The Example of the Son of God (Heb. 12:1–4)

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance 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 has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

I. Look around at the winners!(1a)

A. The “great cloud of witnesses” are the heroes of the faith.

It is not suggested here that these men and women now in heaven are watching us as we run the race, like people seated in a stadium. The word “witnesses” does not mean “spectators.”

Our English word “martyr” comes directly from the Greek word translated “witness.” These people are not witnessing what we are doing; rather, they are bearing witness to us that God can see us through. God bore witness to them (Heb. 11:2, 4–5, 39) and they are bearing witness now to us.

B. Believers find encouragement in being surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses.

Their triumph gives evidence of the possibilities of a life of faith. We receive much encouragement from knowing that others have faced obstacles in the Christian life and have gloriously triumphed.

Such encouragement should lead us to cast aside every hindrance and besetting sin. We are to rid ourselves of any thought, attitude, or practice which impedes our progress in the Christian life. Sin finds an easy victim in all of us, so we must reject its entanglement.

II. Look at yourself! (1b)

A. What are the “weights” that we should remove so that we might win the race?

Athletes will sometimes use training weights to help them prepare for their events. No athlete would actually participate wearing the weights because they would slow him down. Too much weight would tax one’s endurance.

Everything that hinders our progress must be removed. They might even be “good things” in the eyes of others. A winning athlete does not choose between the good and the bad; they chooses between the better and the best.

B. We should also get rid of “the sin which so easily ensnares us”

While he does not name any specific sin, the writer was probably referring to the sin of unbelief. It was unbelief that kept Israel out of the Promised Land, and it is unbelief that hinders us from entering into our spiritual inheritance in Christ.

Rejecting sin’s entanglement lets us run our race with staying power. Perseverance calls for stamina or staying power. The race is that path God has marked out for us. We cannot select our own program. We must faithfully follow the route God himself has marked.

III. Look at Jesus Christ! (vv. 2–4)

A. Jesus is “the author and finisher of our faith.”

It was in “looking to Him” that we are saved, to look means “to trust.” When the dying Jews looked to the uplifted serpent, they were healed; and this is an illustration of our salvation through faith in Christ. “Looking unto Jesus” describes an attitude of faith and not just a single act.

When our Lord was here on earth, He lived by faith. The mystery of His divine and human natures is too profound for us to understand fully, but we do know that He had to trust His Father in heaven as He lived day by day. The fact that Jesus prayed is evidence that He lived by faith.

B. Our Lord endured far more than any of the heroes of faith, and therefore He is a perfect example for us to follow.

He endured the cross! This involved shame, suffering, and even temporary rejection by the Father. On the cross He suffered for all the sins of all the world! Yet He endured and finished the work the Father gave Him to do.

Why look away from human leaders to Jesus? Because he is the author and perfecter of our faith. He gives it and completes it. Jesus has gone before us in this race to keep faith. He knows what we need for it. He himself ran the race. He set his face against the popular sin of unbelief and daily lived in patient perseverance, trusting his Father to work everything out for him. He set the perfect example.

C. What was it that enabled our Lord to endure the cross?

Please keep in mind that, during His ministry on earth, our Lord did not use His divine powers for His own personal needs. Satan tempted Him to do this (Matt. 4:1–4), but Jesus refused.

It was our Lord’s faith that enabled Him to endure. He kept the eye of faith on “the joy that was set before Him.” He knew that He would come out of the tomb alive. Jesus knew that He would be exalted to heaven in glory.

Conclusion

Since Christ is the “author and finisher of our faith,” trusting Him releases His power in our lives. Christ is both the model and the enabler! As we see Him in the Word and yield to His Spirit, He increases our faith and enables us to run the race.