Please open your Bibles to Hebrews 12……….
We have been worshiping God by learning from this Letter initially written for Jews who became Christians 2000 years ago. Since all Christians were converted from some other belief, all Christians can learn from this Letter to the Hebrews. Everyone really should learn because all Scripture is spoken by the Creator God! The Bible is truth, inerrant, and life changing Word of God!
We noted a list of people in Hebrews 11 who were commended by God for their faith in action! Now, read along with me Hebrews 12:1-4……
We noted last week that the word “therefore” calls for a response based on truth stated by God.
v1: Christians are to avoid sin and anything else which can take focus away from Jesus Christ.
For Christians, like an athlete running a race:
- when we sin, we not only stop but we actually go the other way, not towards God.
- when we focus on other things or add other things to our Christian lives, our spiritual growth to be more like Christ will be stunted.
God simplifies it for us…
v2a: “fix our eyes” on Jesus Christ? = focus = don’t look at anything else! = Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives! and so always look to Him! We are to always consider Jesus Christ in everything!
And why should we only look to (focus on) Jesus Christ? If Christians are to live by faith & to be commended by God with faith in action, the only one to follow is the author and perfecter of faith, Jesus Christ!
And why is Jesus the author and perfecter of faith? We can note 4 reasons… First of all…
If there was joy set before Christ even though there was suffering and death, there is always joy with Jesus Christ!
1. True joy is only found in Jesus Christ! Are you looking for joy? Look to Jesus!!
And Jesus Christ endured the cross! and so Jesus is the author and perfecter of faith because,
2. Jesus trusted God the Father even through pain and death!
Jesus Christ is the author and perfecter of faith because He scorned the shame of the crucifixion! Why did the Romans crucify people 2000 years ago??
The Romans crucified people 2000 years ago for punishment and to shame them; people crucified were almost naked, nailed on a tree to die for everyone to see and for the birds to pluck on their flesh; people crucified were to show others what happens when you do something wrong and break the law!
Jesus Christ never did anything wrong or broke any laws but yet was crucified to die and was buried. How did Jesus scorn the shame of crucifixion and death??
Jesus rose from the dead and there was a purpose for His sufferings, humiliation, and death!
3. Jesus’ sufferings, humiliation, and death was for salvation of people from their sins and He rose from the dead!
And Jesus is the author and perfecter of faith because..
4. Jesus is right now in heaven by the Throne of God!
Jesus Christ is the author and perfecter of faith, so always think of Him for everything. Do we think of Jesus everyday? Do we want to be closer to God? Let us always look to Jesus!
And because of what Jesus was able to go through, what else can Jesus do for Christians according to verse 3??
v3: even though there were hardships in His life, Jesus was victorious and keeping this mind will be an encouragement for the Christian!
Again, Christians are to avoid sin and “fixing our eyes” on Jesus can help us. Let us note that God commands us to avoid sin but as alluded to in v4 God understands that we will struggle with sin!
What can help the Christian in their struggle with sin?
v4: think of Jesus who fought sin till He shed blood!
What does shedding blood mean?
a. obviously, we know that Jesus blood was shed as He died
and so, Christians are to fight sin to death!
But since this verse is talking about struggles with sin, in other words temptations to sin, what happened to Jesus in Gethsemane may also be applicable. Turn briefly to the Gospel of Luke 22….. v39-44….
Jesus was in such anguish about dealing with every person’s sins, He sweat blood. And so.…
b. Christian’s fight against sin can never be like Jesus’ fight and He was victorious, so keep on fighting!
It is clear that the main application for all Christians is to fix eyes on Jesus Christ; and so consider the following…
1. Know what it means to “fix your eyes on Jesus” and do it for everything!
2. Know why we should fix our eyes on Jesus!
3. Know 1 Corinthians 10:13! Be encouraged daily by Jesus’ victory for you!
Take a moment to quietly pray about these things and make a commitment to “fix your eyes” on Jesus Christ always!
