Estimated Read Time: 7 min

Supporting Text: Hebrews 12:2, Mark 1:15, Matthew 14:29, Romans 1:16, Romans 6:14, 2 Timothy 1:8, Hebrews 2:11, Hebrews 11:16, Revelation 5.

In the previous article, we established what the writer of Hebrews means when he exhorts us to "look unto Jesus." We also saw how fixing our attention on Christ weakens the power of sin in the believer's life.

Yet Hebrews 12:2 gives us more than a remedy for sin. It presents two additional reasons why our eyes must remain fixed on Jesus:

1. His perseverance through the Cross
2. His eternal victory and exaltation to the throne

Hebrews 12:2 – "...who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame..."

In case it is not already obvious, the only true example for the Christian is Jesus Himself. He is not only the One who pioneered the faith and secured salvation for all who believe, but He is also the One who demonstrated how that faith is to be lived.

Think about Christ's three-and-a-half years of earthly ministry. During that time, He proclaimed the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:15), performed countless miracles that confirmed His identity, and devoted Himself to preaching and teaching. Yet He also showed His disciples what it meant to live for the will of the Father, even when that path led to suffering and ultimately death. The disciples, in turn, recorded His life in the Gospels and then followed His example by faithfully living—and dying—for the Gospel they proclaimed.

The future hope awaiting the Christian is an amazing reality, which we will discuss in a moment. Yet between the day we receive the Gospel and the day we enter into that hope, there can be many hardships that must be endured.

No one endured that journey more perfectly than our Lord and Savior.

This verse tells us that Jesus, knowing the Cross lay before Him, endured it. He regarded its shame as nothing compared to the joy that awaited Him.

To endure means to remain steadfast under a burden without giving way. As we covered in the blog "A Great Cloud of Witnesses," steadfastly means to persist in active, forward-moving faith. Jesus knowingly and willingly pursued the suffering that awaited Him, including the humiliation of public crucifixion and the disgrace of dying the death of a criminal.

Yet Hebrews describes both the suffering of the Cross and its shame in a remarkably positive way.

Note: This is the only place in the New Testament where shame is described positively in relation to Jesus Christ. Supporting texts include (Rom. 1:16; 2 Tim. 1:8; Heb. 2:11; 11:16).

Why, though, did Jesus willingly pursue such suffering and shame?
He did so for us.

• He understood both the stakes and the reward.
• He knew that if He endured the Cross, He would secure victory over sin, conquer Satan, hell, and death, and restore humanity's relationship with God for all who would believe.
• He understood that the joy awaiting Him far outweighed the suffering He would experience along the way.

The writer of Hebrews does not present Christ's endurance simply so that we will admire it.
He presents it so that we will imitate it.

To put this into a more familiar example, there were times when I drove to work during the winter without wearing a heavy coat because I knew my office was only a short walk from the parking lot. For those few moments, I could endure the bitter cold because I knew warmth and comfort were only a short distance away.

On a far greater scale, this is what Christ did for us.

This is also the example we are called to follow.

Regardless of the troubles or trials we face—regardless of sickness, disease, persecution, or even martyrdom—we are to continue pursuing Christ without fear because we know what awaits us. We know that when our race is finished, we will enter into the joy and hope secured by our salvation as we step into the presence of God.

While we may become weary and endure many hardships, we know that Christ endured the Cross. Therefore, we too can endure whatever comes our way because we overcome through Him.

Hebrews 12:2 – "...and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

Up to this point, our focus has largely been on looking to Jesus because of what He accomplished for us and because of the example He set before us through His suffering.
Yet there is another reason we keep our eyes fixed upon Him.

Jesus endured because He understood the glory that awaited Him.

In the same way, we are called to look unto Jesus with our own future in view.

For those of us who belong to Christ, heaven—the dwelling place of God—is our true home. Christ has secured that future, and today He sits triumphantly at the Father's right hand. His seated position declares that His work is complete, His victory is permanent, and His reign has already begun.

Therefore, we both rest in that finished work and look unto Him with confidence, knowing that when this life comes to an end, we will be where He is.

Yes, we are surrounded by the testimonies of faithful believers who endured tremendous suffering. They persevered because they looked to the promises of God and ordered their lives according to His Word and His ways. They laid aside every weight and every sin so that they could run their race well.

But above all else, they kept their eyes fixed on Jesus.

The ultimate example of our faith is Jesus Himself.

1. Jesus is the Pioneer of our faith, who secured a salvation that is eternal.
2. Jesus showed us how His followers are to endure suffering for God and for the Gospel.
3. Jesus reminds us that our future is secure because He reigns victoriously at the Father's right hand.

Continue to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus—

• For your salvation.
• For your endurance.
• For your eternal hope.

 God Bless