Christ is Greater Than…

…Abraham, Moses, David

After Jesus promised the woman at the well that He could give her living water, she asked Him, “Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?” (John 4:12). Jesus was greater than Jacob and He was able to demonstrate that to her to the point she shared with her fellow Samaritans that she had met the Messiah. Jesus would claim openly during His ministry “indeed a greater than Jonah is here” and “indeed a greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:41,42).

What made Jesus greater than these other great men of Biblical antiquity? He was not the richest and definitely not the most noble.

Abraham

During one confrontation with Jesus the Jews leveled a series of challenging questions at Him. “Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Who do You make Yourself out to be?” (John 8:53). The answer to the question is: yes, Jesus was and is greater than Abraham.

To be a Jew or a chosen child of God was to claim Abraham as one’s ancestor. He was the father of many nations, especially from Judah the tribe of the Messiah. He was a friend of God (Js. 2:23).

Abraham set a great example of faith for all Israelites to emulate (Heb. 11:13-17). Jesus referred to “paradise as “Abraham’s bosom”. Even today we are of the seed of Abraham, through Christ, “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:29).

Jesus was superior to the nature and character of father Abraham. Although Abraham had great faith in God, Jesus Himself is the object of our faith unto salvation (John 3:16) and He is the author of our faith (Heb. 12:1,2). Christ is the very Son of God, while Abraham was merely a friend of God. Abraham was morally good and his faith was reckoned to Him as righteousness (Rom. 4:22); Christ was perfect, (Heb. 4:15).

All of humanity has benefitted for generation to generation by the work of Christ.

• Whereas Abraham interceded for the innocent people in the doomed city of Sodom (Gen. 18), Jesus is the mediator for all mankind (2 Tim. 2:5).
• Abraham was a great leader; Christ is a great Savior.
• Abraham was the father of many nations in the middle east. Christ’s Kingdom is universal and cannot be shaken (Daniel 2:44). His Kingdom is composed of all the saints of all nations of all ages.
• Jesus is King of kings over a victorious Kingdom. Abraham was a nomad.

Though Abraham was dead; but Christ claimed immortality for Him and His disciples, “Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death” (John 8:51). Christ was before Abraham was born, “Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM’” (John 8:58). Abraham rejoiced at Christ’s coming, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad” (John 8:56). Abraham was mortal while Christ immortal.

Moses

In Acts 7:37 during his sermon, Stephen quoted a prophecy of Moses which compared Jesus to Moses. “This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear.’ (See Deut. 18:15-18). Jesus was a lot like Moses. Both Moses and Jesus had been preserved from death in infancy (Ex. 1:22; Mt. 2:12). They worked miracles. Moses fasted forty days and nights while receiving the Law on Mount Sinai. Jesus fasted forty days while being tempted in the wilderness. They were both voluntarily poor (Heb. 11:27; Phil. 2:6). Both had a very intimate relationship with God. Jesus as the Son of God and of Moses it is said, “The Lord knew him face to face.”

Despite their all they had in common; Jesus was superior to Moses.

• Christ was the Cornerstone, foundation, builder, purchaser, and architect of the church the New Kingdom. Moses was a mere stone of the old Kingdom.
• The Hebrew writer said of Jesus, “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. For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. (Heb. 3:3-6).
• Christ was the “Son” set “over God’s houses”. Moses was only a “servant” within.
• Christ is the incarnate “Word of God.” Moses was only His forerunner (3:5).
• Moses bore “testimony” to “those things which were afterward to be spoken”. God would speak “in his Son” (Heb. 1:2).
• Moses merely wrote by inspiration the five books of the Torah. Christ is the Word the New Testament.
• Moses needed animal blood for the Old; Christ used his own blood for the New (Mt. 26:28).
• Moses was a sinner and needed the blood of Christ; Christ was perfect, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

David

The immensity of David’s repertoire cannot be underestimated. He was anointed King by Samuel because of what God saw within the young man’s heart (1 Sam. 16:1,13). He was a skilled musician in Saul’s court (1 Sam. 16:21-23). David became a hero of faith and a champion of Israel with the slaying of the philistine giant named Goliath (1 Sam. 17). During his long, illustrious military career he conquered Jerusalem and many of the nations around Israel. He was not only a king but a prophet of God. He was called “a man after God’s own heart.” Jesus is called his son (Mt. 9:27). David demonstrated a golden character is behaving wisely (1 Sam. 18:14,30); being loyal to King Saul, in his ability to weep over the misfortunes of his enemies, displaying meekness, 1 Sam. 24:7; 26:11), showing mercy (2 Sam. 19:23); being just (2 Sam. 8:15); great courage (1 Sam. 17); and a penitent heart (2 Sam. 12; Psalm 51).

