Looking Unto Jesus

Hebrews 12:1–3 KJV (WS)

1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Text Idea: Enduring faith is urged upon believers who, in light of the testimony of the faithful in Hebrews 11, are called in Hebrews 12:1–3 to lay aside hindrances, run the race set before them, and fix their attention on Jesus who endured the cross and now reigns at God’s right hand.

Sermon Idea: Believers endure the race of faith by laying aside hindrances and fixing their attention on Jesus.

Purpose: The purpose of this sermon is to lead believers to remove the spiritual hindrances in their lives and renew their focus on Jesus so that they will persevere faithfully in the race God has set before them.

Introduction:

Attention:

Most races begin with a lot of excitement.

When the starting signal goes off, everyone is energized.

The runners feel strong, the crowd is cheering, and finishing the race seems very possible.

But as the race goes on, things change.

The legs get tired, the breathing gets harder, and the distance starts to feel longer than expected.

The challenge is no longer starting the race, it’s finishing it.

The Christian life can feel very much like that.

Many believers begin their walk with Christ with joy and enthusiasm.

But somewhere along the way the race becomes harder than they imagined.

Discouragement shows up, distractions pile up, and some even begin to wonder if they can keep going.

Hebrews 12 speaks right into that moment and reminds us that the race of faith is not finished by those who start fast, but by those who endure, and who keep their eyes fixed on Jesus.

Need:

Many of us know exactly what that feels like.

There are seasons in the Christian life when the race becomes tiring.

We face pressures, disappointments, temptations, and distractions that make it harder to keep moving forward in faith.

At times we may even wonder if we have the strength to keep going.

What we need in those moments is not just encouragement but clear direction.

Hebrews 12 shows us how believers can keep running the race of faith without losing heart.

And if you have ever felt weary, discouraged, or weighed down in your walk with God, this passage offers exactly the help you need to keep going.

History:

The book of Hebrews was written to believers who were experiencing pressure and hardship because of their faith in Christ.

Some were facing persecution, and others were tempted to drift back toward the safety of their former religious practices.

Throughout the letter, the writer shows that Jesus is greater than anything they might return to and urges them to remain faithful to Him.

In chapter 11, he gives a long list of men and women from the Old Testament who lived by faith and endured great difficulties while trusting God.

Now, as chapter 12 begins, he turns from those examples to a direct challenge for his readers: in light of their testimony, believers today must run their own race of faith with endurance while keeping their eyes fixed on Jesus.

Interrogative: How do believers endure the race of faith?

Transition: This passage gives us three clear instructions that help us endure the race of faith.

Body:

Division #1 - Enduring faith lays aside the things that hold us back. (vs 1)

Explain

We are surrounded by the testimony of faithful believers

The verse begins, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses.”

The word “wherefore” connects us back to Hebrews 11, where the writer has just described men and women who lived by faith—people like Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and many others.

The “cloud of witnesses” is not describing people in heaven watching us run our race. Instead, it refers to the testimony of their lives. Their stories stand as evidence that a life of faith is possible even in hardship.

For example, Hebrews 11:27 says of Moses, “By faith he forsook Egypt… for he endured.”

Their lives remind us that faith can endure even when the road is difficult.

We must intentionally remove the things that slow us down

The writer then says, “Let us lay aside every weight.”

The phrase “lay aside” means to put something off deliberately.

It carries the idea of stripping away whatever might hold you back.

The picture here comes from athletics. In the ancient world, runners removed anything that might slow them down.

They did not run a race while carrying unnecessary weight.

A weight is not necessarily something sinful.

It is simply anything that hinders spiritual progress.

Sometimes it may be:

distractions

misplaced priorities

things that consume time and attention

Scripture uses similar language elsewhere.

1 Peter 2:1 says, “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile…”

The Christian life requires intentional choices about what we keep and what we remove.

We must also deal with the sin that entangles us

The verse continues, “and the sin which doth so easily beset us.”

The phrase “easily beset” means something that wraps itself around you and trips you up.

It carries the idea of being entangled.

If weights slow the runner down, sin actually trips the runner.

Sin has a way of clinging to us and tangling our steps, making it impossible to run well.

Psalm 38:4 describes sin this way: “For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.”

So the writer calls us to deal with both:

the weights that slow us

and the sin that traps us

Enduring faith is willing to remove whatever keeps it from running well.

Illustrate - Olympic Runners Removing Weight

Olympic runners compete with as little weight as possible.

