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In the very opening of His public ministry, the Saviour spoke of the apostolic
character of His mission:
"The Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me
to bind up the broken hearted" (Isa. 61: 1; cf. Luke 4: 18).
He spoke of Himself as One Whom the Father had "sanctified and sent" into the world
(John 10: 36), and in the great prayer of John 17: He said:
"Sanctify them through Thy truth . . . . . As thou hast sent Me into the world, even so
have I also sent them" (John 17: 17, 18).
Over and over again in John's Gospel we meet this word "sent".
"God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world" (3: 17).
"He Whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God" (3: 34).
"The same works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father hath sent Me" (5: 36).
The reference here in Heb. 3: 1 to the office of apostle arises out of the superiority
of Christ to the angels, with which both chapters 1: and 2: are occupied, but the actual
verbal link between these two passages may not be perceived by the English reader.
Of the angels, the apostle said:
"Are they not all ministering spirits, SENT FORTH (Gk. apostello) to minister for
them who shall be heirs of salvation?" (Heb. 1: 14).
Angels were "apostles", but we are not called upon to "consider" them; our eyes are
turned away to consider Him. In Heb. 3: 2-6, Christ the Apostle is also compared with
Moses, even as in succeeding chapters, Christ the High Priest is compared with Aaron
and with Melchisedec.