Like Moses, there is evidence for a strong type-antitype relationship with Christ. The psalms uses him as a type of Christ (Ps. 2; 16; 18:43; 20; 21; 26; 29). Christ is said to be on the throne of David. Both David and Jesus were shepherds and kings. “David” is a prophetic name for Christ (Jer. 30:9; Ezek. 34:23,24; 37:24,25; Hos. 3:5). Both were greatly loved and then hated. Finally, both have endless continuance. “His name shall endure forever.”

Yet Christ is indeed superior to David in many ways.

• David was merely a son of Abraham through genealogy, but Christ is the Son of God.
• David was only a prophet and King; Christ was also a priest.
• David was not permitted to build the temple; Christ built a spiritual temple.
• David is in his tomb; Christ left us an empty tomb.  Peter preached on the day of Pentecost “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day” (Acts 2:29).
• David is not in heaven but in hades; Christ is in Heaven. Again, Peter on Pentecost claimed that David, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. …“For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand” (Acts 2:31,34).
• David’s Kingdom stretched over the Middle east; Christ is over all the world generation after generation.
• Finally, David sinned by committing fornication, and murder; Christ was sinless.

The glorious superiority of Christ is shared with all those who have a spiritual relationship with him when they are saved by His grace. Through Him we are both kings (Rev. 1:6) and part of a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). We are a built together as a temple (Eph. 2:19,21). In Him we are blessed with wisdom (James 1:5); riches (Matthew 6:19,20; Col. 2:3); strength (Phil. 4:13) and made perfect (Col. 2:10). Through Him we are made to become more than conquerors (Romans 8). Finally, our death is not something that is a defeat or to be feared (1 Cor. 15; Heb. 2:14,15) but it is gain (Phil. 1:21). John explains, “you are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

…Jonah, Soloman, Aaron

Jonah

Biblical typology is a trope of interpretation where a person or event is a “type” representing something greater in a future person of event which is called the “antitype”. Jonah and the events of his life often serve as a type to the life of Christ (antitype). For example, both Jonah and Jesus were from Galilee, both slept in a boat during a violent storm, and both were called to preach the message of repentance.

• Jonah was sent to the Gentile city of Nineveh (Jonah 1:1-2; 3:1-2). Jesus was sent to call all men everywhere to salvation (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 17:30).
• Jonah was willing to sacrifice his life for his shipmates, (Jonah 1:12). Jesus was willing to sacrifice His life for the world (John 1:29; 1 Tim. 2:6).
• After his sacrifice, Jonah was placed in the belly of the fish (Jonah 2:1) and after Jesus’ sacrifice, He was placed into a tomb (Luke 23:53).
• After three days the sea creature vomited Jonah out upon dry ground (Jonah 2:10). Jesus resurrected from the dead after three days in the tomb (Luke 24:7,46).
• Jonah next went and carried out his mission (Jonah 3:1-3). Jesus resurrected and finished His mission and commissioned the Apostles (Acts 1 & 2).
• Jonah preached that Nineveh would be destroyed in forty days if they did not repent (Jonah 3:4). Following His resurrection, Jesus taught for forty days before His ascension and gave the apostles the mission to continue preaching (Acts 1:3,8).
• Jonah’s preaching brought about repentance and faithful obedience, which resulted in the salvation of Nineveh, Jonah 3:8-10). Today, people are being saved through the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus (Mark 16:15-16).

Although Jesus shares many similarities with Jonah, He is greater than Jonah. The scribes and Pharisees came to test Jesus by demanding of Him a sign, Jesus responded by saying to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here” (Matthew 12:39-41).

Jonah resisted God’s will by is disobedience. When Jonah was successful in preaching repentance with Nineveh responding in mass, he lacked mercy and hoped God would not demonstrate mercy toward the city. In contrast, Jesus’ ministry was filled with compassion and mercy. “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). He had perfect obedience to the Father. – He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). Greatest contrast is that Jonah died and is awaiting the final resurrection. Jesus is the Resurrection (John 11:25).

