Moses Was Truly Great A hero's story: rescued as a baby, raised in Pharaoh's house, called at the burning bush, delivered Israel through the plagues and the Red Sea Scripture affirms his greatness: he knew God “face to face” (Exodus 33:11; Deuteronomy 34:10), was called the most humble man on earth (Numbers 12:3), and stood in the gap for his people (Psalm 106:23) Honored again in the New Testament — by Stephen (Acts 7:20-22), in Hebrews' hall of faith (Hebrews 11:24-26), at the Transfiguration with Jesus (Matthew 17:1-8), and in the songs of heaven (Revelation 15:3) Moses Gave Us a Great Law The Law of Moses, given at Sinai, is recognized even by secular historians as a remarkable code of justice for its time It protected the widow, the orphan, and the stranger — justice that didn't bend toward the powerful Even the U.S. Supreme Court building honors Moses among history's great lawgivers But Moses Himself Pointed to Someone Greater The Law, as good as it was, could restrain sin but could never remove guilt (Deuteronomy 18:15) Moses told Israel that God would raise up a prophet like him — someone still to come Peter and Stephen both identified Jesus as that promised prophet (Acts 3:22; Acts 7:37) John declares the shift plainly: “The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17) Hebrews 3:1-6 — Moses was a faithful servant in God's house; Jesus is the faithful Son who built the house We're not comparing a candle to the sun. We're comparing the sun to the One who made it. What Grace Does That the Law Never Could Grace removes guilt. The Law exposes sin but cannot cure it (Romans 3:20) Grace brings no condemnation (Romans 8:1) Grace provides assurance. The Law never offered a finished, settled peace Christ's single offering perfects us for all time (Hebrews 10:14) Grace creates intimacy with God. The Law kept people at a distance from God (Exodus 19:12) Jesus tore the curtain, and we can now draw near with confidence (Matthew 27:51; Hebrews 4:16) Grace is the engine of righteous living. The Law produces dutiful servants; grace produces grateful sons and daughters Grace trains us toward godly living (Titus 2:11-12) “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19) Paul's testimony: "By the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Corinthians 15:10) — grace didn't just forgive Paul, it transformed him The Invitation Knowing God as a Lawgiver is not the same as knowing Him as a Grace-Giver God did not stop at Sinai — He sent His Son to remove our guilt, give us assurance, and bring us near Grace has a name: Jesus Christ He's not waiting at the top of a mountain we're forbidden to climb — He's inviting us to draw near