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| IS CHRIST BETTER? |
| The uniqueness of Jesus. |
| Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. 3:3 |
| In time, a work of art by a great artist gains enormous value because of its creator's reputation. Even a musty notebook full of scratchings, if found to be Leonardo da Vinci's would suddenly be worth millions of dollars. Similarly, every house designed by architech Frank Lloyd Wright retains high value simply because of his name. To dramatize his argument that Christ is superior to any religious system, the author of Hebrews uses an analogy: which has greater honor, the builder of a house or the house itself? Obviously, the builder has more honor; the house is just one expression of his genius. In a Category by Himself Likewise, Hebrews says, Christ has more honor than anyone else on earth. As creator of the universe, he actually designed and made all people (1:2). That puts him in a different category of greatness, far above Moses, Aaron, and other Jewish heroes. "Therefore," Hebrews urges, "fix your thoughts on Jesus" (3:1). He deserves all respect and allegiance. By becoming human, Jesus learned firsthand the temptations and sufferings that people undergo, so that he can now represent us sympathetically to God (4:14-15). The author goes on to prove that Jesus fulfilled all the Old Testament requirements. He was the one priest who could permanently bring together God and the human race (7:23-27). And, as God, he had the power through his death to remove the final barrier of sin between God and humankind (9:11-15). Free Access to God Over time, the author argues, God chose various ways to reveal himself: creation, the prophets, and the Old Testament Scriptures. But the final complete self-expression culminated |