Looking Unto Jesus

Introduction

Well, after several days of the clouds covering the sun from our view, and of the rain and moisture, it certainly is uplifting to see the sun shining this morning, isn’t it? Uplifting also to be in an assembly like this for others who love the Lord. And even the Lord who promised that where two or three are gathered together in his name, he would be in the midst also. Good to see each of you. And certainly welcome to those who may be visiting in our audience today. If you’re from out of town, we’re certainly thankful that you’ve looked us up. If you’re from this area, we hope you’ll let us meet you again and again and again that you’ll come back. If you have a new testament, I’d like to encourage you to be opening with me to the reading found in a letter called Hebrews.

This morning, Hebrews chapter twelve, where in verses one through three, the writer says, 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. 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. For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. I don’t know how many of you are into jogging. But I admit I never enjoyed it very much.

I know we have some joggers here, Angelo and Alex and Tim, maybe others do from time to time. And a few years ago I used to try doing it. And I’ve heard of some who jog long distances, have said, you know, after running for maybe a few miles, they sort of get that feeling within a feeling of exhilaration where they just want to keep on going. I never experienced that. In fact, I like the saying that for me, jogging was like the fellow who said it’s like hitting your head with a hammer. It sure feels good when you quit. And that’s about what it was for me. Frankly, I never really liked to run races. As a youngster, I tried to play every kind of sport there was that had a ball attached to it, but track was not my thing.

Maybe it’s because I always lost when I got in a foot race with other boys. But the fact is that the writer in Hebrews 12 speaks about a race that all of us who serve the Lord are involved in.

And now, some 30 years after the crucifixion of Christ, and maybe even after many of them have obeyed the gospel, or maybe we’re in a second generation, whose parents had originally obeyed the gospel. What is happening at this point in time, in fact, is over since we go back and go the people around them in that city, certainly, the primary order of worship is still attending at the temple or being in part of the services and sacrifices of Judaism. Why not be like the people around you? And yet the apostle, the writer, I believe, the apostle Paul, I believe, wrote the book of Hebrews, is one who simply says, wait a minute. Remember who Jesus is. Remember the superiority of Jesus. That he is the one who indeed is now sitting at the right hand of God.

For he is indeed God’s spokesman to us today. He is superior even to angels. And therefore, in our lesson last Lord’s Day morning from chapter 2, the question was raised how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? In comparison, Moses was great, and the law of Moses was given by God, and it served a great purpose, but that purpose having been served. Now we look to Jesus. As we come to chapter 12 in our lesson today, the writer now encourages those to look unto Jesus. How can you continue in this race? There are times in running the race as a Christian that there are difficulties along the way for us, even ourselves. Now, many years later. We remember with joy, perhaps the time of our baptism, the time of excitement that we want to hunger and thirst after the Word of God.

And as we grow, and yet it isn’t very long until we find there are obstacles in the way. The devil has a way of putting different sorts of temptations in our midst and ways that will disappoint us and discourage us. And therefore, how do we succeed? How do we keep on keeping on? Can you remember the day you obeyed the gospel? Do you feel as excited today as you did back then? Probably not. But I hope that you are still excited and that you indeed consider the running the race of a Christian is not just a chore and something you have to do. That you didn’t come to a service like this this morning just because, well, you know, it’s Sunday, and I’m supposed to be there, and that’s why I got up and I’m here.

I hope it isn’t like that. But instead, there’s a spirit of saying, Look, I rejoice in running this race. Sometimes when I try to give a title to a lesson, I think in terms that it’s the focal point of the lesson. I started to call the lesson today the race that we run as Christians or something like that. But instead, I decided the real title of the lesson ought to be looking unto Jesus. How do we succeed in the race? In fact, the admonition that the writer here is says that lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls, the last part of verse 3. What the apostle is saying is that here’s a way to keep on keeping on and rejoice even when there are obstacles in your way.

1. He Endured the Cross

What do you do? He says, looking unto Jesus, verse 2. The author and finisher of our faith, who, for the joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him who endured such hostility. What does it mean to look to Jesus? I think, as the writer says, consider it. And taking a look at the text, he enumerates at least three different things that he says, look, look to Jesus. We know that our Lord came with a purpose for his coming, giving up at least for the meantime the glory that he had with the Father on high. He took upon him the form of man being even made as a servant.

