Hebrews 12 — Hebrews 10-12

0:00 Let's let's read verses one through 11 of chapter 12. Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of 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 has endured such hostility by sinners against himself so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, my son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord nor faint when you are reproved by him. For those whom he loves, he disciplines and he scourges every son whom he receives.

1:13 It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? Well, many in this day and age. But if you are without discipline of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

1:36 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us and we respected them. Shall we not much rather be subject to the father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, so that we may share his holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful but sorrowful. Yet, to those who have been trained by it, afterwards, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

2:09 What a a few verses there. It is clear after we end chapter 11 that there is immediate shift in genre between chapter 12. Chapter 11 is expositional. Expositional is just a word that means concerning teaching on a specific thought or idea. So so this expositional thought that that the Hebrews author has been covering thus far and predominantly in chapter 11 is what?

2:39 Is that of faith. Correct? And so in chapter 12, he changes his tone, his approach, his genre to that of exhortative. Okay? An exhortation is just something that encourages or exhorts one to do something.

2:55 This change is marked by two things. Primarily, the therefore that we find at the beginning of chapter 12, therefore, and now the shift that the author makes to the use of the first and second person. We find where the author used the third person in chapter 11, mentioning third person personal pronouns often, Moses, Abraham, Abel, whatnot. In chapter 12, he immediately involves his readers by using the first person we, you, us. This creates a much more intimate environment but it comes with it an exhortation, a command.

4:08 So, we have introduced to us in chapter 11 this this great host of witnesses. Correct? And and here, the author then changes changes his approach because he knows that the saints of old under the old covenant is is is an insufficient motivator for these people ultimately. It is solely the the model of Christ. Christ is our paradigm that ultimately produces the most fruit, that ultimately produces the greatest faith, that ultimately encourages believer believers to endure.

4:48 I I for the sake of time, hint hint, chapter 11, never mind, will only be primarily addressing verses one through three. Being that many have said that this is the the climax of the entire book and and three verses that are so important for us as believers and so important for us, you know, as readers of the New Testament. So, I apologize that my exposition on the remaining seven verses will not be completely sufficient. I will go clause by clause through verses one through three and then if time permits, I'll address the remaining section. So Hebrews twelve one says, therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

5:47 We already addressed the importance of the therefore being the change in mood, the change in tone. I enjoyed the fact that initially the author associates himself with his readers. The fact that he as the preacher, he as the author identifies his individual need to himself endure even more so than his than his readers is very important. Let us likewise associate ourselves with him. The author quickly then identifies that which his readers already possess.

6:24 He has done this a number of times already in the book of Hebrews. He introduced this notion in Hebrews four fourteen, therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the son of god, let us hold fast to our confession. He also did this in chapter 10. Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he inaugurated for us through the veil, that is his flesh, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. So here we see the author confidently identifying that these readers possess this high priest, this ultimate high priest who who is greater in in every way than than those that have preceded than than the ironic priesthood of the the Levi...

7:20 Levitical priesthood of Aaron and that of Melchizedek. Here, our author identifies that which the reader possess as not the high priest but a great cloud of witnesses, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us. And this is very important, but but what does the author mean here by so great a cloud of witnesses? There are two suggestions. Well first, it's important to note that a great host of people is is often a metaphor used or a cloud is used for metaphor and way of as describing a graced host of people.

7:57 We find this throughout the New Testament as well as Greek culture. The two interpretive options for how we understand this cloud of witnesses are primarily that these saints of old are presently witnessing the lives of present believers or that these present believers witness, alright, or consider the great faith of this great host of people that has gone before. Alright? So so here we have two options that either these these saints of old are presently witnessing the present faith of the believers who who still are are are running the race or that these present believers are supposed to in a way witness ultimately consider those that have faithfully endured already. I would say the the latter is is is suggested.

8:55 James Moffitt comments that it is what we see in them and not what they see in us that is the writer's main point. David Peterson in, in, in like fashion comments, the writer indirectly asserts again that the scriptures speak with a living voice to believers of all ages. One of the points I would say of the author of Hebrews, one of the secondary points is to just identify how how great and a wonderful encouragement scripture itself can be. And so here by identifying the the heroes of old, the men of this great story of scripture, we are then called to to witness this this living and active ministry that although it existed five thousand years ago, it still is one to be considered. What a legacy these men of old left and what an encouragement they are to us still to this day.

