Looking Unto Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2)

This sermon was preached on 8/12/2013

The writer here uses the image of a race to picture the Christian life. Races were common in the ancient world, as they are with us, and we have no difficulty in understanding the illustration. The author himself is taking part in the race with his listeners (as well as us), because he exhorts, ‘Let us run.’ As we listen to our fellow-runner we hear him mention those who have run the race before him. The first point that he makes is that they are witnesses in the sense that they have the credibility to speak because they have already run the race and finished it. Who are those runners? They are the individuals mentioned in Hebrews 11. It is important to study their lives, and the lives of other well-known Christians.

There is disagreement regarding how we are to view those heroes of the faith. Some scholars argue that we should regard them as spectators, as if they are cheering on those who are still running. Others say we should regard the witnesses merely as those who have preceded us and left us an example to follow. The word ‘surround’ could indicate them as spectators in the way that those watching a race in a stadium surround the runners. We can understand why they would be interested in our progress because the last verse in the previous chapter says that they without us could not become perfect.

What do the witnesses from Hebrews 11 tell us about the life of faith? I will mention three things.

First, they tell us that this world is not our home. This is the common outlook that they have concerning the future. They realised that there is a better world to which they could go. It is described as the city God is building, that it is the better country. By whatever name heaven is called, it is a reminder that this world is not permanent.

Second, they tell us that Jesus is the Saviour. Abel trusted in the promised Victor over the devil, Enoch anticipated the future Judge, Abraham looked forward to his Descendant who would bring blessings to the nations, Moses when forsaking Egypt was conscious that he was doing it all for Christ. And we can say the same about the others who have finished their race.

Third, they tell us that God keeps his promises. They lived in different places from one another and had diverse experiences. The shared necessity that each of them had was to know God’s keeping power and guiding hand. And that is what each of them knew as they lived lives of faith in God. In doing so they were comforted by God’s promises connected to the predicted Saviour.

What we have to get rid off in order to follow Jesus

The writer mentions two requirements that are essential for running the Christian race. One he describes as weights and the other as besetting sin. When he tells his readers to lay aside weights, he uses a term that indicates taking off one’s clothes. A person would not run very far with his clothes on. It is possible that both phrases mean the same thing, that the sins are the weights. Yet I think he means something different by his use of weights; I suspect he has in mind neutral things that are likely to hinder us in running this race.

How would we know what such things are? They come into this category if they prevent us looking to Jesus, if they cause us to take our eyes of him. These things will not be the same for everybody. For example, there can be two people who are interested in politics or in sport. One of them can engage in them and function as a Christian and be devoted to Jesus, the other finds that his interest takes the place in his life that Jesus should have. When that happens to the latter, he is to get rid of the things that cause him not to focus on Jesus.

What is the sin that does so easily beset us? We are used to individuals referring to their ‘besetting sin’, with a variety of sins mentioned such as gossip or laziness in an aspect of the Christian disciplines. Yet it looks as if this besetting sin is one that affects all the runners, so perhaps the author has in mind the sin of unbelief in the promises of God. All of us know how easy it is to forget what he has promised or even to disagree inwardly with what he has said he will do for us because we imagine we have not experienced it from him. We cannot run the Christian race if we doubt that God will help us in one way, never mind in all ways. Unbelief in one area of life will hinder us in other areas as well.

What is the beginning of the Christian life like?

The writer likens it to a long-distance race similar to our steeplechases with various barriers to encounter. Although there are many athletes, there is only one race. The track runs from this world to the gates of heaven.

The starting line is where we hear the gospel, the starting gun is someone saying, ‘Follow Jesus.’ When the gun is fired, we should begin to run. Many people, however, remain static when the command is given. Indeed they have heard the command many times, yet have still not started the race.

We have watched races on television. Usually there is a large crowd making a lot of noise. But the would-be runners should not be listening to the crowd, they should be listening for the starter. Similarly, many would-be runners in the Christian race get distracted at the start because they are listening to the world and not to the gospel invitation. They are like the listeners in the parable of the sower whom the devil removed the seed of the word from their hearts.

If an athlete does that in an earthly race, he is without excuse because the starting point is in the best place to hear the starter’s gun. It is the same with those of us who have been brought up in church. You are in the best place to hear the starter’s command.

