Looking unto Jesus Hebrews 12:2

The writer of Hebrews exhorted his readers to see how they “are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses” and when they do, they were to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset” them and “run with patience the race that is set before” them. In chapter twelve and verse two of Hebrews the writer tells his readers to be “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” where we read:

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.

The verse begins, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;”. The writer began with the word, “Looking” which means “turning the eyes away from other things and fix them” “unto Jesus” whose name means “Jehovah is Salvation” and is “the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate” “the author” or “the leader, predecessor and pioneer” “and finisher” which means “perfecter, completer and consummater” “of our faith” or “of the writer of Hebrews and his readers' conviction of the truth of anything and belief with the predominate idea of trust (or confidence) whether in God or in Christ which springs from trust in the same”. The writer's exhortation was to “transfix” their eyes upon Jesus who is the “leader” and “perfecter” of their “belief in God”.

The verse goes on to say, “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.”. The writer continued with the words, “who for the joy” or “who because and on account of the joy, gladness and calm delight” “that was set before” which means “laid, placed before the eyes and in the sight of” “him” which refers to “Jesus” “endured” which means “remain, tarry behind, persevere and bear bravely and calmly” “the cross” or “a well known instrument of most cruel and ignominious punishment which was borrowed by the Greeks and Romans from the Phoenicians”, “despising” which means “contemning, disdaining and thinking little or nothing of” “the shame” or “the confusion of one who is ashamed of anything, ignominy, disgrace, dishonor and a thing of which to be ashamed”, “and is set down” or “to make to sit down, sojourned and settled down” “at the right hand” or “at the place of honor or authority” “of the throne” which refers to “the chair of state having a footstool which is assigned to kingly power or royalty” “of God” which refers to the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit”. Jesus focused on the “joy” before Him and was able to “persevere and bear bravely” the “cross” even though it caused him “shame”, and this gave Him the ability and position to be seated at God's “right hand” of authority.

When we think through these words in Hebrews, we should receive the writer of Hebrews exhortation to look past other distractions and keep our focus upon Jesus Christ. Jesus kept His focus upon the “joy” of our salvation which was obtained by His death on the “cross”, and because He “disdained” the “shame” of the cross, He now sits at the place of authority beside the Heavenly Father. We have an opportunity to know Jesus Christ as our personal “Savior and Lord”, and all who will believe in the great price that He paid for us shall not only see Him at God's right hand, but also live with Him eternally.

Next time the writer tells his readers to “consider him who endured such contradiction against sinners”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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