this principle to explain the greater glory of Jesus Christ.

If Moses was faithful within God’s house, Jesus is the One who built that house. God’s history of salvation is not a collection of accidental events. God calls His people, gives His covenant, opens the way of salvation, and finally completes His will in Jesus Christ. Jesus is not a servant who merely handled one part within this history of salvation; He is the Son who builds God’s house.

Here, “house” does not simply mean a building. In Scripture, the house of God refers to the people who belong to God, the community in which God dwells, and those who worship God. Jesus is not merely the builder of structures made of stone and wood. He is the One who calls and builds the people who belong to God. In Him, believers become God’s house.

Therefore, the church cannot be explained merely by human talent or organizational strength. The church is God’s house, built and governed by Jesus Christ. At the center of the church there must be not human fame or tradition, but the authority of Jesus Christ. Believers must recover this perspective when they look at the church. The church is not a religious service that I consume; it is the house of God to which I belong. The owner of that house is not a human being, but Jesus Christ.

8. Who is the house of God?

Hebrews 3:6 says that “we are His house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.” Here, the house of God is not a building, but people. The believers and church community who believe in and follow Jesus Christ are God’s house. This statement explains the identity of believers in a profound way. Believers are not merely visitors to God’s house; in Christ, they are being built as God’s house.

This word is also very important for the doctrine of the church. The church is not a loose gathering of people who participate in worship programs. The church is God’s house, built and governed by Jesus. Therefore, believers in the church are not consumers but family, not spectators but members of the body. Believers are called to take responsibility for one another, hold fast to hope together, and walk the path of faith to the end.

Today many people view the church functionally. They first ask whether there are programs that benefit them, whether the atmosphere suits them, and how well their needs will be met. But Hebrews 3 offers a deeper perspective. Before the church is a space I choose and consume, it is the house of God built by Jesus Christ. Within that house, believers must consider not only their own benefit but also the faith and hope of the community.

The declaration “we are His house” is both glorious and weighty with responsibility. Believers called to be God’s house must acknowledge that Jesus is the master of that house. The direction of the church, the life of believers, and the hope of the community must all come from Jesus Christ. Not Moses but Jesus, not a servant but the Son, not a past system but Christ, the completed revelation, governs God’s house.

9. Faith that holds firmly to the confidence of hope

Hebrews 3:6 connects the identity of being God’s house with faith that holds firmly to the confidence and boast of hope to the end. Believers are called by grace, but that calling is revealed through enduring faith. Hebrews repeatedly exhorts believers not to drift away, not to harden their hearts, and not to shrink back. These exhortations are not given to create fear, but to awaken faith.

Holding firmly to the confidence of hope is not vague optimism. It is not an attitude that denies reality and assumes only good things will happen. The hope spoken of in Hebrews is the boldness that comes from knowing who Jesus Christ is. Jesus built God’s house, Jesus governs that house, and Jesus is the high priest who brings believers to God. Therefore, believers can hold on to hope even in unstable circumstances.

The life of believers includes times of shaking. There are times when faith becomes weak, times when one wants to return to former habits, and times when it is tempting to lean on visible authority and familiar systems. The recipients of Hebrews were also under such pressure. Yet Hebrews exhorts them to consider Jesus. Jesus is greater than the angels, worthy of greater glory than Moses, and the Son entrusted with God’s house.

Holding on to the end does not merely emphasize the strength of the believer. Believers do not endure by the power of their own will alone. The hope they hold is possible within the grace by which Jesus Christ first holds them. Because Jesus built the house, those who belong to that house can stand again by faith today. The confidence of hope is not built on the believer’s emotional state, but on the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.

10. The meaning of this passage within the Hebrews Exposition Archive

Within Pastor David Jang’s Hebrews Exposition Archive, Hebrews 3:1–6 is an important turning point. If Hebrews 1 and 2 display the superiority of Jesus Christ, His incarnation, His suffering, and the completion of salvation, then Hebrews 3:1–6 proclaims that this Jesus is the Son of God who is worthy of greater glory than Moses. This theme then expands into the identity of God’s house, that is, the church community.

To read Hebrews rightly, each exposition should not be treated merely as an independent sermon. Hebrews has the flow of one long exhortation. Jesus is the Son who came as God’s final Word, and He is the author of salvation who leads many sons and daughters to glory through suffering. He is also worthy of greater glory than Moses, and as the true high priest He leads believers to God. After this, Hebrews proceeds to the themes of rest, the high priest, the new covenant, the race of faith, the unshakable kingdom, and discipleship outside the gate.

Within this larger flow, Hebrews 3:1–6 adjusts the believer’s gaze. Believers must respect great servants such as Moses, but they must look to Jesus Christ, who is greater than all servants. As those who belong to God’s house, believers must consider Jesus deeply. They must also hold firmly to the confidence of hope to the end. This is the central place Lecture 5 holds within the entire archive.

11. Application today: What am I considering deeply?

Hebrews 3:1–6 asks believers today a very practical question: What am I considering most deeply right now? Is it worry, the evaluation of others, memories of failure, wounds, or Jesus Christ? The center of one’s thoughts determines the direction of life. When fear is looked at for a long time, faith becomes small. When the opinions of others are looked at for a long time, obedience becomes shaken. But when Jesus Christ is deeply considered, the heart returns to the center of the gospel.

This passage also renews the way believers look at the church. Am I seeing the church merely as a familiar gathering or a place of activity? Am I treating the church only as a religious space that meets my needs? Hebrews 3 teaches us to see the church as God’s house, built and governed by Jesus. Believers in God’s house are not people who preserve faith alone. They are people who walk to the end together with holy brothers and sisters who share in the heavenly calling, holding fast to hope together.

Finally, this passage exhorts believers to hold firmly to the confidence of hope. The path of faith includes shaking. Yet whenever believers are shaken, they must remember again: Jesus, who is worthy of greater glory than Moses, has built God’s house. He is not a servant but the Son, and He is the Lord who governs that house to the end. The hope of believers is not built on self-confidence, but on the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.

What believers need today is not a new object of faith, but faith that sees Jesus anew. The exhortation of Hebrews is simple and deep: “consider Jesus.” Look to the Son of God, who was sent by God, who leads us to God as our high priest, and who is worthy of greater glory than Moses. In Him, believers are built as God’s house and can walk the path of faith, holding firmly to the confidence of hope to the end.

Hebrews 3:1–6 leads the believer’s gaze to Jesus Christ. Moses was a faithful servant in God’s house. His ministry is precious, and his faithfulness should be honored. Yet Jesus is worthy of greater glory than Moses, because Jesus is the Son who built and governs God’s house. Therefore, believers must not remain merely under the weight of human authority or tradition, but must deeply consider Jesus Christ. Jesus is the apostle who came from God, and He is the high priest who leads us to God. He is also the Son entrusted with God’s house, the Lord who builds believers into that house. Believers called to be God’s house must hold firmly to the confidence and boast of hope to the end. This confidence does not come from the self. It comes from knowing who Jesus Christ is. When believers look to Jesus, the One worthy of greater glory than Moses, the Son who built God’s house, and the Lord who holds His people to the end, they can walk the path of faith today.