As you recall chapter 11 is the work of faith and now we will see that chapter 12 is a patience or the endurance of hope. Hope produces endurance as we’ve seen before.
This section lays out ways we need to remove the obstacles and hindrances in our life so that we can run our race. Our focus should be on nothing else than Jesus, who showed us how to live by faith and endured the cross. He chose God’s will over His own comfort. Finally, we are to consider or dwell on all that Christ endured and went through and all that He has promised us so that we will not grow weary.
1 Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the 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. 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (NASB)
Key Takeaways:
- Run with endurance and perseverance the race set before us in full dependence on God
- Do a self check. Examine your life and ask for God’s help to identify the obstacles and the sin in our lives that try to deter us from a deeper life with God
- Jesus is the supreme example of faith. He created it and perfected it. He blazed the trail to show us the way to go. Let us keep our eyes only on Him
- Jesus endured so much and more than we could possibly imagine. Remember Jesus and how He supports us so that we will not grow weary during times of trouble
Closer Look:
Verse 1: The life of faith has been amply attested by this “great cloud” of Old Testament “witnesses.” (This does not mean that they watch believers today.) The first participial clause, “surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses” (present tense) is preceded in the Greek text by the emphatic “we also” where the writer continues the plural reference to their readers in 11:40. The clause itself has as its referent to the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, now referred to as “a great cloud of witnesses.” This cloud of witnesses is said to be “surrounding us.” “Cloud” is used metaphorically to indicate a great host of people. Believers find encouragement in being surrounded by “such a great cloud of witnesses” as the saints mentioned in Hebrews 11. Their triumph gives evidence of the possibilities of a life of faith. We receive much encouragement from knowing that others have faced obstacles in the Christian life and have gloriously triumphed.
The identification of these heroes of faith as “witnesses” has been interpreted in two ways. Perhaps besides these heroes being faithful witnesses in the past, now they are witnessing from heaven the lives of present believers. The overall context, however, favors the meaning to be that their lives have borne witness to their faith. The author’s focus is on the importance of current believers learning from those who have gone before, not on those who have gone before watching current believers.
Or to push further on this, think of an amphitheater. One idea is that the people that are surrounding us are just watching us. They say something like “How’s Taylor doing today?” another responds, “Oh well he’s not doing very well. He’s limping around that track.” Or somebody else. They would just be watching us. The trouble with that idea is the word “witnesses.” The word “witness”[1] in the New Testament does not only look on as a casual observer. When we have the word “witness” in the New Testament, it is somebody who has witnessed something but also tells about it as on a witness stand or to others. So that these people are people of experienced walks of faith and they are witnessing to us and they are saying faith brings approval. Faith brings approval. It means do not give up, keep at it. See how this is different than a casual observer? So, the word “witness” is not just somebody looking on. Probably the idea is that it tells us what has happened. It anticipates something that is being said.
Consequently, believers ought to “run with endurance” (hypomonēs; cf. 10:32, 36; 12:2–3, 7) “the race that is set before” them in their Christian lives, ridding themselves of “every obstacle and the sin that so easily entangles” (euperistaton, “ambushes or encircles”). Such encouragement should lead us to cast aside every hindrance and besetting sin. We are to rid ourselves of any thought, attitude, or practice which impedes our progress in the Christian life. Sin finds an easy victim in all of us, so we must reject its entanglement.
Rejecting sin’s entanglement lets us run our race with staying power. Endurance calls for stamina or staying power. The race is that path God has marked out for us. We cannot select our own program. We must faithfully follow the route God Himself has marked.
Let’s take a moment to really think about what it means to lay aside every encumbrance. Sometimes we get used to verses that we gloss over some important stuff in them. Let’s pause here for a moment and think about ridding ourselves of every obstacle. When we think about laying aside every weight or ridding ourselves of every obstacle, that can cause us to ask “what is wrong with it?” This is a question we so often ask ourselves about certain things. We ask what is wrong it and focus on how it may be wrong. Or how we can keep doing it in some type of different approach. Maybe we should frame it differently. Maybe we should ask, “will it help me win?” We are running a race and we do not want anything to entangle us to slow us down or become a weight. So, we ask, will this thing help us win the race or will it change our focus and slow us down?
