<p>3:1 <i>Therefore holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus</i>- Chapter 2 has emphasized that we are the &quot;brothers&quot; of the Lord Jesus. And yet the focus now moves on to the greatness of that supreme &quot;brother&quot;. The argument is to counter the relatively low status assigned to the Messiah figure within the Judaism which was beckoning the Christians. Even if they accepted Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah, the view of Messiah was far too low, and was not giving due respect to the high status and work of the Lord Jesus. Judaism was at best an earthly calling; we are &quot;partakers&quot; in Christ (3:1; 2:14-18), and thereby of a calling from Heaven, i.e. of God. They were to &quot;consider&quot;/ 'observe or perceive fully' (Gk.) the real nature and wonder of the exalted Lord Jesus. He was a 'sent one', an Apostle, just as He sent us into the world. As the Father sent Him, so He sends us to the world in the great commission (Jn. 20:21). &quot;Confession&quot; means literally that, and implies that faith involves a literal confession or profession of faith to others. Paul uses it three times in Hebrews (also 4:14; 10:23).</p><p>Concentration on the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus is something which the Hebrew writer so often encourages, in his efforts to encourage the Hebrew believers. After perhaps 25 years of believing (they were probably converted at Pentecost), they were starting to get bored with God's Truth; the will to keep on keeping on was no longer what it was. But because of the cross, because <i>He paid dearly for you</i>, because He is now thereby our matchless mediator: hold on, hold fast, <i>therefore</i> (a watchword of Hebrews) endure to the end (Heb. 3:1,6; 4:14; 10:21,23). For that great salvation will surely be realized one day. So, concentrate <i>personally</i> on the fact that He hung there for you, honour your solemn duty to at least try to reconstruct the agony of His body and soul.</p>