Hebrews 3:1 calls Christian believers to fix their attention on Jesus, and it names him with two titles that describe his work: Apostle and High Priest. The writer is addressing fellow believers he calls “holy brothers” who share a heavenly calling, so the words are an encouragement to a community rather than a private word to one person. The verse opens a section comparing Jesus with Moses, whom many in the audience revered.
Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus…
Hebrews 3:1 (WEB)
What Hebrews 3:1 Means
The word “therefore” links this verse to the argument just before it, where the writer has described God’s people as those who share in a calling from heaven. Because of that calling, the writer says, the readers should “consider” Jesus. The Greek word means to think carefully, to fix the mind on something and examine it. It is a call to deliberate reflection, not a passing glance.
The two titles are both drawn from the Christian confession about Jesus. “Apostle” means one who is sent, a messenger who carries the authority of the one who sends him. “High Priest” points to the one who stands between people and God, offering sacrifice and representing the people before him. Together they describe Jesus as the one God sent to speak to us and the one who brings us near to God.
The verse does not spell out every detail of how Jesus fulfills these roles, and it does not promise any particular outcome for the reader’s daily life. What it does is point the believer to a person and invite steady attention to who he is and what he has done.
The Context of Hebrews 3:1
The letter to the Hebrews is anonymous, though church tradition has long associated it with Paul, and most modern scholars regard its author as unknown. It was written to a community of Jewish Christians who were tempted to drift back toward the familiar practices of Judaism, perhaps under pressure or hardship. The writer’s aim is to show that Jesus is greater than every institution and figure that these believers held dear, including angels, Moses, and the Levitical priesthood.
Verses 2 through 4 make the comparison explicit. Jesus was faithful to God who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in God’s house, but Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, since the builder of a house deserves more honor than the house itself. Because the verse sits inside this comparison, “consider Jesus” is best read as “consider how much greater Jesus is than the figures you have trusted before.” That reading gives the title “Apostle” its force as well, since Moses was also sent by God.
Key Phrases in Hebrews 3:1
Hebrews 4:14
Having then a great high priest, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold tightly to our confession.
(WEB)
This verse picks up the High Priest theme from Hebrews 3:1 and develops it. It tells readers that they have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, which encourages them to hold fast to their confession. Reading it alongside Hebrews 3:1 shows how the writer keeps returning to Jesus’ priestly work.
John 1:18
No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.
(WEB)
John’s prologue speaks of Jesus as the one who makes God known, which echoes the idea of Jesus as the one sent to reveal God. Reading it with Hebrews 3:1 helps show that the New Testament writers saw Jesus as the decisive revelation of God’s character and purpose.
A Short Prayer From Hebrews 3:1
Lord Jesus, you are the one whom God sent to speak his word to us, and you are the one who stands before him on our behalf. Help me to fix my mind on you today, to think carefully about who you are and what you have done. When other voices and worries compete for my attention, draw me back to your faithfulness. Shape my heart so that I hold fast to the calling I have received from heaven, and let my confession of you be true in my words and in my life. Amen.
