How do we know that Jesus is greater than Moses?
“Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. ‘Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,’ bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house…” – Hebrews 3:3-6
During the Old Testament era, Moses was the greatest figure in the history of the nation of Israel. It was by the staff of Moses that God worked his ten dreadful plagues that liberated Israel from bondage. It was by the outstretched hands of Moses that God opened up the Red Sea. It was by the uplifted arms of Moses that God delivered Israel from the Amalekites. It was by the tablets that Moses carried down from fiery Mt. Sinai that Israel received the written Ten Commandments. It was by the pen of Moses that Israel received the entire Law by which they could enter the Promised Land. Moses alone ascended into the fire of God on Mt. Sinai to have face to face fellowship with God, who spoke to him as a man speaks to his friend (Ex. 33:11). Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant of God. So, when Aaron and Miriam grew bold against Moses and disparaged him, God spoke these words Numbers 12… defending the unique position of Moses in God’s house. “With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord.”
But Jesus is worthy of infinitely greater honor than Moses. So the author of Hebrews tells us. While Moses was faithful as a servant in God’s house, Jesus is faithful as a Son over God’s house. And while Moses spoke with God “face to face,” Jesus is perfectly one with God himself. Jesus is the “image of the invisible God.” (Col. 1:15) The Son is the “radiance of God’s glory and the exact imprint of his nature.” (Heb. 1:3) The phrase “exact imprint” is the translation of the Greek word karakter, referring to the exact likeness that comes from imprinting or engraving. When the Father looks at the face of his beloved Son, he sees his own image perfectly reflected there. The Father loves the Son with a perfect love because the Son is the perfect reflection of his own image.
“When the Father looks at the face of his beloved Son, he sees his own image perfectly reflected there.”
So while Moses had the privilege of speaking with God face to face, Jesus is the perfect reflection of God’s glorious face. And while Moses heard the words of God directly, not in riddles, Jesus himself is the Word of God perfectly. And while Moses saw the form of the Lord, Jesus is the exact representation and the image of the invisible God.
Jesus is therefore worthy of infinitely greater honor than Moses. Indeed, we will join Moses in worshiping the Jesus for all eternity.