And he came to die on the cross. He endured, the scripture says, the cross. That verb endured is a strong verb. It actually mirrors the entire scene of suffering and death, you might say. It is that word that says, Look, it was not an easy thing, even for the Son of God. There were things that were involved in his sacrifice that we need to consider what was involved. He endured the cross. Now, we glory in the cross. We rejoice that Jesus paid that penalty for our sins. That is the judicial penalty of death, even established by God in the Garden of Eden, when he said to Adam and Eve, in the day you eat thereof, you shall surely die. And yet, Jesus, who paid the penalty for us, we rejoice in that.

But when the scripture speaks about what he did involving the cross, he endured. He endured the cross. In fact, in Luke chapter 22, three different times, the scripture describes our Lord as praying, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. If it be possible, Lord.

2. The Author and Finisher of Our Faith

The text here speaks about Christ as the author and the finisher of our faith. What does that mean? In Hebrews chapter 2, if you’ll look back, the word author is, or the Greek word that is that is from which author is translated, our chegos, is there translated captain. In Hebrews chapter 2 and in verse 10, the scripture says it was fitting for him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many souls to glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Jesus Christ is the captain in that sense that he is the one who takes the lead. He provides the first occasion. He is the example for us. He endured as our captain, the cross. In fact, looking at chapter 5, in Hebrews chapter 5 and verses 8 and 9, the scripture says, though he was a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered.

And having been perfected, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him. Who is he? Yes, he is the author of. He’s the captain of our salvation. What did he do? He obeyed. Even the death of the cross. But backing up just a verse, in Hebrews chapter 5 and verse 7, the scripture speaks something about how endurance was involved. Who, in the days of his flesh, when it offered up prayers and supplications with vehement cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death and was heard because of his godly fear. Though he was a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered. You pause and think about verse 7. That of our Lord Jesus Christ, who would pray three different times in the Garden of Gethsemane, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.

Did he understand and know what was about to occur? Without question, I believe that he did. But was strong or vehement, the New King James Version says, with strong cries and with tears. Indeed, Lord, is it possible that there can be some other way? That this death on the cross is not essential. And of course, the answer really came back, there is no other way. If man is going to be provided a means of salvation, the justice of God must be upheld. God who set forth the penalty for sin as being death, then that penalty must be paid. Either each of us who have sinned will pay it ourselves totally and eternally separated from God, or else one will die in our place. Jesus Christ died in our place.

I found it interesting, though, that Jesus Himself spoke in John chapter 10 and in verse 18 about what it lay before him. When he said, No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself, speaking about his life. He said, I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from my Father. Jesus knew what was about to occur, but even so, he had to obey the Father. As he says, He had the power not to do it. He had the choice to make. Shall I go through this or shall I not go through this? In fact, in John chapter 12 and in verse 27, even raised the question, now my soul is troubled.

And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. But for this purpose I came to this hour. When Jesus Christ, no doubt, contemplated even before the Garden of Gethsemane, even before he was taken of those when Judas betrayed him. He knew what was about to occur. And yet he says, Shall I say, Father, remove me? I could have. But he said, This is the purpose for which I came. And therefore, understanding the very purpose for which he came, he endured the cross. But notice furthermore, in our text of chapter, Hebrews chapter 12, he endured the cross as the author and finisher of our faith. He is one who, by suffering death on the cross, made it possible to bring to completion our own salvation, dying in our stead.

3. Despising the Shame, Enduring the Contradiction of Sinners

He endured the cross, despising the shame. When you think about the crucifixion of Christ, the shame of it. Why not, Lord? Here I am. Let him take me, put me to death, and now the penalty be paid. That’s all there are is to it, isn’t it? There was shame to the cross. It was the most cruel form of putting one to death that the Romans ever did. Indeed, Jesus was taken and mocked by the soldiers. A crown of thorns on his head, a purple robe around his shoulders. Hail, King of the Jews. What do they know? The mockery against the Son of God. He was taken and scourged. And as the whip that was used, that is said by history that often intertwined within the leather thread would be pieces of stone or of rock.

