Honoring the Great Cloud of Witnesses

On this Memorial Day weekend, I am taking the opportunity to preach on a neglected aspect of the Fifth Commandment—not only are we to honor our mothers and fathers who are alive, but we are to honor those who have died. In Proverbs 10:7, we find this wonderful promise, “the memory of the righteous is a blessing”. That we may receive that blessing, let us hear God’s Word:

Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

...and...

2 Timothy 4:7–8 ESV

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

May God bless this the reading of His holy and infallible Word.

The most memorable event of the Summer Olympics is the Marathon. As each runner approaches the end of a grueling 26.2-mile event, they find themselves looking at the Olympic Stadium. As they approach, they hear the roar of the crowd. Coming out of the stadium tunnel, they run one lap around the stadium as the crowd cheers them on. This is the picture that the author of Hebrews paints for us in Hebrews 12.

As this chapter opens, we find the word “therefore”, which points us back to the previous chapter where the author lists many of the great Old Testament saints. The faith of each of these men and women, serve as a “witness” to us; but this is not all that the author of Hebrews means by the word “witness”. By using the word “surround”, he is telling us that they are also like the crowds at the end of a Marathon, who witness each contestant as they cross the finish line! In addition, as each saint finishes his or her race, they join the crowd to cheer on those who follow!

Imagine the joy we will feel as we cross that finish line ourselves and see ourselves stand amongst the likes of Abel, Noah and Abraham; but our greatest joy of all will be seeing Jesus Himself on the other side of the finish line! He is called the “founder”, or in some translations the “pioneer” or “author” of our faith. In other words, He is the first to cross the finish line. The saints of the Old Testament went to Paradise, rather than Heaven when they died. Only after Christ had crossed the finish line was it possible for them to do so. This brings us to our first point; we honor our mothers and fathers in the faith by...

Looking to Jesus

Looking to Jesus honors them, because this is what they did. The message of the book of Hebrews is clear—Jesus is Superior. The author of Hebrews argues that the Old Covenant institutions such as the Temple, the priesthood, and the animal sacrifices were all types and shadows pointing to the superior reality of Jesus. Consequently, the Old Testament saints were saved not by looking to these Old Covenant institutions, but by looking to Jesus. Moreover, we who live under the New Covenant are saved only by looking to Jesus as well.

Why is "looking to Jesus” so important? It is important because we all too often look to something else other than Jesus.

In the past two weeks, our nation has experienced three mass shootings. In the shadow of such horrific events it is tempting to imagine ourselves superior than others. While it is true that not all sins are equally evil, we must not forget that all sin is evil. God is clear, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). If anything positive has come out of the events of these past two weeks, it is that fact that some have found the courage to speak the truth, “America has a sin problem”. Even more encouraging, some have even had the courage to say publically, “we need to look to God”.

This has always been the solution and always will be the solution: for nations, for communities and for individuals. Individuals like you and I. We cannot save ourselves. Every saint in Heaven is in Heaven, not because they were so good, but because they looked to Jesus. Jesus is the “author and perfecter of our faith”. In other words, He is the beginning and the end. We start the race by looking to Jesus and we end the race by looking to Jesus.

This calls for endurance. The author of Hebrews says, “let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” We do we need endurance? We need endurance because the forces of evil are determined to get our eyes off of Jesus. The Christian life is a fight, and this brings us to the second way that we honor our mothers and fathers in the faith.

Fighting the Good Fight

In our second Scripture lesson this morning, Paul speaks not only of running the race, but “fighting the good fight”. The “Evil One” who is set against us, has two names. His first name is “Satan”, and this name means Accuser. Sin is not compatible with the Christian life and Satan knows this. So what does he do when we have sinned, He accuses us and tempts us to despair.

Have you ever felt like giving up after you have sinned? I know I have. I am sure you have too. You need to understand that thoughts of despair and hopelessness have their origins in Hell, not from Heaven. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. Satan accuses us of sin.

What is the difference between conviction and accusation. Conviction leads us to repentance and faith. Accusation lead us to despair and doubt.

It is not easy to “keep the faith” in the face of the ugliness of our own sin. Think about some of the saints we read about in Hebrews 11. Some of them such as Abraham, Moses and David committed horrific sins. Think of the Apostle Paul, who wrote 2 Timothy. He considered himself to be the “chief of sinners”. Yet each of these turned their eyes away from the accusation of Satan, and “looked to Jesus”.

The “Evil Ones” second name is “The Devil”. This name means, deceiver. In other words, he attempts to get us to take another path, than the one blazed for us by Jesus. Jesus is the “trail blazer” of the Christian faith. The only way to get to the finish line is by following in his footsteps. That path is now well worn. Everyone who gets to Heaven has had to follow it.

Although it is well worn, it is a narrow path. Jesus once said...

Matthew 7:13–14 ESV

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Sin always offers us a “short cut”. What makes sin so tempting? Is it not peace, pleasure and joy? All these thinks are offered to us in their perfection by God, but we must endure suffering before we inherit them. Is this not the example of Christ? Again, let us look at Hebrews 12:2:

Hebrews 12:2 ESV

looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

What does the author of Hebrews go on to say?

Hebrews 12:3 ESV

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

He is talking about endurance and fighting to “keep the faith”. This brings us to the last way we honor our mothers and fathers in the faith:

Running With Endurance

I have already spoke much about endurance, but what I have in mind in this last point is not the endurance that is necessary to fight evil, but the endurance that is necessary to do good.

In his letter to the Church in Galatia, Paul wrote this:

Galatians 6:9 ESV

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Satan does not just accuse us he also accuses God. “God”, he says, “is unjust and will not reward you for your righteousness”. As “The Devil”, he also deceives us saying. “What is the point of doing good, you will never receive a reward.” It is easy for him to get away with these accusations and lies, because God in His wisdom and love has decided to give us eternal rewards, not temporal rewards.

The “crown” Paul ran and fought for was laid up for him in Heaven, not here on earth. On earth, his life was often filled with suffering, but all that suffering is over with now, and for 2000 years Paul has been enjoying the “joy set before him”!

The author of Hebrews speaks of sin “clinging to us” and “weighing us down”. Have you ever noticed that distance runners and boxers wear as light of clothing as possible? They wear lightweight clothing so they can run or box in the most efficient manner possible. Righteousness is like this, it helps us run the race and fight the fight in the most efficient way possible.

As we remember our mothers and fathers in the faith, do you not see the truth in this. Has any saint ever suffered eternal lose for obedience and righteousness? Of course not! If it was true for them, it will be true for us.

As chapter twelve of Hebrews concludes, we come to these two verses:

Hebrews 12:22–23 ESV

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,

This is the “Finish Line”!

Notice what it calls the saints in Heaven, it calls them “the spirits of the righteous made perfect”! The great early American preacher and theologian, Johnathan Edwards preached a sermon entitled, “Heaven, a World of Love”. Why did he call Heaven a “world of love”? He called heaven a “world of love” because in heaven our love will be perfected. The love that we experience for parents, children and our spouses in this life is wonderful thing, but as wonderful as this love is it is not a perfect love. Only in heaven will we love perfectly, and every saint in heaven now loves you perfectly!

Why should we honor our mothers and fathers in the faith? We should honor them because they love you perfectly!