Even Moses Bows Down To Jesus

Jesus or Moses?

Moses, and other Old Testament prophets, heard from God and wrote it down to the best of their ability. A lot of what they were writing about was pointing to an eventual Messiah to come.

That Messiah was Jesus.

Jesus also heard from God, but not in the same way that these previous prophets did. Jesus and God were/are One. So, the testimony of Jesus is better than the testimony of Moses, or Elijah, or any other Old Testament prophet. The author of Hebrews confirms this:

”For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)” – Hebrews 3:3-4

And the Apostle John also tells us that:

“No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.” – John 1:18

So, Moses (and the other OT writers) heard from God, but not in the same way as Jesus did. In fact, we are told by the Apostle Paul that there is a veil that covers our understanding whenever we read those OT writers, and that this veil is only removed when we look at those scriptures through the lens of Christ:

“For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.” – 2 Cor. 3:14

Therefore, Moses and the other OT prophets have given us an incomplete picture of who God is and what God is like. The only complete and perfect picture we have of who God is and what God is like is found in Jesus.

"The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." [Hebrews 1:3]

"[Jesus] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing..." [Phil. 2:6-7]

“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." - Jesus [John 14:9]

So, what many Christians fail to realize is that those Old Testament prophets didn’t actually see God, and what they did see wasn’t always exactly 100% accurate.

One of the main reasons Jesus came to us – God in the flesh – was to correct these misunderstandings and clear up once and for all what God is really like.

That means if Moses or any other OT prophet says something about God that doesn’t line up with what we see revealed in Christ, we know that this is an example of where those men were wrong and where God in the flesh was correcting them.

Whenever the OT prophets are in agreement with Jesus, then we know that they were right about who God is.

But whenever we read an Old Testament scripture that says something about God that doesn’t square with what Jesus revealed to us, we know they were mistaken.

The bottom line is simply this: Jesus is right about who God is. He knows – better than anyone who has or will ever live – exactly what God is like.

Why?

Because Jesus is God.

Because Jesus is the only person who has ever seen God.

Because only Jesus reveals to us what the Father is really like.

Because Jesus is the “exact representation” of the Father.

Because God told us clearly: “This is my Son. Listen to Him!”

[And just before God said that, He removed Moses and Elijah and left us with Jesus]

"Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me" - John 14:11

Do you believe that? Do you accept that Jesus – and only Jesus – is the absolute authority on who God is and what God is like?

If so, keep your eyes on Jesus. He is what God is really like. He is what God has always been like. He is what God will forever be like.

I know for many this is an unusual teaching. I understand that many pastors teach from a “flat Bible” perspective that wants to downsize the revelation of Jesus and elevate the teachings of the Old Testament writers. But that is not consistent with what is revealed in Christ, or by the New Testament, or by the Apostles.

Jesus is Lord. Jesus is what God is like. Jesus - and Jesus alone – is our only standard. Everything else needs to line up with Him or conform to His authority.

Jesus is, after all, the Word made flesh. He is more than a book. He is greater than our Bibles. We have to come to Him and bow down. Even Moses and Elijah and every single OT prophet needs to bow down before Jesus.

He is the Way, and the Truth and the Life.

“He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God…. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell….” [Colossians 1:15-20]

“‘For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” [Colossians 2:9-10]

-kg