Solomon

Jesus went on to tell the scribes and the Pharisees that He was even greater than Solomon. “The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:42). Solomon was indeed a great King over Israel. He built up and expanded the kingdom to is greatest extent. He built the Temple in Jerusalem. Solomon was not only very rich and famous but was the wisest of men. He also serves as a type of Jesus (Ps. 45:2-17; 72). Both Jesus and Solomon were Kings, builders of Temples and great kingdoms having ascended to the throne of David.

However, Jesus is clearly superior to Solomon. Christ has greater wisdom (Lk. 11:31). In Christ, ”are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3). Christ is richer (Mt. 6:28,29). His Temple is greater and Kingdom is greater (Ac. 7:46-47). Jesus was morally perfect in contrast to Solomon who committed idolatry because of the influence of his many foreign and pagan wives (Neh. 13:26).

Aaron

Moses’ brother, Aaron was one of the great leaders of Israel. He served as a spokesman for Moses (Ex. 7:1,2). He judged Israel in absence of Moses (Ex. 24:14). He along with his brother delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage (Ex. 6:13; 26,27). God chose him to be the first High Priest (Ex. 28:29). He is called “the holy one of the Lord” (Ps. 106:16).

The writer of the epistles to the Hebrews says Christ’s priesthood is superior to that of Christ’s.

• First, Jesus was of another descent. He belonged to the Tribe of Judah, not Levi from which high priest descended from Aaron (7:14,17). Thus, he must be of the priestly order of Melchizedek (7:15).
• The Levitical Priesthood was imperfect (7:17); however, Christ’s priesthood is perfect forever (7:28).
• The Levitical Priesthood under Aaron had weaknesses and was therefore useless (7:18) and made nothing perfect (7:19). Yet Christ’s priesthood gives us a better hope (7:20).
• Whereas Christ’s priesthood was consecrated with an oath, Aaron’s was not (7:20-22).
• Jesus’ priesthood is non-transferable (7:23-25), because He lives forever. The priests of Aaron lineage grew old and died and left the office to another.

Christ is forever making our intercession. Verse twenty-six tells of Jesus’ holy character “for such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens.” Many of the High Priest in Aaron’s line were wicked (7:28). Aaron made the golden calf (Ex. 32). Along with his sister, Miriam, Aaron was jealous of Moses (Num. 12:1). Aaron sinned presumptuously with Moses when he smote the rock (Num. 20:10-12). Finally, because of his sinful disobedience with Moses in the striking of the rock for water, Aaron was not permitted to enter the promise land (Num. 20:12; 23-29).

Christ’s administering of His Priesthood involved a perfect Sacrifice (7:27). Under the Old Covenant the priests sacrificed “daily” and “the same sacrifices year by year”. Christ’s sacrifice was once for all. The priests of the old Temple offered first for their own sins; Christ made no offering for himself but offered Himself up as the perfect sacrifice. Their offerings could not remove sin (Heb. 9:22) yet Christ’s could (Mt. 26;28).

Aaron ministered in the tabernacle and future High Priests in the Temple. They could only enter the holy of holies once a year on the behalf of the nation, but Christ our intercessor has enabled us to “draw near unto God” (Heb. 7:25; 10:19-20). In contrast, Christ had been exalted above the heavens to minister in heaven itself (7:26).

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:14-16).

…Angels, Other Teachers, Death

Napolean’s Assessment

Napoleon wrote,

“But can you conceive of a dead man making conquests with an army faithful and entirely devoted to his memory? My armies have forgotten me, even while living, as the Carthaginian army forgot Hannibal. Such is our power! A single Battle lost crushes us, and adversity scatters our friends.

Can you conceive of Caesar as the eternal Emperor of the Roman senate, and from the depths of his mausoleum governing the empire, watching over the destinies of Rome? Such is the history of the world by the invasion of Christianity. Such is the power of the God of the Christians. Nations pass away, thrones crumble, but the church remains.

Christ speaks, and at once generations become his by stricter, closer ties than those of blood. He lights up the flames of a love which consumes self-love, which prevails over every other love.
An extraordinary power of influencing and commanding men has been given to Alexander, Charlemagne and myself, but with us the presence has been necessary, the eye, the voice, the hand. Whereas Jesus Christ has influenced and commanded His subjects without His visible bodily presence for eighteen hundred years.