10:33 Taken from the Greek word ankos, it's best translated literally to be weight. Alright? Basically, that hinders or or or the progress of an athlete or a runner. In the first century, I read actually many places in the first century in Greek and Roman culture that athletes participated, you know, for the most part naked. And that they would enter this...

11:00 The stadium in elaborate robes and and jewelry and they would discard them before their athletic event in order to perform the best. Blessedly, athletes do not perform that way today. Although many sports require kind of attire that is next to nakedness. Take swimming for example. Swimmers are often encouraged to shave their body hair, know, as a way of ridding themselves of encumbrance, as a way of becoming more aerodynamic and becoming faster, stronger, and ultimately, we see that endurance is needed.

11:41 Okay? And there should be a clear distinction made between encumbrance and sin. I think the author by using the word weight, he is implying something amoral. Okay? Which is which is something that is neither good nor bad.

11:58 It's not moral. It's not immoral. Await. Await is not something that's inherently bad. It's not something that's inherently good.

12:06 But still, it acts as an encumbrance. We we see this often. Temptation, pressure from from peers, pressure from culture, technology. These amoral things in our society that that although they are not immoral in and of themselves, they are still oftentimes encumbrances taken on an individual basis case by case. Here the author encourages us to to get rid of them, to to lay them aside.

12:38 Encumbrance or sin, mind you, is is clearly moral. Sin doesn't necessarily concern the physical world. Alright? Sin is something not intrinsic in god's original design. Sin is moral.

12:53 Sin is bad and here it is identified as something that easily entangles. The word here used for for easily entangles euparistaton is is carries very very dangerous connotation with it. Sin is identified as here here as being something that is incredibly hostile. It it besets or it cripples any sort of athlete, any sort of runner and if you think about a runner who has become crippled, he he is useless. Let alone, you know, walking, let alone running for a time.

13:34 So, in order to rid ourselves of these encumbrances, in order to rid ourselves of these sins that that are so dangerous, that so easily entangle, our author encourages us to to simply lay them aside. As as easy as that sounds, it is it is very very difficult as as we all know. Skip the section. Ultimate... The second second clause, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

14:49 Today we we find that our our our favorite races are are the short 100 meter, 200 meter sprints. But how much endurance is actually involved in them? I mean, not a sprinter, probably a lot, but assuredly not as much as that is required for a marathon, a three mile race. Most importantly, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. As subjects of God's divine will, we have all been called to to to run this race.

15:24 It is our calling. It is something we are encouraged to do. It is something we all must do. And because we must participate in this race, let us not participate or I mean, let us participate to the best of our ability. Let us run as as fast as we can.

15:44 Let us run as hard as we can. Let us run with with much endurance because it is something that god has for us to do. But to our advantage, we are not alone. Correct? Look look to your right, look to your left, look to chapter 11.

16:01 We have a great cloud of witnesses which to consider, which have gone before us, which not are running against us. Mind you, they are running with us. We we are to look upon their faith. We are to witness their faith as they are to us and run this race together. Ultimately, who who are we who are we to consider?

16:25 And that's what verse two introduces us to. This this person we are to consider is Jesus. I I I read many occasions that that there was some intentionality here behind the author on specifically using the proper noun Jesus. There are many titles which we use for our lord, but but here he stressed by using the the proper noun Jesus, his humanity. As he stressed the humanity of the men that we find in chapter 11, here the humanity of Jesus is is something that we are to look to and the events that he experienced as a man.

17:05 The phrase fixing our eyes implies kind of complete attention. We are to turn our gaze overtly away from everything else and fix our eyes, our attention, our gaze solely, solely on him. Revelation one five, we find echoes of of what our author says in John's language and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. So here, John identifies Jesus as as a witness, an ultimate witness who by way of faith, alright, we are one, we are we are called to look upon. Similar language that we find in chapter 11.

17:58 Jesus's faith and the faith that we are called to is identified in two ways, something we all are very familiar with and I'd like to talk about that at greater length. We are to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author, and perfecter of faith. The word author in Greek archagon has many different meanings I found. It is translated many occasions in the New Testament and in Greek culture as as founder or pioneer, leader, originator, and although we don't find this in scripture translated this way, culturally, it is often translated champion and that was one that I that I considered and and enjoyed very much. That that Jesus is is the champion of our faith.

