Hebrews 12:2 Faith is emulating Christ on the road to true glory

Hebrews 12:2

2 Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Background

The way to finish the race and to obtain the reward is to fix our eyes on Jesus. Fixing our eyes on Jesus involves emulating the way Jesus lived and by depending on the Holy Spirit. The road to the finish line is paved with injustice and the disapproval of men. Today’s passage teaches us to endure suffering while awaiting the reward. By observing and emulating how Jesus lived, the Spirit will lead and strengthen us on the road to true glory.

Observation

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith,

Jesus is the author and perfecter of faith. Author refers to Christ as the pioneer, who successfully reached the finishing line and accomplished His calling. Here, the Author also functions as the Leader who leads us towards accomplishing our calling. Hence, as our Author of faith, He carries the mandate to lead the new covenant community towards the finishing line. Perfecter describes Christ who achieved God’s perfect standard of faith and received the new covenant blessing of resurrection. By fixing our eyes on Jesus, we emulate Christ’s way of life and at the same time become recipients of the Holy Spirit who empowers and sustains our journey towards the finishing line.

The men and women of faith in the old covenant no doubt have become our inspiration today. However, Jesus differs from these men of faith as He is able to directly empower each believer through the indwelling Spirit. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became one of the first people to ever reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953, which was a soaring 8,850m in height and considered impossible to climb. Before long, a string of people repeated the feat because they were inspired supposing if mere mortals like Hillary and Norgay could do it, they could do it as well! No doubt, the revered heroes of faith were inspirational but Jesus is more than just an inspiration, He empowers those who fix their eyes on Him through His indwelling Spirit.

… who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

What caused Christ to overcome earthly temptations to bear with the shame, injustice and suffering of the cross? It is the joy of returning to His rightful place which is at the Father’s right hand; it is the joy of forsaking His right to justice and in living life fully obedient to God. The opposite of justice and honor is injustice and shame. Christ’s greatest suffering on earth was injustice, judgment and open shame in the hands of wicked men. Christ did not demand immediate compensation from His tormentors but obeyed the Father’s will without complaining. In despising the shame, Christ did not allow the condemnation of men to affect Him. It is Christ’s attitude of submission and reverence towards God that earned Him the highest rank in the universe – a seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

Truth

We have to endure with injustice and the fact that the wicked are continually being rewarded. There are some people who carry a negative and pessimistic outlook towards life; they constantly complain about God as being unjust and the wicked being rewarded despite their crimes. This phenomenon will remain for the most part of the world until Christ returns. Then, perfect justice will ensue. The fact that Christ was judged and unjustly punished on earth set the tone for the rest of the age. The cross of Christ represents the unceasing injustice and ill treatment of righteous men right up to the day of judgment. Jesus taught concerning the end times,

Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:9-14

Wickedness and lawlessness will continue even as the gospel is preached to the whole world until the end approaches. Therefore, believers must endure injustice and continue to do what is right. Jesus said, “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” It is God’s sovereign will to allow wickedness to fester for a time while the righteous continue to be oppressed. By fixing our eyes on Jesus, we become like Jesus, emboldened by the Spirit to endure injustice and finish our race.

We have to endure the fact that our reward will only come in heaven. To see the wicked continually being rewarded is again grave injustice, for it runs counter to the law of the universe. The perversion of the earthly reward system is prevalent everywhere. In companies and even in charity organizations, the ones who truly contributed are swept aside in preference for the loudest mouth. The salary gap between the CEO and the general workers is obscene and unjust. While workers sweat it out, the manager presents the fruit of the department to his own credit. The author of Ecclesiastes put it this way,

There is another evil (injustice) I have seen under the sun. Kings and rulers make a grave mistake when they give great authority to foolish people and low positions to people of proven worth. I have even seen servants riding horseback like princes—and princes walking like servants. Ecclesiastes 10:5-7

Jesus’ promotion to the right hand of God shows us the inevitability of perfect justice. The faithful will be rewarded and the wicked will be destroyed. However, the vindication of the righteous will only happen on the day of judgment. Therefore, believers must wait and endure injustice in expectation of perfect justice and vindication in heaven.

The new covenant does not absolve us from the responsibility of running our own race. However, it insures Christ’s faithfulness in running alongside us. Many churchgoers suppose that Christ has completed the race on their behalf. And since Christ has done all, they do not need to do anything more for themselves. Hence, in their understanding, there is no race or such a thing as a finishing line, only the certainty of glory and blessings in heaven. If that is so, why does the verse say, “… let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith,” What does it mean by fixing our eyes on Jesus? It means emulating the life of Jesus; the way He pursued His calling which is the cross and the way He denied His own will in order to follow the will of God.

Application

Do you some times blame God for the injustice that is happening in your world? This is a question that cannot be understood by the intellect. However, this question concerns God’s love and patience for the righteous as well as for the unrighteous of this world. Give God a moment to reveal the thoughts of Christ (as He struggled with injustice) into your spirit. It is through the struggles of Christ concerning injustice that gives us the power to endure to the end.

Dear Lord, I praise you that in your time there will be justice in this world. I ask you to strengthen the righteous with endurance and love to do what is right and not to be overcome by the injustices of the wicked. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.