Hebrews 12:1-13 Call to Endurance

Intro John 2:10

Hebrews 12:1-12 Call to Endurance

test

v.1-2

Purpose: encourage hearers to endurance,

Process: example of Jesus and Esau

Witnesses: they are testifying their experience of faith, not witnessing ours

great cloud: big crowd

set aside every weight, hindrance, roadblock

Keeping eyes on Jesus - like the trailblazer in front of us

the cross: no worse way to die— shameful way to die - a billboard of share

Final allusion to Psalm 110:1 in the book

Previously in Chapter 11

We saw a history of God’s imperfect people, who were redeemed by faith. Their faith until the end made them examples for us.

From Abel to the time right before Jesus, men and women are listed from every walk of life.

We race with them behind our trailblazer, Jesus.

What kind of things distract you from tasks at work or home?

What distracts you from your faith?

When have you really needed a map?

Physical or metaphorical map.

Do you wish your parents had given you more or less discipline?

The preacher is writing to a congregation that has outside pressure to abandon the faith. He encourages them to endure.

Hebrews 12:1–3 CSB

Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up.

Cloud of witnesses = more like a giant crowd of people testifying to their own experience, not a grandstand in heaven.

“every hindrance” = don’t try to run in wet jeans. Greeks raced naked.

“sin” —> unbelief. It is not a particular sin, such as lying, that is creating the persecution. It is their belief, their faith. This is what they must hold onto.

“despising it’s shame” —> we’re not ignoring how awful the cross was or how awful persecution can be. Jesus didn’t like it. But winning the race was worth it for him and for us.

“our faith” —> The “our” doesn’t appear in Greek. Most translations follow the KJV because we like things being specific in English. “perfecter of faith” is more literal, but that leaves it open to any type of faith, which the author clearly doesn’t mean.

Hebrews 12:3–7 CSB

For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up. In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly or lose heart when you are reproved by him, for the Lord disciplines the one he loves and punishes every son he receives. Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline?

The quote is from Proverbs 3:11-12.

Hebrews 12:7–13 CSB

Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline—which all receive—then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had human fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but he does it for our benefit, so that we can share his holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed instead.

The discipline of sons is an argument from the lessor to the greater. If human fathers discipline sons, of course our Heavenly Father will discipline us.

Applications