18:50 Hebrews six twenty records Jesus as the forerunner for us. Certainly here alluding to the same metaphor that of that of a race, that of runner. Jesus is is the one who ran the race first. He ran the race the best. He ran the race the fastest.

19:11 He ran the race ultimately with the most endurance, winning, Winning the race. He is the champion and we are to look at long... You know, look to him as his example. Think about, you know, in a long distance race, someone who is setting the tone as fast as they can. Although, mind you, we are we are way far behind, he is still in our gaze.

19:35 It might be at a distance, but but we are still called to run arguably at the same pace that he did. So certainly, it it is worth trying. The word perfector is best understood in that way as as as perfector. Jesus perfected faith. Craig Coster identifies kind of two ways in which in which this faith is is exemplified.

20:04 He is first the source of our faith in that believing faith which brings eternal life, which brings the salvation of our soul, is only found in him. We must have faith in him, our source. He is also the model of our faith and this is kind of a a twist on this notion of faith but it's one I hear I think that the author of Hebrews is here introducing to his readers that Jesus himself embodied faith that he was the faithful witness. He was the one who had the most faith. He he is he is faith embodied.

20:48 I found it interesting that the definite article was before the word faith. This is not the case in in in the entirety of the New Testament. That that here there... Faith is not referred to in in a whimsical kind of abstract way but this is definite faith that the author has been referring to his entire discourse. The faith that we find in in eleven one, the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen, this is the faith that finds its champion, finds its perfection in Jesus Christ and no other.

22:07 So let's consider both because although I think they're both theologically correct, I think they're both worth considering as well. Who instead of the joy set before him endured the cross and we'll talk about this in a little bit or who because of the joy set before him endured the cross. See here how this would would create a different reading. Let's consider instead of first. So instead of joy, endured the cross.

22:36 We find this notion introduced to us earlier in the book of Hebrews. In the days of his flesh, he offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the one able to save him from death and he was heard because of his piety. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from the things which he suffered. So here we see Jesus forsaking the joy that was set before him inevitably, you know, being the son of god, being the rightful heir to the throne of his father, forsaking that immediate joy that that could have been found in this present age and enduring the cross and despising the shame. Forsaking the kingdom that that Satan presented to him when he was tempted and and and confidently proclaiming that his kingdom is not of this world.

23:32 The present joy that he would be experiencing is nothing to that of that of the ultimate joy he would one day experience. We also find this notion in in Luke chapter 22. I would encourage you to turn there. A very familiar passage being the Garden Of Gethsemane. Luke twenty-two 39, I'll read through verse 44.

24:08 And he came out and proceeded as was custom to the Mount Of Olives and the disciples also followed him. When he arrived at the place, he said to them, pray that you may not enter into temptation and he withdrew from them about a stone's throw and he knelt down and begin to pray saying, father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Yet, not my will but yours be done. Now, an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him and being in agony, he was praying very fervently and his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. What a what a humbling humbling image this is.

24:57 The prince of peace, the the king of kings in so much agony that that is that is sweat has become like drops of blood knowing the pain, the suffering that his atoning work would bring. Knowing that the will of his his father, something that at this time, Luke suggest he he he does not necessarily want, not my will but yours, something the will of his father submitting himself entirely to his father's will. Also, this this echoes what Paul says in in Philippians chapter two that who being Jesus, although he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself. He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, a bond servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death.

25:54 Even death on a cross. Even though he existed in the form of man, something that in itself should bring much joy. He forsook that joy for for the cross in order to endure the cross. The alternative reading because of is something that brother Morris introduced to us this morning and something I very much appreciate that the more natural reading kind of the the English translations would suggest that that because of this joy, this joy being the future joy that he would experience with the father the right hand on his on his throne, on his inherited throne. Therefore, he endured the cross.

26:42 Brother Morris also introduced us to a very important concept that I would like to reference that that John speaks of in chapter 17. But now I come to you, Jesus is speaking here, and these things I speak in the world so that they may have my joy made full in themselves. So ultimately, this joy set before him being Jesus is not is not his immediate joy alone. But as brother Morris told us, the the joy of everyone. The joy Jesus would experience fellowshipping with us at the right hand of the throne of god.

