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Hebrews 12:1-4
Christ, the Ultimate Example of Endurance
1. The Cloud of witnesses 1a
2. The Continuing Race 1b
3. The Continuance of Christ 2-4
1. The Cloud of witnesses 1a
Wherefore. Strong emphasis pointing out importance of all he has just related.
A conclusion pointed back at “cloud of witnesses” the ones who obtained the testimony.
Men and women of old had witness borne by virtue of their faith so
Host of testimonies” not spectators here as some say. Looking on as we race.
Rather by their loyalty and endurance they have showed the possibilities of a life of faith. Not them look at us, but us at them for encouragement. They have borne witness to God’s faithfulness, believing that God’s promises would be fulfilled, and they were in Jesus Christ.
These were witnesses to Christ Before the incarnation lived with hope it would be fulfilled. Willing to suffer because they believed in One God .
The Greek word for witnesses is what? Martureo, and by 235 AD this word was not just as a testimony, but in the specific sense of one who gave his/her life for Christ.
Acts 22:20 Paul Speaks of “The blood of Stephen thy “witness”. So a martyr is one who bore witness to the glorious extreme.
We look back at this cloud of witnesses, examples, godly men and women for encouragement in tough times…
Verse 1 expands in b with the continuing race.
Because of past example, let us lay aside every weight. Literally(past participle) “having laid aside every weight, and sin RUN.
Laying side the weight not done during the race, only in shipwrecks.
Greek runners were naked and these saints are exhorted “since you have already laid aside the old weight of sin RUN with endurance. That is the main verb here, since we are encouraged, run.. Not just run but with endurance.
(10:36 said ) Patience, to bear or endure . Applied to martyrs in late Jewish lit.
Flavius Josephus used this term in the sense of resisting the wiles of an Egyptian woman. So don’t just run half heartedly but run all out. Persistently; keep struggling if you will.
Notice that when we run we don’t look back, we know the examples of saints gone before, but as patient enduring runners we look not back but AHEAD. What a better example of endurance than The continuance of our savior and Lord Jesus Christ. See 2-4
Looking away to Jesus , getting our eyes off our circumstances and on to Jesus’ example.. And who is Jesus (lest we forget?) The author, originator, pioneer, captain, leader. He is the start and finish of our faith. And he himself will raise us from death AS PROMISED.
Why can we consider him?
Look at v 2: < > Jesus was able to endure because HE TOO had confidence in God’s promise, God’s plan and he knew that only as he suffered and died the death of the cross, could our salvation be procured and God’s promise fulfilled.
So HE TOO endured. Endured what? IS. 53 Phil. 2, 1 Peter 2 21.
Recall Matthew’s account ch 26? Peter forsook him and denied he ever knew him and all the others fled from his presence and one of them betrayed him with a kiss. HE was arrested and taken to a mock trial before Caiaphas and then the high priests. They had him in an illegal council session with a foregone conclusion, HIS death. They brought many false witnesses against him and finding no cause for his death brought in more with trumped up charges of blasphemy against him. But v63 Jesus held his peace. Then, following an illegal conviction and illegal death sentence, they spit on him pounded him with fists and slapped him. That mockery lasted all night long, then , with no sleep, Jesus was marched before the Roman proconsul Pontius P . because they couldn’t pass the death sentence on him. Pilate found him innocent but was pressured to have Jesus crucified anyway. But first the soldiers of Pilate had a little fun. They stripped our Lord naked and put a scarlet robe on him, wove a crown of 1 ½ to 2 inch spiked thorns into a crown and drove it onto his head. They spit on him more and hit him on the head with a reed. He was lashed with a cat o nine tail whip with bits of metal or bone in it…then the real torture began. Crucifixion.
(suffocation, blood builds in lungs, agony, nails in wrists and finally the greatest agony for Jesus when the Father who cannot bear to look on sin, turned his face away. Did he endure suffering? You bet. BUT notice why the why: “for the joy set before him.”
In Isaiah 53 it was predicted he would have joy after his sorrow.
Isa 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Just as a mother endures the pain of child birth for that little squirming bundle of life, puts up with the pain to have the little life. So with Jesus. He did it , as Peter says in 1 peter “Without murmuring. When reviled or cursed at, he was silent. When attacked he didn’t defend but responded righteously. Not worrying about the shame of that accursed death hanging naked on a cross. He endured to the extreme and verse 3 points out to you and I that HIS is the real example we need to follow.
Heb 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
If you are tempted to quit, give in to despair in trials, then consider him that endured such contradictions and verbal and physical abuse and hostility, beatings, spit- degrading things. But he realized the outcome of his travail or suffering.
Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Their suffering had cost a lot, but not “unto blood”, they hadn’t been crucified yet for standing against sin. Jesus did, he went to the cross and died for us. We haven’t had to do that in this country YET. We haven’t had to go that far in our level of persecution.
When we look at the example of our blessed Lord it is to give us an example that we should follow his steps, his model of suffering. Serve him form a heart motivated by love and gratitude, enduring hardship, yet edifying one another.
Consider him who looked on his trials and pain as labor pains giving birth to God’s promised joy.
