Introduction
Praise God! The tomb is empty. Jesus is alive!
Just like some of the kids expected something to be inside the egg, the disciples expected the body of Jesus to still be in the tomb. Wouldn’t we?
We understand the importance of the crucifixion, but do we fully understand how vital Christ’s resurrection is to the gospel?
[1 Corinthians 15:3-8] For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.
[1 Corinthians 15:17-19] And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
Paul writes in Romans 4 that Jesus “was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.”
Justification = the act of declaring or making righteous in the sight of God.
[Wiersbe] This means that the resurrection of Christ is the proof that God accepted His Son’s sacrifice, and that now sinners can be justified without God violating His own Law or contradicting His own nature.
All this is received by faith. And not just a single act of faith when a person repents and turns to Jesus, but an enduring faith that remains intact to your final breath.
Let’s note the writer’s progression to this point in the letter…
[Hebrews 10:35-39] Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
It's not enough to simply start the race; we’re supposed to finish it! And that takes walking by faith and having the endurance to cross the finish line.
Then in Hebrews 11:1-3, he defines faith.
• The essence of faith
• The evidence of faith
• The expression of faith
Then in the rest of chapter 11 we’re given examples of faith, concluding with these verses…
[Hebrews 11:39-40] And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
These people in chapter 11 put their faith in something that was yet to come, something they saw and welcomed at a distance. But for the Hebrew audience and all who would follow afterward, including us today, the promise has come!
[2 Corinthians 1:20] For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
Praise be to God! What these OT faithful could only anticipate, we can experience! Christ in you, the hope of glory!
Paul explains to the Colossians that what was a mystery hidden for ages and generations is now revealed to the saints. What is this mystery: Christ in you, the hope of glory!” (Colossians 1:26-27)
So whether a person came before Christ or after Christ, it’s always been about faith. And this faith is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. It’s not an easy race. In fact, many start the race, but few will finish it because of the challenges that come.
We have need of endurance!
[2 Timothy 2:11-13] The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.
We have need of endurance!
[Matthew 24:3-14] As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
We have need of endurance! Do you want a faith that endures? Do you want to know how to have a faith that endures? That’s what the remainder of this book is all about, particularly this chapter, chapter 12.
And to help us understand these truths, the writer portrays the Christian life as a marathon, a race. We may have never run a marathon, but we understand the dedication, discipline and perseverance needed to run and finish such a race.
Instruction
HEBREWS 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
Witnesses, not spectators. The men and women in chapter 11 are not sitting up in heaven watching life play out on earth. They are witnesses like you’d have in a court of law. Their lives testify to the fact that holding on to the promises of God is worth any trouble experienced on earth! They are telling us, “Press on! Don’t give up!”
So if you want enduring faith, study the lives of the faithful in Scripture. Learn from their mistakes. Follow their examples.
Next the writer is going to tell us to get rid of some things. No one runs a marathon in snow boots or carrying a backpack. They strip to the bare minimum in order to run effectively.
let us also lay aside every weight,
Lay aside (G659) = to put away, cast off
Weight (G3591) = encumbrance, burden
Encumbrances are distinguished here from sins. They include things that are not intrinsically wrong, but they’re wrong because they keep you from running as you should.
We need to jettison everything from our lives that hinders/slows us down.
What is hindering your endurance in the race? (the wrong friends, activities,
addictions, etc.). Cast them aside! This race is too important to be sidetracked by burdens. And remember, the Christian has been given a Helper. We don’t do this in our will power, but in the power of the Holy Spirit.
What is the danger of NOT casting these encumbrances aside? We may not finish the race. It becomes too difficult and we give up.
We’re not only encouraged to lay aside the extra weight, but…
and sin which clings so closely,
Clings (G2139) = encircling, well stand around – a competitor thwarting a racer
Burdens slow us down. Sin trips us up.