27:25 Perfectly glorifying god the father, god the son, god the holy spirit, in perfect unity. What a what an encouraging image that is but joy must be understood in opposition to the cross that he endured. Strangely, this is the only reference to the cross that we find in the whole book of Hebrews. How how fitting that it is in in these three verses. Now, I found it very strange as I was contemplating this idea.

27:58 I found it very strange that that this author introduces us to the champion of faith. Faithful endurance in a race being the primary metaphor that our author familiarizes ourselves with and here, he is exalting the champion of faith and and here is his resume. Well, it's not that he, his virgin, you know, his virgin birth, you know, it's it's not his his wonderful miracles that he performed while on earth. It wasn't his wonderful parables or his elaborate teaching on love or the greatest commandment or or the kingdom of his father. It wasn't even his his resurrection that the author here alludes to in order to pronounce this champion of faith.

28:46 But but what does he reference? He references the cross. I found that that strangely ironic that here is the champion of faith. Now, he is the champion of faith because of his most humiliating humiliating moment, because of the worst moment in his life. The the moment that that was that was so incredibly shameful.

29:12 I found myself imagining god the father as Jesus completed completed the work that was set before him, completed the race as god the father exalted his son at the award ceremony on the pedestal. Here is my son, first prize. But but what means did Jesus have to partake in to get there, to get to this exaltation? Well, first, he he was exalted but exalted on a cross. He was lifted high where everyone could see him but but what were they doing?

29:48 Were they praising him? No. They were spitting at him. You know, scourging him. They were mocking him.

29:54 He he was wearing a crown of thorns on his head. He was he was entirely naked. What a what a shameful, what a shameful event but Jesus despised this shame. I found it someone... One of the the commentators that I I read referenced Matthew twenty seven forty three and I would like you to consider it.

30:18 Here is one of the the most profound in my opinion mocks that is jested at Jesus while he is on the cross. He trusts in God, let God rescue him now. If he delights in him, for he said, I am the son of God. Here, this this person who is mocking Jesus is referring to his faith, his faith in God and identifying that that faith, if it is true, should what? Should get him off the cross.

30:48 Well, ironically, he did have faith. He had faith in his father. But that faith did not encourage him to get down. What instead did it do? It encouraged it encouraged him to stay up.

31:02 It encouraged him to endure because He is the Son of God. F. F. Bruce comments that to die by crucifixion was to plumb the lowest depths of disgrace. It was a punishment reserved for those who were deemed most unfit to live.

31:20 A punishment for those who were subhuman. Ironic, we'll we'll address this later. Jesus despised this shame and ultimately has sat down at the right hand of of the throne of God. I would like to reference the Psalm that here the author of Hebrews has alluded to and he alludes to many times in his book. The Lord says to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool of your feet.

31:53 Here the Father openly invites his son to sit at his right hand. Revelation three twenty one, passage that I referenced during the first meeting says something similar and also encouraging to us. He who overcomes, Jesus is speaking here, I will grant to him to sit down with me on my throne. As I also overcame and sat down with my father on his throne. Okay?

32:45 Here, the primary virtue of of faith being endurance is is yet again referenced and we'll find it again referenced later in chapter 12. I would like you to ask yourselves, you know, what did all of these men of old that we find in chapter 11, what did they have in common? In light of their faith, well, that of endurance. Although they experienced things that were very different from one another, ultimately it was their enduring faith that the author alludes to that that they shared in common. So I would encourage you this day to endure.

33:26 We have... Let's address endured such hostility by sinners against himself. William Lane comments that crucifixion was a punishment in which the caprice and the sadism of the executioners were given full rein. Caprice is a word that means an unnatural and aggressive immediate change in mood. We've all experienced this in ourselves, in in others, those closest with us, when all of sudden, there is just a sudden and immediate unnatural and aggressive change in mood.

34:04 Sadism is the tendency to derive pleasure from the humiliation and pain of others. What a what a what a sobering thought this is. Say... Sadism as it exists as as we've seen in in movies towards towards animals or or other people, but but considered with with me the sadism that was that was approached towards Jesus where this person who was deemed unfit to live was was sadistically tortured to the entertainment of those around them. The phrase against them himself carries with it two possible interpretive ideas.

