Dr. Peter Van Kleeck, Sr., Providence Baptist Church 9/24/23 Heb. 12:2 LOOKING UNTO JESUS

TITLE: LOOKING UNTO JESUS
TEXT: Hebrews 12:1-2, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience 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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
INTRODUCTION: this passage is just a continuation of Hebrews 11

Looking unto Jesus -- Where the Christian life all begins – looking unto Jesus: The Greek verb aphorôntes, which implies that we must “look away (from other things) unto Jesus”-- “the concentration of the wandering gaze into a single direction.” As the wounded Israelites looked to the brazen serpent. Our crucified Lord was prefigured by the lifting up of this; our guilt by the stings of the fiery serpents; and our faith by their looking up to the miraculous remedy
Looking unto Jesus is an exclusive gaze; an exclusive focus; an exclusive trajectory; and exclusive purpose. Looking unto Jesus alone by looking away for all other things.
the author and finisher of our faith -- to the Beginner and Perfecter of the faith, The faith here is your personal faith. Jesus is the one who has begun or awakened the believer in the Christian faith and will carry us through to the end – to glorification – to perfection. The word Author is translated in other places "Captain (of salvation)," Heb 2:10; "Prince (of life)," Ac 3:15. Jesus goes before us as the Originator of our faith, and the Leader whose matchless example we are to follow always. What Jesus starts in your life He will finish. Your salvation is Christ-centered. It is Christ that saves through faith not faith in Christ that saves. Christ does the saving and the keeping.
who for the joy that was set before him -- who for the (heavenly) joy lying ready for Him, the obtaining of which should be the reward of His sufferings. That is, who in view of all the honor which he would have at the right hand of God, and the happiness which he would experience from the consciousness that he had redeemed a world, was willing to bear the sorrows connected with the atonement.
endured the cross – endured: Endured patiently the dishonor, humiliation and pain connected with the suffering of death on the cross.
despising the shame – despising shame. Christ despised the shame of the cross. To regard with contempt or scorn. To dislike intensely; loathe. To look down upon with disfavor or contempt; to contemn; to scorn; to disdain; to have a contemptuous dislike of.
The shame that one might think would overcome the Son of God as the sin-bearer was regarded by the Lord with contempt and scorn. He held the shame of the cross with contempt and disdain. What we might call the shame of being crucified, being forsaken by the Father, and bearing the sin of mankind Christ loathed and regarded with contempt and scorn. Shame was despised because the will of the Father was being done and the great plan of redemption was being culminated. Shame could not rule the day on such a momentous, holy, occasion. Shame was rather, despised.
and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God – exalted: Exalted to the highest place of dignity and honor in the universe; Mark 16:19 note; Ephesians 1:20-22 notes.
The sentiment here is, "Imitate the example of the great Author of our religion. He, in view of the honor and joy before him, endured the most severe sufferings to which the human frame can be subjected, and the form of death which is regarded as the most shameful. So amidst all the severe trials to which you are exposed on account of religion, patiently endure all - for the glorious rewards, the happiness and the triumph of heaven, are before you."