What sin trips you up? What causes you to stumble? If you’ve been walking with the Lord for a while, you what particular sins cause you stumble. Later in this chapter, we’ll talk about the discipline needed to stay the course and finish the race.
But for now, it’s a time to examine our lives to see what needs to be discarded from our lives
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
There’s that word endurance again. We know it takes endurance to run a marathon. It also takes endurance to run the Christian race. Let’s do a better job of communicating that to those considering the faith or to new Christians. If we paint such a rosy, carefree picture of the Christian life, when trouble does come, they think it’s unique to them or they might think, “well I guess this doesn’t work for me.”
During a Monday night football game between the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants, one of the announcers observed that Walter Payton, the Bear’s running back, had accumulated over nine miles in career rushing yardage. The other announcer remarked, “Yeah, and that’s with someone knocking him down every 4.6 yards!”
The Christian life was never intended to be a cakewalk. We will experience trials and
times of suffering. The key: run with perseverance!
And run the race marked out for you. It’s going to be different than someone else. If we begin to compare our courses with others, we could get discouraged or even bitter. No, God has a race marked out for you. Run it with endurance.
HEBREWS 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,
The snow covered the ground and three boys were playing in it. A man said to them, “Would you like to try to race? There will be a prize for the winner.” The boys agreed, and the man told them this race would be different. “I’ll go to the other end of the field and when I give you a signal, you start to run. The one whose footsteps are straightest in the snow will be the winner.”
• The first boy looked at his own feet
• The second boy looked at the other two to see what they were doing
• The third boy was the winner…he kept his eyes on the man at the finish line
Our eyes should be glued to Christ! Peter walking on the water – took his eyes off of Jesus to look at the situation around him
Florence Chadwick (July 4, ‘52) swimming the channel from Catalina Island to the CA coast. She quit…1/2 from her goal because she couldn’t see through the fog.
the founder and perfecter of our faith,
Founder (G747) = author, chief leader, captain, prince
[Acts 3:15] and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.
This whole walk of faith is founded and perfected in Jesus.
[Philippians 1:6] And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Look to him, not to your faith. The heresy of the faith movement was that it’s focus was not on Jesus, but on a person’s faith.
[09/03/2002] For the past several months, I’ve been doubting more than ever in my relationship with Jesus. This has led me to read Scripture more, pray more, know God more. While I was reading Romans 4 and meditating on it, the Lord offered me insight into my situation: I feel I’ve been doubting God’s promises because my faith has been based on MY ability to DEPEND, not on GOD’S ability to DELIVER. My focus has been on me, not on Jesus.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. He is the ultimate example endurance.
who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame…
Are you having a hard time enduring today. Look to Jesus and remind yourself of what Jesus had to endure. The cross. It was not just a gruesome death, but on that cross he bore our sin and punishment. The greatest agony? Being forsaking by the Father.
Jesus endured the cross by looking past it to the blessings on the other side. And that’s how we endure our struggle. We look past it – for as Nathan mentioned, they are light and momentary afflictions. Look past them to the glory awaiting us on the other side of it. To hear those beautiful words from the Father, “Well done good and faithful servant.”
It was September 3, 1994, and I was having a conversation with my roommate at the Green Lake Singles Conference in Wisconsin. Rich is a pastor from IA, but doesn’t believe in the authority of Jesus or Scripture. He believes that all religions lead to heaven. I left the room feeling alone and discouraged. I tried to be a witness for Christ, but felt I didn’t do very well. I came back to the room later, needing some “sign” from the Lord on the validity of Jesus being the only way. I opened up the Bible and saw these headings:
The Soldiers Mock Jesus The Guard at the Tomb
The Crucifixion The Resurrection
The Death of Jesus The Guard’s Repent
The Burial of Jesus The Great Commission
and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Know that Jesus is at the father’s side interceding for you.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus finished the race marked out for him. And in Him, you can finish the race marked out for you and I can finish the race marked out for me.
We have something the Old Testament saints only longed for – Christ himself dwelling in our hearts through faith.