I heard this from an old professor but think it is still a good analogy. When we think about runners competing against others in a race, their clothing or tights are extremely lightweight. Whether in front of thousands at a race or a few coaches in training, the athletes wear similar clothing that is lightweight and may not cover that much of their bodies. When we put ourselves in that position and realize we are going to be seen by thousands and maybe millions of people, we want to look our best. Maybe that is a suit or an elegant dress or something that shows we are really dressing up to be seen by all of these people. However, the racers do not. They wear the lightest clothing possible. If the runners tried to go run the race in a business suit, someone would have told them they are crazy and tried to stop them. Not because they did not look good, but because of all of the weight and how it would not have helped them win. No matter how fast they are, the fancy clothes would have weighed them down and not given them the best chance to win.
So when we start to come to doubtful things, we have to ask ourselves the same thing. I have to stop asking “Is this wrong? Or what is wrong with it? And start asking “Will this help me win? Will this help me in my Christian walk/race?” This can be helpful in bringing a whole new light on doubtful things. As I have gotten older and been able to have more possessions, I have come to realize that the more possessions I have, that if I am not careful, the more the possessions can turn around and possess me. Possessions can find a way to control us.
Verse 2: Their supreme Model for enduring and ridding themselves of sin continued to be Jesus, however admirable any Old Testament figure might be. He is both the “Originator” (or “Author”) and Perfecter of our faith. The word “originator” (archēgon) was used in 2:10 and suggests that Jesus “pioneered” the path of faith Christians should follow. He also “perfected” the way of faith since He reached its end successfully. He kept His eye on the “joy set before Him,” the “joy” alluded to in 1:9 wherein He obtained an eternal throne. The believers’ share in that joy must also be kept in view. After enduring (hypemeinen, the verb related to the noun hypomonē in 12:1; cf. vv. 3, 7) the cross and despising[2] its shame, Jesus assumed that triumphant position “at the right hand of the throne of God” (cf. 1:3; 8:1; 10:12) which presages His and the believers’ final victory (cf. 1:13–14).
Christian athletes must keep their eyes fixed on the goal. That calls us to focus attention on Jesus without being diverted to anything else. Our Lord’s steadfast obedience provided a perfect example of commitment for struggling believers.
As the author of our faith (see the same word in 2:10), Jesus inspires action in believers of all ages. As the perfecter of our faith, Jesus takes harassed believers, develops our faith, and brings us to heaven’s Promised Land (Phil. 1:6).
Three features about Jesus mentioned here need attention. First, Jesus endured the cross to seize the blessed joy set before Him. The path to victorious joy led through the cross. Second, Jesus scorned the shame of the cross. Jesus recognized the humiliation and ignominy of the cross, but these threats were of no consequence to Him as He considered the coming glory. Third, Jesus sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. From the pain and agony of the cross, God exalted Jesus to the position of a throne.
Verse 3: The word “consider” has the idea to consider point by point by point. To really think about it. It is encouraging us to just dwell on what Christ has gone through and consider each point.
As we reflect on our own hardships, we need to assess carefully the endurance of Jesus. Jesus endured hostility from sinners that reached its climax at the cross. When you tend to let go, you can avoid faintheartedness and weariness by keeping your attention riveted upon Jesus. Jesus endured hostility from stubborn sinners. You have never faced such intense evil as did Jesus. His sterling example can stabilize us in our fear and concern.
[1] Witness is the word: μάρτυς (martys), μάρτυρος (martyros). It can be one who testifies in legal matters, or one who affirms or attests (i.e. testifier) (concerning God, humans, or witnesses who bear a divine message); or it can mean a martyr
[2] BDAG – “to consider something not important enough to be an object of concern when evaluated against something else, care nothing for, disregard, be unafraid of”