As we get closer to Winter the night starts to grow longer. However, every morning the sun comes up over the horizon and gives us some light. As a spiritual lesson we can say that our faith gives us a preview of what is out of sight. God in Christ is coming back for his children, and we will forever be in the Trinitarian presence of God.
Verse 1A
Apollos has taken us on a wild journey of faith to the top of the mountains and to the flat plains. The best is still yet to come! He is reminding us of all of these witnesses, and he uses a strange phrase, but it is very effective. In the ‘great cloud of witnesses’, the word ‘cloud’ is a metaphor. When we think of a cloud it is something that is usually over our head. Perhaps by using this word the writer wanted to encourage the believers to stay strong in the faith. These witnesses lived by faith no matter what was thrown at them. They believed and they walked the talk. Perhaps I should have used ‘ran the talk’ because in these early verses in chapter 12, Apollos the writer uses a race analogy.
Even as these Old Testament and New Testament witnesses were part of this cloud let us also follow in their footsteps on the road into God’s presence itself.
Verse 1B
“let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us”
Every international racer has a goal, and he has to prepare for the great race. You do not see many sprinters carrying a lot of luggage. Weight slows a racer down thus there are not many larger racers. The racer goes on a diet to lose as much fat as possible. They practice every day and follow the doctor’s advice. The day of the race comes they check their racing shoes. The goal of the racer is to win that medal and fame. The winner becomes famous overnight and the losers’ names go into oblivion. That is how the world works but God does not work like that.
God is love and he has poured His love into our lives through the work of the Son our Lord Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. We have entered into an eternal friendship. We too have a goal but our goal is not fame or fortune which does not last, it is to be with Christ for all eternity through the Holy Spirit’s guidance and the Fathers good pleasure.
The true race is a spiritual race. Racers come and go, and they are like the flower in the garden that withers and falls and is not remembered anymore. We grow old, fat, slow and then we realize that that was in the yester year. It does not matter how good a sprinter is, it is only at a moment in time and then the final curtain comes down.
We also have a goal in which moth and rust cannot destroy as Hebrews 12. 2a reminds us:
“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith,”. What do we really fix our eyes on?
We ought to fix our eyes on Jesus because he is our Saviour and why should we fix our eyes on Jesus? The rest of the verse explains this to us!
…the author and perfecter of 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. Hebrews 12:2
In the economy of the Trinity Jesus sits at the right hand of God the Father. How Jesus must have suffered for us sinners. Remember Jesus is fully God and fully Man. From his Divine side he would have seen ahead of time those nails being driven into his hands because of our rebellion and sinfulness towards God. Yet Jesus also saw the prize. The prize is not only that he sits at the right hand of God the Father but that he has enabled through his work to bring many sons and daughters with him into heaven itself.
The Writer then asks his listeners to consider the hostility Jesus himself faced:
“For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:3
We get discouraged but the truth is that if anyone had a right to be discouraged, it would be the Son of God both in his divine and human nature. Jesus sweated drops of blood, but he also went through the death penalty. He was made a curse by hanging on a wooden stick. No wonder that for a lot of Jews and Gentiles they would never consider Jesus as a Saviour. We read this early in 1 Corinthians.
However, if we read verse 3 closely, we see an encouragement to stay strong in the faith:
“…so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:3
Reflection
There are many good reasons why we should fix our eyes on Jesus.
- Jesus is fully God and fully human
- He is greater than all the angels
- He is greater that Moses
- He is High Priest of the real Temple in Heaven
- He is the One True Sacrifice (The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world)
- You find your election in Him
- Jesus loves you!
For me the Book of Hebrews takes us into the very throne room of God. Let us be encouraged my friends to fall at the feet of Jesus for from him comes all the spiritual jewels that we could have asked for.
Notes
I got some ideas from John Calvin’s commentary. His very sharp eye pointed out that ‘cloud’ was a metaphor. I also enjoyed his description of the race. The race motif I used however is completely my own. The Bible I usually use is the NASB from Olive Tree Bible software
Bibliography
Calvin’s New Testament Commentaries; Hebrews 1 & 2 Peter; Eerdmans; pages 187-189
Olive tree Bible software: NASB; especially Hebrews 12. 1-3
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