“…fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle…”

                 You see it happen frequently in sports — comparisons.  How does this team’s offense compare to the other team’s defense?  How does this player line up against that player?  How close are their statistical averages?  Who is better, and who will have the advantage under what conditions?  The book of Hebrews is full of comparisons.  It compares many things to Christ: angels, Moses, priests, Melchizedek, etc.  But when the final word is in, there simply is no rival to God’s Son.

In the text above, the comparison is with Moses, the greatest leader of God’s people, the Jews, in the Old Testament.  We see the comparison with the words, “just as Moses,” in verse two.  The previous verse says that Jesus is “the apostle and high priest.”  Moses was no priest, but there were occasions where he acted like one, intervening frequently for the people, particularly when they had been disobedient.  But what about the description of apostle?

The first thing we need to understand is that the word apostle is not translated but transliterated from the Greek apostolos.  The original word meant “one sent out with authority, a messenger.”  Its earliest usage had to do with economic matters, with the one who was sent out having the approval and power to conduct his sender’s (usually his boss’) business.

We see this feature pertaining both to Jesus and Moses in verse two: “[Jesus] was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful…”  Both had God’s appointment.  Both were faithful.  Both were leaders of God’s people.  Of course, with Jesus such comparisons cannot hold up for long, and this is the extent that it goes for Moses.  The next verses clearly demonstrate it: “Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses … Moses was faithful as a servant in all of God’s house … But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house” (vs. 3, 5-6).  There is no match here and never could be when lining up a servant to the Son.  It’s like comparing the smallest of toy boats to the world’s largest ocean liner.  They both float, have the same general shape, carry objects, and go forward and backward.  There are no more comparisons other than these.

But since this is the only place in all the Bible for the word apostle to be used describing Jesus, is that significant?  Absolutely.  God didn’t write his book haphazardly.  If we back up into chapter two, we find some descriptions of Jesus related to his work of redemption to secure our salvation.  In fact, we see that word mentioned twice in 2:3.  The work of cross meant that Jesus had to be “made a little lower than the angels” and “taste death for everyone (2:9).  He also had to be made “perfect through suffering” (v. 10), a reference to him gaining familiarity of human suffering personally in his own experience, not suggesting there were inadequacies with the savior.  Again in verse 14 we read, “…he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is the devil…”  Further down in verse 17 we find, “For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way” and “that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.”  The final description is, “…he himself suffered when he was tempted…” (v. 18).

This whole focus on Christ’s humanity and suffering and death might give some readers the thought that he was not much different from them, if at all.  That is why you see the big transition in 3:1, “…fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle…”  This is the writer’s way of writing what Paul wrote in Philippians 2:9, “Therefore God has highly exalted him to the highest place…”  The writer draws our attention back to the fact that God appointed Jesus from eternity past in heaven to come to earth and do his work of redemption.  In the midst of contemplating his work we should not lose sight of his point of origin and return.  God himself appointed him.  God himself gave him the proper credentials (see John 6:27).  Numerous times in John’s gospel Jesus refers to himself as the one whom God sent, as in 20:21: “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you,” in other words, chosen by God with a life message to share.

Jesus originally chose 12 disciples, eleven of whom became apostles.  Is your life reflecting the work of the Apostle?  Can people understand your life message like they understood his?