Joy comes from having an Eternal perspective

OT Saints maintained their faith in the midst of suffering by looking for the Coming of the Promised One (Heb 11:36-40)

Explanation: The wherefore in 12:1 refers back to the entirety of Chapter 11 - the “Faith Hall of Fame.” I want to look at just the end of the section that focuses on those saints who were NOT victorious in this world. These are the ones who were persecuted, despised, mistreated and rejected for their faith.

They maintained their faith by looking ahead. They knew that they were living for something bigger than themselves. They did not give up in spite of horrendous life situations AND in spite of not seeing the Coming One in their generation (v. 39 “received not the promise”)

Argument: God did not give His OT saints a timeline for the Messiah. The Promise was given and the command to trust and obey.

Application: The Joy comes from being obedient and knowing that one finished his or her course without dishonoring the Master.

Jesus, in His first Advent, had Joy as He faced the Cross (Heb 12:2)

Explanation: The OT saints had the promise of the Messiah, but they did not have a concept of a Messiah who would also be the Suffering Servant (Isaiah chapters 41-53). Their idea of Messiah was a that of a Powerful Prince who would immediately correct the problem’s of society and would make everybody healthy and prosperous.

Jesus, however, entered into His own Creation as the God-Man with His own purpose and plan. It would have been impossible for humans to see the Cross from the Manger, but that was always Plan A. Jesus knowingly and lovingly embraced the suffering of the Crucifixion with Joy. Not a weird joy in pain for the sake of pain, but by looking past the pain to the redemption He was achieving.

We who are IN Christ can keep the Faith AND experience joy by looking to the example of Jesus (Heb 12:1&3)

Explanation: The writer of Hebrews directs us to “run with patience the race that is set before us. The word patience is presented because it is necessary. We live in a fallen world and our journey will be difficult at times. Some of us will experience greater degrees of difficulty than others, but none of us get a free pass from hardship and suffering as believers.

Argument: We who are IN Christ are encouraged to run the race anyway. We CAN live in victory - those who lived before us show that it can be done. We have that great “cloud of witnesses” for our encouragement.

Application: We are called to remember our predecessors in the faith when we encounter hardship. We are not the first ones to experience loss or to receive unjust treatment. They were faithful by looking ahead; we can remain faithful by looking back.

More importantly, we are to look to Jesus during our hard times. Jesus is much more than our Example, but He does serve as our Example. Jesus had Joy as He faced the Cross, which was a level of pain and agony beyond anything that will ever be allowed to enter our lives. We have the privilege of “Looking unto Jesus” as we live out our faith in a broken world.

The Incarnation brought God to a different level that allows humanity a more full comprehension of who He is. One of the Names given to the Christ - Child is Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” What a powerful statement that brings joy - God IS with us, even in our most difficult moments.

Conclusion: Can you imagine how your life can be different by embracing that truth?