34:49 It is either taken singularly as sinners against himself which referring to Jesus that he endured the crucifixion or the hostility of sinners against himself or it is taken pluraly. Alright? Which which the old manuscripts actually most of them read plural. Sinners against themselves which creates a more different interpretation. I would like you to consider the latter.

35:18 That these sinners were in essence sinning against themselves. Proverbs eight thirty six kind of introduces this notion that he who sins against me injures himself. Marcus Aurelius records something very similar. He who sins sins against himself. He who acts unjustly acts against himself.

35:46 Is it not crazy how sin always has the ability to fold back on itself? Ultimately, ironically hurting hurting you, the sinner in the process. Tend to plan to share a story but for the sake of time, I'll continue. This is the biting irony of the crucifixion And if you take nothing else from from my message today, consider this. We, you and I, we we we put to death, we killed the way, the truth, and the life.

36:24 We put to death the true life of the world. We killed the savior of the world and and that is the biting irony and that ultimately through his death, not only would come his his his ultimate exaltation to the right hand of the throne of god but also our eternal life. So, that you will not grow weary and lose heart. You can imagine how the stress of constant persecution would slowly grind away the the morale, the spirit of these early believers. And here our author encourages us to to consider Jesus who endured such hostility by sinners against himself so that they will not grow weary and lose heart.

37:23 The word psyche actually for not growing weary has the word psyche in it kind of implying the soul so that you will not grow soulfully weary. Although, we probably will not experience persecution, physical persecution along the same lines that these these early converts did. Certainly, are constantly in a war that is waged against our soul. And we have, as they did, kind of the opportunity to grow soulfully weary and to lose heart. And I would encourage you in this day not to, to endure.

38:44 Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of god. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself that you will not grow weary and lose heart. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin and you've forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons. My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord nor faint when you are reproved by Him. For those whom the Lord loves, He disciplines and every scourges and He scourges every son whom He receives.

39:27 Here our author is citing Proverbs chapter three verses eleven and twelve, my son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord or loathe his reproof. For whom the Lord loves, he reproves, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights. I would encourage you to consider that the disciplinary action, suffering in which you experience whether it be physical or whether it be of of your soul, of your of your heart that may in times grow weary. I would encourage you to look upon Jesus' example as it is humbling to think that the father intentionally disciplined him because of his love. Not only his love for his son, but ultimately his love for us.

40:21 William Lane comments that there is a necessary and integral relationship between disciplinary sufferings and sonship. You are not a son of your father according to our author unless he disciplines you. Certainly the application there is is is endless. It's widespread. In closing, I would like to reference yet again Revelation three twenty one.

40:52 Jesus is here speaking, He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with me on my throne. The the throne of God that that we are destined to inherit is promised here. But we must overcome. We must endure with faithful endurance. We must participate in this race.

41:20 And I would like to offer two encouragements to you today. If you have not yet begun this race in faith, do so now. There there is a goal, there is there is a prize, there is a victory that is set before you by way of Jesus Christ. And it was through his death and ultimate resurrection by which we have this witness. The second encouragement I would like to offer is to those who are already running the race.

41:53 Endure. Run faster. Run harder. Run stronger with more endurance. Fix your eyes wholly on him, on him who ran before us, the author, the champion, the perfecter of our faith, who at this present day is where is at the right hand of God the Father because why?

42:13 Revelation three twenty one tells us because he overcame. He overcame. What you are experiencing, Jesus experienced in full at at much greater measure. How how tempting would it have been for him and his soul to grow weary for him to lose heart up on that cross when when he experiences the the thing, when he experienced the things that he did. But I would encourage you to to look upon him in in your moments of of faltering.

42:49 So let us pray. Dear heavenly father, we thank you so much for sending your son to be the savior of the world. We thank you for your love for him that he was able to endure the disciplinary sufferings that you had willed him to to participate in. Lord, we recognize that you have a race set before all of us, that each and every one of us are are called to participate in. Let us run, Lord, this race with endurance.

43:21 Fixing our eyes ultimately on your son, who makes this race possible. We thank you again for this wonderful fellowship, for the faithful cloud of witnesses that surrounds us even to this day. Help us to encourage one another, lift us up, lift each other up, ultimately encouraging one another for for faithful endurance. We ask this in you and your son's name. Amen.