Their clothing is lightweight, their shoes are designed for speed, and they remove anything unnecessary.

Even a small amount of extra weight can affect performance over the course of a race.

A runner would never try to compete while carrying extra baggage.

In the same way, the Christian life requires us to lay aside the things that slow us down.

Some things may not seem harmful at first, but if they hinder our ability to follow Christ, they must be removed.

Enduring faith asks, “What is holding me back from running well?”

Argue - A runner cannot expect to finish well while carrying unnecessary weight. In the same way, spiritual progress slows when we cling to things that hinder our walk with Christ. And because sin does not merely slow us but entangles us, enduring faith must be willing to remove whatever keeps it from running well.

Apply

If you want to keep moving forward in your walk with Christ, you must honestly identify what is slowing you down and be willing to remove it.

Take time this week to ask the Lord to reveal any weights or sins that are hindering your spiritual progress.

For some of you, that may mean stepping away from habits, media, or relationships that weaken your devotion to Christ.

For others, it may mean letting go of distractions that consume your time and attention.

This point especially applies to believers who feel stuck spiritually, who know their growth has stalled, or who sense that something in their life is quietly pulling their heart away from Christ.

Transition - Once the hindrances are removed, the writer turns our attention to the race itself and reminds us that the Christian life must be run with steady endurance.

Division #2 - Enduring faith keeps running the race God has set before us. (vs 1)

Explain

The Christian life is like running a race

The writer says, “Let us run.”

Throughout the New Testament, the Christian life is often described as a race.

Paul uses the same picture in 1 Corinthians 9:24:

“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all…”

And near the end of his life Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7,

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course.”

The Christian life is not passive. It requires effort, commitment, and steady movement forward.

The race must be run with endurance

The verse says we must run “with patience.”

Here the word patience means endurance.

It is the ability to keep going even when things become difficult.

It means continuing the race:

when it gets tiring

when it gets painful

when quitting would be easier

James 1:3 says, “The trying of your faith worketh patience.”

Endurance is often formed through trials, not in the absence of them.

God has placed a race before each of us

The writer speaks of “the race that is set before us.”

That phrase reminds us that God has placed a particular course before each believer.

Our lives include:

different trials

different responsibilities

different opportunities

But the goal is the same: faithfulness to the race God has given us.

Jesus said something similar to Peter in John 21:22, “What is that to thee? follow thou me.”

In other words, we are not called to run someone else’s race.

We are called to run the one God has set before us.

Illustrate - Marathon Runners

A marathon is over 26 miles long.

No one finishes it by sprinting the entire distance.

The runners who succeed are the ones who learn how to pace themselves and keep going when fatigue sets in.

Many runners talk about “hitting the wall” late in the race, when exhaustion becomes overwhelming.

At that point the key is simple: keep putting one foot in front of the other.

The Christian life is much like that.

It is not a short sprint but a long race that requires endurance.

Faithfulness means continuing the course God has set before us, even when the race becomes difficult.

Argue - The Christian life is not a short sprint but a long race that requires endurance. The race before us has been set by God, which means faithfulness is not quitting when it gets difficult but continuing the course He has given us. Scripture consistently honors those who finish well, not those who simply begin.

Apply

If you are going to endure the race of faith, you must make the decision to keep going even when the road becomes difficult.

Commit yourself to the simple practices that sustain endurance: stay faithful in prayer, Scripture, worship, and obedience, even when you do not feel strong.

Refuse the temptation to compare your life with someone else’s race and instead remain faithful to the course God has placed before you.

This point especially speaks to believers who feel discouraged, overwhelmed, or tempted to give up, and to those who wonder if continuing in faith is worth the struggle.

Transition - But endurance alone is not enough. The writer now shows us the real source of strength that allows believers to keep running.

Division #3 - Enduring faith keeps its eyes fixed on Jesus. (vs 2-3)

Explain

Jesus is the focus of our faith

Verse 2 says, “Looking unto Jesus.”

The word “looking” carries the idea of turning your eyes away from everything else and fixing them on one object.

It is the picture of a runner who refuses to look around and instead locks his focus straight ahead.

The Christian life is sustained by keeping our attention on Christ.

Jesus is both the beginning and the completion of our faith

The writer calls Jesus “the author and finisher of our faith.”

The word author means the founder or originator.

The word finisher means the one who brings something to completion.

