For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. Hebrews 3.3

Fix your mind
The writer of Hebrews makes it clear that those who have begun to partake of the really real heavenly calling from God must be in it for the duration. They must hold fast their conviction and hope, “firm to the end” (v. 14). If they do, they will not earn God’s rest because of anything they have done; rather, they will demonstrate that they are the very people – holy brethren – for whom that rest has been prepared from before the foundation of the world.

But they must persist in this heavenly calling of being faithful to God through all the days of their lives.

So the writer urges his readers, as part of being faithful to Him Who called them, to consider Jesus, to strive for the glory of Jesus, and to fix their minds on Jesus as the key to knowing daily strength for faithfulness (Heb. 12.1, 2). What does this entail?

Is it really possible to look to Jesus to consider Him? As Peter admitted, we can’t see Him now, in His exalted state (1 Pet. 1.8). He doesn’t come into our communities in bodily form, like He did in Israel in that day. We can’t really talk with Him like His first followers did.

Still, the apostle Paul said that we can see the glory of God in the face of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4.6), and that we should set our minds on Him and all the things that are above, in the heavenly realm (Col. 3.1-3). There must be some means by which we can consider Jesus and thus know His glory and find sustaining power to help us remain in our heavenly calling all the days of our lives.

So how shall we look to Him?

Where to look
The writer of Hebrews admits that he learned to look to Jesus by paying attention to those who had known Him, listening carefully to their words, and laying hold on them with faith (Heb. 2.1-4). As he heard the apostles and studied the Scriptures of the Old Testament, the picture of Jesus presented there began to become increasingly clear.

Considering Jesus begins and must be rooted in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament.

The writer saw Jesus being taught in the Psalms – such as Psalm 2, 45 and 110 (cf. Heb. 1.5. 8, 9, 13). He understood Jesus was written about in such historical books as 2 Samuel, Genesis, and Exodus, as well as in several of the prophets – which Old Testament books he cites or quotes in the process of developing his own portrait of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus had said that all the Scripture was about Him (Jn. 5.39), and the writer of Hebrews took Him at His word.

The lesson is plain: Jesus is being revealed in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament. Wherever we read or study in the Scripture, Jesus is present, making Himself known. We can see Jesus throughout the Bible, and consider Him as He is presented to us, in all His majesty, beauty, and power. Our responsibility is to read the Bible in such a way as to recognize what God is revealing about His Apostle and our High Priest, Jesus Christ.

The need for discipline
Now it’s certain we will have a difficult time considering Jesus, knowing the glory that radiates from Him, and laying hold more firmly on our heavenly calling if we do not take the time to read and study Scripture regularly. The life to which we have been called by God involves letting His Word dwell richly within us, and especially, learning to see Jesus in all the pages and passages of the Bible.

This is hard work in any age, but in a day like ours, when reading is largely scorned, study is considered a waste of time by many, and distractions abound on every hand, unraveling the mysteries of Scripture and the revelation of Jesus Christ can be an elusive pursuit. Many people who claim to believe in Jesus have not yet begun to consider Him as He is revealed in His Word. Such people will find it difficult to sustain the pace or realize the joy of their heavenly calling.

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable to equip us for the good work of pursuing our heavenly calling (2 Tim. 3.15-17). And all Scripture has something to teach us about Jesus Christ, the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12.2). If we have begun to share in our heavenly calling, looking to Jesus in Scripture will be an important part of our being faithful to Him Who calls us.

For reflection
1.  Meditate on Psalm 45. Can you see how the writer of Hebrews might see Jesus in this psalm?

2.  Now do the same for Psalm 100.

3.  What other passages of the Old Testament come to mind when you think about considering Jesus?

Next steps – Transformation: Start right away to consider Jesus in all your Bible reading. Keep a notebook or journal where you jot down thoughts about Jesus as He reveals Himself throughout the pages of Scripture. Like the writer of Hebrews, share what you are learning with the people around you.

T. M. Moore

The Christian life is one of joy in the Spirit. We are called to be bringers of joy to the world. Our booklet, Joy to Your World!,shows why Jesus is the great Good News of Christmas. It’s the perfect stocking-stuffer for friends and coworkers. Order your copies by clicking here.

A PDF of this week’s study, Our Heavenly Calling, is available by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.