I have inspired multitudes with such a devotion that they would have died for me, but to do this it was necessary that I should be visibly present. But across a chasm of 1800 years Jesus makes a demand which is above all others, difficult to satisfy. He asks for the human heart, he demands it unconditionally, and forthwith it is granted. In defiance of time and space the soul of man with all its power becomes an annexation to the empire of Christ. All who sincerely believe in Him experience that remarkable supernatural love toward Him. This phenomenon is unaccountable; it is altogether beyond the scope of man’s creative powers. Time, the great destroyer, is powerless to extinguish the sacred flame.” (Robert E. Speer, The Man Christ Jesus, pp. 241,242).

Napoleon’s assessment of the greatness of Jesus Christ is supported by Scriptures which have shown us that Jesus is superior.

Angels in Heaven

God has not only created all the animals of the world and also mankind to have dominion over all His creation, but he has created a host in heaven of spiritual beings called, Angels. They are holy (Mt. 25:31); mighty (Ps. 103:20); wise (2 Sam. 14:20); innumerable, Job. 25:3; Heb. 12:22) and one angel was powerful enough to destroy 185,000 of the King Sennecrib’s Assyrian army that was threatening Jerusalem.

Despite the greatness of Angels, the Son of God is far superior. Angels were created by God and Christ (Col. 1:16) and therefore subject to Him (Eph. 1:21; 1 Pet. 3:22). They have honored Christ in His mission to save mankind. They were at His conception and birth (Luke 1:31; 2:10-12) at His resurrection (Lk. 24:22) and at His ascension (Ac. 1:11). They ministered to Christ after His forty days of temptation by the Devil in the wilderness (Matthew 4:11). Angels Execute the purposes of Christ (Mt. 13:41; 24:31). In the end of time, the Angels will be at His Second Coming.

Additionally, the book of Hebrews in chapter one tells of the greatness of Jesus in contrast to the Angels. Jesus has a greater name, “having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? (Heb. 1:4,5a). He has a closer relationship with the Father, “I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son”? (1:5b). Jesus never worshiped an angel, but they were commanded by God to worship Him. “But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: ‘Let all the angels of God worship Him’” (1:6). Angels are not to be worshiped, period (Rev. 19:10; 22:9). Angels are the servants of His servants. “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” (1:14).

Other Teachers

Many have characterized Jesus as just a great moral teacher of men. Some will go as far as to claim that Jesus was perhaps the greatest teacher but will not recognize Him as divine. Jesus is clearly seen in the Gospels as superior all to the greatest of the teachers of His day.

• The Pharisees were considered during the first century to be the great moral teachers of the Law. However, they were often cruel and violent against their religious adversaries (Acts 7:53f; 8:1-4; 9:1-2). Jesus was kind even though He could also firmly rebuke.
• The Pharisees sought after distinguished titles (Mt. 23: 7-10). Christ called them hypocrites and blind guides vipers.  He was the Son of God.
• They were outwardly moral (Lk. 18:11), but Christ morally perfect.
• They were oppressive on their students the Jews (Mt. 23:4); yet Jesus gave freedom.
• Whereas Christ was totally righteous in the eyes of God, they were only considered righteous by themselves and the people, they were self-righteous (Lk. 16:15,18,19).
• They were liars, Jesus is the Truth (Jn. 8:44).

Jesus was greater in character than that of the Sadducees. They denied the resurrection (Mt. 22:23). Christ taught it and arose. They refused baptism of John (Mt. 3:7). Christ was baptized of John.

Jesus was seen by the populous as superior in His teaching authority. “When Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Mt. 7:28-29). His teaching was able to silence other teachers. “When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way” (Mt. 22:24). They said and did not do. Christ practiced what He preached.

Death

Death has been greatly feared by mankind since Adam and Eve first sinned in the garden (Heb. 2:14). Death has the power to destroy the flesh (Gen. 3:19) and alienate man’s soul from His Creator (Eph. 4:18). Death is certain and inevitable (Heb. 9:27; Rom. 3:23; 6:23). Death levels all ranks and classes of mankind (Job 3:17-19). The dead are soon forgotten (Eccl. 9:5). It strips the wealthiest of their riches (1 Tim. 6:7). And it can lead the wicked to the second death (Rev. 2:11).

But thanks be to Christ and His resurrection He can deliver us from the fear of death (Heb. 2:14,15); from spiritual death (Eph. 2:5); from eternal death (Jn. 3:16); and even from the second death (Rev. 20:5,6). In His resurrection from the dead, Christ abolished (2 Tim. 1:10), conquered (Rev. 1:18), and destroyed death (1 Cor. 15:26). Paul wrote, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Phil. 1:21-23).

Jesus Christ is greater than Death. He said, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death” (Rev. 1:18).

by Daniel R. Vess