And as one was scourged, in fact, many never made it through the scourging. They would die from that itself. Jesus was so weakened as he began taking the cross even out to the hill of Calvary. That he fell under the weight of the of the cross.

The shame. Stripped, nailed to the cross itself, and then perhaps as it was lifted up and with a thud down in the hole that had been dug for its place. And as they passed by and wagging their heads, if he be the Son of God, let him come down. Can you imagine the shame of the cross itself? For six hours at least, he hung there before he yielded up the Spirit. In recent weeks, there was capital punishment in another state, which the report was they did by injection this criminal had committed capital murder and was being punished for it. It took some 15 minutes for him to die. And the report is they’re going to sue the state because, you know, it was cruel and unusual punishment.

My thought is, yes, 15 minutes. Well, for those maybe who are the family and loved one of this person, and I’ll not try to get into the right or the wrong or capital punishment, so much as simply to say 15 minutes compared to six hours on the cross. Jesus endured the shame. Why? When he could have said, Lord, take me, I don’t have to be here. But instead, he suffered. Because of you and because of me. He endured, despising the shame, the scripture says. In fact, he endured the hostility from the sinners. As verse 3 says, consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself. I think I like the King James Version a little better than this new one. It says, such contradiction of sinners.

That sort of strikes me to be better what it really is. Yes, yes, there was hostility. There was hatred. These Jewish leaders who came to Pilate and just insisted that he be crucified. And even though Pilate three different times could say, I find no fault in him. I find no fault in him. And yet, when they threatened him politically, that if he didn’t at least pursue and crucify Jesus, that they would report back to Caesar that he’s allowed a man who might usurp his position because he claimed to be the king, they charged. And therefore Pilate yielded. Oh, to the hatred, to the hostility, yes. But there was a contradiction for the very ones that he was dying for hated him, mocked him, beat him, betrayed him, and nailed him to the cross.

Can you not understand, therefore, as the writer of Hebrews, when he is trying to encourage Christians who may be tempted to fall back into a form of Judaism, a form that really had been God’s will but no longer, and never could really take away sin because animal sacrifices could not take away sin. That in trying to urge them, don’t go back to the old form that has been nailed to the cross, but rather be encouraged by the fact you’re a Christian, that you’re in a race. And the very one who leads that race, who is the author and the finisher, who is the captain, who is the leader, if he could endure such contradiction of sinners, if he could endure despising the shame, if indeed he could endure the cross itself and the agony that goes with it, who are we to be saying, Lord, it’s just so hard.

I’m not sure I can keep up this battle. There are those, though, today who have turned back. There are those today who might be threatening to turn back. Maybe some even in this audience this morning who would have to say, you know, I’m not on fire like I once were. I came because I had to this morning. But really, is Jesus first place in your heart? Are you running the race in a sense that there is victory if I’ll keep on keeping on? And I want to put him first. Actually, in verse 4 of Hebrews chapter 12, the apostle says, You have not resisted the bloodshed, striving against sin. Compare what the battle, the race you may be in. And compared with what Christ has done, you’ve not resisted not to blood.

4. For the Joy Set Before Him

In fact, our text begins or ends and explaining the why that Jesus Christ would do this. When the scripture says he did this because of the joy that was set before him. What do you think that means? That he endured the cross, despising the shame for the joy set before him. Jesus Christ trusted in the Father. And what this really means is that he knew that when he obeyed the Father, there would be the outcome of salvation. Oh, yes. First of all, you would say that even passages like Ephesians chapter 1, when he was raised from the dead, God set him in his own right hand in heavenly places and gave him a position above all, far above all principality, power, might, and dominion in every name that is named.

Indeed, that’s a position of honor, a position of authority. But that’s not the only reason for which he dies. In fact, in Philippians chapter 2, there the apostle writes of the church of Philippi and urges us to have the mind of Christ, and he calls that kind of mind that even when he had glory with the Father, he emptied himself and took upon him the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. The scripture says, being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the death to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth.

God exalted him, but probably more than that. For the joy set before him, the very purpose for which he came and died. He had glory with the Father beforehand. It was by him that he indeed created the worlds.

