OceanSide church of Christ

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FOUR MOTIVATORS TO FAITHFULNESS

 

Looking unto Jesus

Hebrews 12:2b-4

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     The writer just finished a lengthy section about Old Testament examples who manifested faith in God.

 

B.      In this chapter, he reminds his readers of these Bible greats, but then points them to one even greater, Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

 

C.     The inspired penman also notes three other things that he hopes will encourage these Christians to remain faithful under great pressure to apostatize.

 

D.     Outline:

 

i.                    LOOKING UNTO JESUS (Heb. 12:1-4)

ii.                  LISTENING TO THE SCRIPTURE (Heb. 12:5-13)

iii.                LEARNING FROM AN OT CHARACTER (Heb. 12:14-17)

iv.                 LAUDING THEIR PRESENT SITUATION (Heb. 12:18-29)

 

I.                   LOOKING UNTO JESUS (Heb. 12:1-4)

 

A.     The Cloud of Witnesses (Heb. 12:1a)

 

B.      The Commitment to the Race (Heb. 12:1b)

 

C.     The Captain as Our Focus (Heb. 2:2-3)

1.        Focus (Heb. 2:2a)

2.       Features of His faith (Heb. 12:2b)

 

…who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame…

 

a.       Perception:  for the joy that was set before him

1)       Jesus did not focus on the suffering through which He was going.

2)      His mindset was beyond the event.  He could see beyond the pain and suffering.  What He saw brought Him joy.

a)      Pleasing the Father

b)     Redeeming man

c)      Being returned to glory

3)      Wacaster:  “We are reminded of one of the traits of Biblical faith, namely the ability to measure things by eternal goals rather than temporary gains” (p. 490).

b.      Patience:  endured the cross

1)       Endured

a)      Strong (5278):  to remain under, under go, to bear trials, to persevere

b)     Thayer:  to remain, abide, not recede or flee from, to endure, bravely and calmly, ill treatments.

2)      Jesus suffered some six, long hours on the cross.  Three of those hours were spent in complete darkness.  He remained under the suffering.  He did not take Himself off of the cross even though He could have (John 10:18).

c.       Putting off:  despising the shame

1)       Because we are 2,000 years removed from the cross, we have a tendency to glorify the cross because of what it accomplished.

2)      In the days of Rome, there was no more humiliating death than the cross.  The shame attached to it cannot be comprehended by our minds today.

3)      Jesus “despised the shame

a)      Strong (2706):  to think against, disesteem

b)     Thayer:  to contemn, despise, to think little or nothing of

c)      The shame of the cross was one of the least of the worries of Jesus on Calvary.

3.       Finale of faith (Heb. 12:2c)

 

…and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

                       

a.       Position:  the right hand

1)       The right hand of an authority was a position of honor and power (Ps. 45:9).

2)      James and John requested the positions on the right and left hand of Jesus (Mark 10:35-37).

b.      Place:  the throne of God

1)       Jesus is on the right hand of the throne of God.

2)      Barnes:  “Exalted to the highest place of dignity and honor in the universe” (e-sword).

3)      It was prophesied that the Messiah would sit on God’s right hand (Ps. 110:1; see Ephesians 1:20-23).

4)     He is there even at this very moment ruling and reigning as King of kings and Lord of lords.

c.       LESSON:  “…faith pays exceedingly rich dividends when permitted to prevail over present problems that it might enjoy the promotion of tomorrow’s triumph”(Keesee as quoted by Wacaster, p. 490).

4.      Fixate on Jesus (Heb. 12:3)

a.       Consider him (Heb. 12:3a)

 

For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself…

 

1)       Consider

a)      Strong (357)  to estimate, that is, (figuratively) contemplate

b)     Thayer:  think over, consider, ponder

c)      Vine:  consider

d)     NOTE:  The Greek word is analogizomai from which we get the term analyze.

 

 

 

2)      The one to consider is Jesus who “endured such contradiction of sinners against himself.”

a)      Contradition

-          Strong (485):  dispute, disobedience       :- contradiction, gainsaying, strife

-          Thayer:  gainsaying, contradiction, opposition, rebellion

-          Vine:  comes from a word meaning “to speak against”

b)     The ones who spoke against the Christ were sinners. 

-          They denied His deity.

-          They rejected His works.

-          They spoke against his release.

3)      Question:  Have we ever had to experience the things that our Lord has experienced?  If He faced such severe opposition, surely we can overcome the light afflictions that come upon us.

4)     LESSON:  Our minds need to be centered upon Jesus.  Not problems.  Not the critic.  Not the unfaithful.  Not the lazy.  Not our feelings of self-pity.  Not those who refuse to help us.  Not the hypocrites.

b.      Consequences of not looking to Jesus (Heb. 12:3b)

 

…lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

 

1)       The mind is the place from which all actions flow (Prov. 4:23; 23:7).

2)      Definitions:

a)      Wearied

-          Strong (2577):  to toil, that is, (by implication) to tire (figuratively faint, sicken

-          Thayer:  to grow weary, be weary, to be sick

b)     Faint

-          Strong (1590):  to relax

-          Thayer:  to weaken, relax, exhaust, to have one’s strength relaxed, to be enfeebled through exhaustion, to grow weak, grow weary, be tired out

c)      Clarke:  “Here is a continued allusion to the contenders in the Grecian games, who, when exhausted in bodily strength and courage, yielded the palm to their opponents, and were said καμνειν, to be weary or exhausted; εκλυεσθαι, to be dissolved, disheartened, or to have lost all bravery and courage” (e-sword).

3)      LESSON:  When we refuse to energize ourselves by considering our source of strength, Jesus Christ, we get tired and sick and grow weary.

 

D.     The Circumstances They Faced (Heb. 12:4)

 

Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

 

1.        These Christians had not yet shed their blood for the cause of Christ as they strove against sin.  The martyrs had.  Jesus had.  But, they had not.

2.       They were “striving against sin.

a.       Strong (464):  to struggle against (It is the word from which we get our word antagonize).

b.      Thayer:  to struggle, fight

c.       The picture is that of two men in the arena doing battle against each other.

3.       Barnes:  The general sense of this passage is, “you have not yet been called in your Christian struggles to the highest kind of sufferings and sacrifices. Great as your trials may seem to have been, yet your faith has not yet been put to the severest test. And since this is so, you ought not to yield in the conflict with evil, but manfully resist it” (e-sword).

4.      NOTE:  The writer is not trying to discount their present sufferings.  Ridicule, mockery, loss of jobs, loss of finances, rejection, and other forms of persecution are difficult to bear. 

5.       LESSONS

a.       Christians are in a fight against sin.  Our enemies seek to weaken us and cause us to give up.

b.      There are different levels of persecution that we can face as Christians.  Most of us will never have to face the severe tests that require our blood.  If we will keep in mind those who have, like Jesus, we will be strengthened to remain faithful and steadfast in our struggles.

c.       We must keep our tribulations in the proper perspective.  We often think that our suffering is the worst ever experienced.  Not so.  Our afflictions are light compared to many who have gone before us.

 

II.                LISTENING TO THE SCRIPTURE (Heb. 12:5-13)