In order to start the race, you have to prioritise the gospel. It cannot be merely an option, there has to be determination. Nobody has begun the Christian race with a shrug of the shoulders. Coming to the starting line means you have arrived at decision time.

The Christian race is run in the same way as the person starts. Each runner has to make sure that outside interests do not affect his performance; if they start to slow him down, then he should get rid of them. Sins will arise that he will have to resist. Sometimes these sins will trip him up and he will fall. When he does fall he is not to remain lying there. If he does that, he will be a hindrance to those running after him. So he will get up again and continue the race, thankful that he is able to ask the Person in charge of the race for forgiveness. As he runs the race, he finds that the same Person who forgives him his falls is also the same person who gives him strength to continue.

Further he has to run the race with endurance, because there will be moments when it will be agony (which is indicated in the word translated ‘race’). There will be many occasions when the only option will be to keep going, running one step at a time, unaware of what further obstacles there may be around the bend.

Value the perfect race run by Jesus

The writer says that we run the race looking to Jesus. There is not a contradiction here between looking at him and looking at the other previous runners who are now spectators. Instead we look at them for different reasons. Some reasons may overlap and others will not, and even in the ones that overlap we must look more often to Jesus than to the other runners.

One way in which we look more to Jesus than to the others is in the area of being an example. Jesus showed greater determination as he ran his race with endurance until he reached the finishing line. On each step of his race he trusted in his Father, was guided by his Father, and prayed to his Father. His race was unique because it involved the cross. He despised the shame that the cross brought to him because he was looking ahead to the joy of heaven. This was one of the encouragements he had as he ran his race. That joy includes many things, but one of them is the gathering of runners that will take place when the race is completed as the last runner crosses the line.

In addition to looking to Jesus as our example, we also look to him as the only Runner ever to complete a perfect race. When the author says that Jesus is the author and perfector of faith, he does not mean that Jesus begins and completes our faith (which is true, but is not the truth that is here). Rather he is saying that Jesus’ faith was perfect from beginning to end.

Although we may run a good race, we will never run a perfect race. It is true that we have to run the race in order to get to heaven, but we are not allowed into heaven because we have run a good race. We will be allowed into heaven because Jesus ran a perfect race on our behalf. Every step of his race he ran as our representative. His whole life was composed of obedient acts to his Father’s will whether as a child, an adolescent or as an adult. The perfect Runner ran on behalf of those who would follow him to heaven. This helps us to run our race, knowing that we do it relying on the One who ran a perfect race.

We also run our race looking at the stages on the route that Jesus took on his race to heaven. For him to reach the finishing line, he had to undergo the distress of the cross – he had to endure it. This was the track that was mapped out for him, and he ran by faith the stage when he was on the cross in the same way as he ran every other stage. We see his trust in God expressed most clearly when he cried, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ This was faith during the darkness, and what perfect faith it was!

We also look to Jesus for encouragement, even although he alone ran the perfect race. The other runners cannot forgive us or give us a hand, nor can they give us a reward. They cannot draw near to us as we struggle along an uphill stage in our race. But Jesus can, and does. He comes close to each of his followers and encourages them to keep going. He reminds them of the rest and glory of heaven that will be theirs at the end of the race.

This encouragement causes us to look to Jesus in the sense that we anticipate receiving a reward from him. At the end of ancient races, the participants would be called up to a platform and receive a garland from a prominent person. The name and city of the runner would be announced, and he would receive some applause. Paul, when using that illustration, points out that they do it for an earthly crown. The runners at the end of the Christian race will also receive a call to come to a higher platform. On that platform to greet them will not be a dignitary of earth, but the King of kings himself. Sometimes, when athletes get their medals, they are presented by a former winner of the race. We are going to receive commendation and reward from a previous Runner, Jesus himself. When he says to us, ‘Well done,’ he will speak as One who knew the rigours of the track, although his race was much more demanding than ours. As athletes hold their medals in their hands, they say that their sacrifices and efforts to win it were worthwhile. When we hear Jesus say, ‘Well done,’ and receive from him the crown of glory, we will say with joy, ‘It was worth it all.’

Several years after receiving their medal, athletes can see a fading shape that has lost its glistening or the diploma has begun to fade. Also the world has forgotten their names. But the heavenly athlete’s reward will never lose its glory and neither will they ever be forgotten. After millions of years have past, they will still be enjoying their reward in the presence of the great Runner himself, and he will never forget them.