Jesus is both:

the one who begins faith in us

and the one who will bring it to completion

Philippians 1:6 expresses the same truth:

“He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Jesus endured the cross because of the joy ahead

The verse says that Jesus, “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.”

To endure means to remain steadfast under suffering.

Jesus endured:

rejection

humiliation

the suffering of the cross

Yet He endured it because He knew the joy that lay ahead, the accomplishment of redemption and the salvation of sinners.

Isaiah 53:11 says, “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.

Jesus’ victory proves the race ends in glory

The verse concludes by telling us that Christ “is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

This position represents authority, victory, and completion.

Psalm 110:1 says, “Sit thou at my right hand…”

Christ finished His race and now reigns in glory.

Reflecting on Christ strengthens our endurance

Verse 3 says, “For consider him… lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”

The word consider means to think carefully and deeply about something.

Why should we consider Christ?

Because believers can become:

weary

discouraged

ready to quit

But when we think deeply about how Christ endured, it strengthens our resolve to keep going.

Illustrate - Peter Walking on Water

In Matthew 14, Peter stepped out of the boat and began walking on the water toward Jesus.

As long as Peter kept his eyes on Christ, he was able to do what seemed impossible.

But when he began to look at the wind and the waves around him, fear took over and he began to sink.

Nothing about the storm changed in that moment.

The only thing that changed was Peter’s focus.

The same principle applies to the Christian life.

When our attention shifts to circumstances, problems, or fears, we begin to lose heart. But when we fix our eyes on Jesus, we find the strength to keep going.

Argue - Endurance is sustained by where we place our attention. When believers focus on circumstances, they grow discouraged, but when they focus on Christ, they find strength to continue. Jesus endured the cross and now reigns in victory, reminding us that the race of faith ultimately ends in glory.

Apply

If you want the strength to keep running, you must intentionally direct your attention back to Christ.

Spend time reflecting on who Jesus is, what He endured for you, and where He is now, reigning in victory.

Make it a daily habit to turn your thoughts toward Christ through Scripture, prayer, and worship, especially when discouragement begins to rise.

This point is particularly important for believers who feel weary, anxious about their circumstances, or spiritually drained, because endurance grows when our attention shifts away from our problems and back to the Savior.

Transition - And when we step back and look at these verses together, we see that the secret to finishing the race is not found in our strength, but in where we fix our attention.

Conclusion:

Visualize

A powerful real-life example of endurance under extreme conditions comes from the 1968 Olympic marathon in Mexico City.

More than an hour after the winner had already crossed the finish line and the stadium was beginning to empty, a runner from Tanzania named John Stephen Akhwari entered the stadium.

Earlier in the race he had fallen badly, dislocating his knee and injuring his shoulder.

His leg was wrapped in bandages, and every step was painful.

Many runners would have quit, but Akhwari kept going.

Slowly, painfully, he limped around the track and crossed the finish line to a small crowd that stood and applauded his determination.

After the race, a reporter asked him why he had continued running when he had no chance of winning.

Akhwari replied with words that became famous.

“My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race.

They sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.”

That story captures something of what Hebrews 12 is teaching.

The Christian life is not about starting well but finishing faithfully.

And when believers lay aside what hinders them and keep their eyes fixed on Jesus, they find the strength to keep going until the race is finished.

Reiterate So if we want to endure the race of faith, we must lay aside the things that hold us back, keep running the course God has set before us, and fix our eyes firmly on Jesus who finished His race in victory.

Action

So today, take an honest look at your race.

Lay aside the things that are slowing your walk with Christ.

Refuse to give up on the course God has set before you.

And most importantly, fix your eyes on Jesus, the One who endured the cross, finished His race, and now reigns in victory.

Appeal

But it is possible that someone here today feels weary because you have never truly begun the race of faith.

The Christian life does not begin with trying harder; it begins with trusting Christ.

The same Jesus who endured the cross did so to pay for our sins and to make a way for us to be forgiven and reconciled to God.

The Bible tells us that we are all sinners and that our sin separates us from God.

But Jesus took that sin upon Himself when He died on the cross, and He rose again so that anyone who believes in Him can be saved.

If you have never trusted Christ, today can be the day you begin.

Turn from your sin, place your faith in Jesus Christ alone, and receive the forgiveness and new life that He offers.

And for those who already belong to Christ, today is the moment to renew your commitment to the race, lay aside what hinders you, keep running faithfully, and keep your eyes fixed on Jesus.