And yet he came in form of a man. For what purpose? We read from John 12. He came for the purpose of providing salvation. In Hebrews chapter 2, and in verse 9, in fact, the scripture says we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he, by the grace of God might taste death for everyone. You and I are in the picture. Why? For the joy set before him. To be able to say, here’s provision of forgiveness of sins. No other way, except through Jesus Christ. I’d have to say to you that there was hope that was involved in that endurance. That the Son, though he is but as man, yet God in him.

Yet he had to endure. And he knew what was about to happen. But there was absolute trust. The kind of trust that says, Yes, I have hope as well. I make that point because we too, if we’re going to succeed in the race that we’re running as a Christian, that we have to have the kind of hope that serves as an anchor of the soul. Do you look forward to the promises of God that they assure that they’re steadfast? Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 19 speaks of hope as an anchor. And there are times when we may be tempted to do wrong. We have to stop and ask ourselves, well, is it really worthwhile to yield to the devil and his temptation that we give up eternal life?

Or do we say no matter what we’re going to keep on keeping on because we have a destiny. We have heaven in our sight. And we’re running for that. I love the passage in first Peter chapter one, where in verses three through nine, the apostle speaks about a living hope. He says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his abundant mercy, has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith, for salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. In this he says, You greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Whom, having not seen you love, though now you do not see him, yet believing you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. Receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. When Peter wrote this, the disciples receiving it, no doubt, were in heaviness, persecution so severe. He said, indeed, you are in heaviness, and yet you greatly rejoice. I say that they would rejoice only because they had a destiny. They had a hope. They knew joy that is set before them as well. We may not today be persecuted like many of the saints of the past, but I’m certain the devil puts before us many trials and obstacles that make us maybe at times stop and question, is it really worthwhile? Why are we running this race?

5. Surrounded by So Great a Cloud of Witnesses

We need to keep our hearts set again, looking to Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. But also caught up in this text, the very first word in this Hebrews 12 is the word therefore. And you know, whenever you find the word therefore, usually it is an expression that is based upon what precedes it. In the scripture, in fact, says, 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. Looking back into the previous chapter, Hebrews 11, no doubt that’s what he’s referring to when he says, we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.

You know, it’s one thing to say, well, I’m going to look to Jesus, but there’s always that, well, you know, yeah, he’s the Son of God. So, yeah, he endured the cross. And yes, he despised the shame, and he suffered the contradiction of sinners, but that’s still the Son of God. It was easier for him than for us. That’s pitiful thinking. But sometimes we can allow ourselves to go that way. He suffered as a man. He endured the cross. As one who was separated from the Father, even in his death. But the Hebrew writer captures this involved with also those who’ve worked and lived as men only. And you go through chapter 11, and there you see without faith it is impossible to please him, for all who come to God must believe that he is, and that he is the reward of those who diligently seek after him.

And throughout that chapter is one example of faith after another. But men and women like you and like me. Maybe first of all we say, well, there’s Abel, who offered to God a righteous offering and his wicked brother murdered him. But it’s by faith that he did what God said. We come to Noah, who in a generation where the thought of man seemed to be evil continually, and God was ready to destroy the world, and yet there was this man named Noah who was faithful to God, who built an ark at a time when there had never been a flood like that before. No doubt with the mockery of those around him, maybe even, you know, Noah, what are you doing building an ark? Why, Noah?

Because there’s going to be a flood. Ooh, crazy Noah. You know, today you may be mocked and ridiculed by those around as well. Who may say, you know, you mean you go to worship on the Lord’s Day every Sunday? Why every Sunday? Why don’t you read your Bible? Do you not know there are skeptics who abound today who would say, Well, the Bible isn’t really the word of God, it’s just the work of men and myths of men. Long of old, there were those who ridiculed God and the ways of God. Hebrews 11 speaks about an Abraham and his wife Sarah. An Abraham who was asked to go to a country he had never been before and did not know where he was going, but if God said go, he went.

And God blessed him. And even though past the age of childbearing, Sarah gave birth to Isaac when she was 90 years old. There’s a story of Jacob, and it’s a story of Joseph and on and on. But then, looking at Hebrews chapter 11, beginning in verse 32, the writer says, What more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jeptah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, and out of weakness were made strong. Became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. In verse 35, women received their dead, raised to life again.

Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still, others had trials of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned. They were sawn into, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goat skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains and dens and caves of the earth. And all these having obtained a good testimony through faith did not receive the promise. God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. The phrase in speaking about this great cloud of witnesses that we have to look back to and recognize as he would say, the world was not worthy of them.

I say that’s still true today. That if you and I keep our faith, looking to Jesus and running the race with faith, trusting that the Lord’s promise of eternal life will come to pass. It will be so. World is not worthy even today of those who faithfully served the Lord. Continue the race.

6. Lay Aside Every Weight and the Sin

How do we do that? Though we’re surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, they’re not just looking at us. They are witnesses who have struggled before us, walk in the flesh as we do. And perhaps many of them suffered that in ways we don’t physically have to suffer. But we’re still tempted by the devil as they were to stop the race. You’re going to yield? Or will you run with endurance? Will you keep on keeping on? Remembering who you’re serving and where you’re going. Then lay aside every weight. Long distance runners, I’ll tell you, when they get in a race, they don’t wear a suit and tie. What do they do? They lay aside everything they can to run with no weight hindering them. When you obeyed the gospel, you repented of sin.

That’s a part of laying aside the weight. Perhaps in your own life now, there’s continually that say, Well, you know, what’s hindering me from giving God the very best I have? What is it that holds me back or maybe discourages me? Lay aside that weight. In fact, the sin that so easily ensnares us. The writer here doesn’t describe what that sin is. We’re not sure exactly. You could say the theme of the book of Hebrews really has to do with take heed, brethren. Don’t fall back, don’t yield, don’t give up, don’t turn away from the Lord. Perhaps the sin that so easily besets could be the sin of unbelief. In chapter 3 in verse 19, when he’s speaking about the children of Israel who were promised the promised land, they left, they left Egyptian bondage and they journeyed toward the promised land, but they did not enter.

Forty years they wandered in the wilderness.

But to those who did not obey. So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. I want you to pause on that and think about it. They didn’t enter because of unbelief. That doesn’t mean that they were atheists. Oh, no doubt in their heart they still knew something about God, and Moses had led them thus far. But the unbelief was that they murmured and complained and did not obey the Lord. And I’ll say to that for us as well. As earlier in this same chapter in verse 12, he says, Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. If you yield and just lay down and quit running. If you quit running even to the best of your ability, maybe you may say, I believe in God.

When in fact, if you’re not obeying the Lord, it becomes a form of unbelief. And like the children of Israel, you may not enter that eternal abode as they fail to enter the promised land. One final passage I want to give you before we close. And that’s the promise found in 1 Corinthians chapter 9. If you have a Bible, in 1 Corinthians chapter 9, verses 24 through 26. The apostle writes, do you not know that those who run in a race all run? But one receives the prize. Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus, not with uncertainty. Thus I fight, not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. What the Apostle Paul is saying, frankly, is I can run the race, and I run with a sense of assurance. I don’t run like people, maybe who are in the Olympics or whatever, and only one’s going to win the gold medal. I run in a race where everyone can win the gold medal. In fact, he said, I fight, but I don’t just beat the air, a shadow boxing, but I fight as one who can win the battle.

Conclusion

I can win against the devil, looking unto Jesus. Recognizing that I’m not the only one who’s been in this race before. There’s a great cloud of witnesses who have struggled, and yet by faith they receive the blessing and promises of God. My beloved, you and I are in a race. May God help us to remember who we’re serving, where we’re going.

Take your hymn books, or I won’t say that again. I used to say that all the time. But we’re going to have a song in just a moment. We call it a song of invitation. A song to encourage you to serve the Lord faithfully. I know there’s some in the audience this morning who perhaps have become discouraged and you’ve sort of fallen back. Maybe you need to reassess who you are, really, as a child of God. And if in some way you’ve brought reproach upon the Lord and His church, and in a public way you wish to make acknowledgement of that, repenting of your sin, we’ll pray with you and pray for you. If perhaps you’ve never become a Christian, then why not this morning? You believe Jesus to be the Son of God, repenting of your sins.

You can confess your faith in him, and today be added to the body of Christ as you’re immersed into the death of Christ. If you’re subject to that invitation, we bid you come, as together we stand and we sing the song that’s been announced.