"--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." (Hebrews 12:1-2).

         The analogy is that of a race-- with a ""great cloud of witnesses"" that are surrounding us. We are challenged to "lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us," so that there be nothing to impede our going, nothing to slow us down, as we give ourselves to the race. Furthermore we are admonished to keep our eyes focused upon Jesus Christ, and not be overtaken by the aforementioned witnesses. Their testimony stands strong! By faith they "subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouth of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." (Heb. 11:33-34). While others were tortured, stoned, sawn asunder, slain with the sword, etc. Many were destitute, afflicted, tormented. All of these proved the strength and the genuineness of their faith in the Lord, holding steady even though they "received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." (Heb. 11:39-40). As a great cloud of witnesses they bore testimony of faith in the promises of God. However, the writer to the Hebrews does not leave us parked there to marvel at these stalwart men and women of faith. Our attention is not to be focused on them-- but having received their witness-- which ever points us to the Lord-- we are then admonished to "LOOK UNTO JESUS," for He alone is '"the Author and the Finisher of our faith." We do not, we must not, idolize the various men and women of faith, nor concentrate upon their stature, but having received their witness, we gird up our loins to run with patience the race that is set before us-- and firmly place our gaze upon HIM who is the Source and the Perfecter of our faith. Each testimony and example was to urge us on to faith in Christ, for it is IN HIM that we have salvation.
         Then the writer goes on to point out that Jesus is the supreme example to which we should look as we run life's race. He stands at the head or the procession of faith's heroes, for He alone brought faith to perfection. We desperately need to keep our eye single to Him.
         The Greek word for "looking" that is used here is "aphorao,'" and signifies a turning our eyes away from other things to fix them on a certain thing, which in this case speaks of a spiritual vision with our mind concentrated on our Lord. And is it not true, the minute we take our eyes off of the Lord, and give undue attention to other men, our pace is slackened, and progress is hindered? But there is One who has gone before us, and we would centerize our faith in Him, for HE is the AUTHOR-- the Greek word is "archegon," made up of "ago" meaning: "to lead," and "arche" meaning: "the first." Thus HE is the CHIEF LEADER, going before us to be our example. Truly, HIS faith far surpasses all the examples of faith commemorated in the preceding chapter. Truly, Jesus Christ is the Leader of all believers of all time. "Leaving us an example, that we should follow in His steps." (1 Peter 2:21). We are not called to be followers of men. Paul wrote, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ." (1 Cor.11:1). The Word is clear, only in the measure that others are followers OF CHRIST are we to follow along with them. Paul clarifies this thought in Eph. 5:1, "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us." Thus he was able to say of them, "Ye became followers of us, AND OF THE LORD, having received the Word in much affliction, with joy of the holy Spirit." (1 Thess.1 :6). And thus walking WITH THE LORD, they became examples to all that believe. Let it be clear, other men and women can be involved in our walk with the Lord only in the measure that they keep us pointed to Him, the Author of our faith.
         And, He is the Finisher of our faith. The Greek word is "teleioo" meaning: "to carry through completely, to finish, to make perfect or complete." We are "confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil. 1:6). Even as the prophet declared-- "Lord, Thou wilt ordain peace for us: for Thou also hast wrought all our works in (margin, for) us." (Isaiah 26:12). And the Psalmist also reaffirms-- "Thy right hand shall save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy mercy, 0 Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of Thine own hands." (Psalm 138:7-8). How readily we identify with the Psalmist. He had confidence in God's right hand-- able to save. He holds to the fact the Lord will perfect him. He counts on the mercy of God enduring forever. And then, in a moment of acknowledging his own frailty, knowing that unless God does it, it won't be done, he prays, "Forsake not the works of Thine own hands." We would believe, we would have faith in HIM, we have heard the report of the great cloud of witnesses and we would likewise be strong in faith in Him-- but there are moments when we also shake and tremble, and cry out for God to remember us, and not forsake us. Faith is tested, but because He is the Finisher we shall come through.
        How often we need that reassuring word which He gave to Jacob, "Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest-- I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee." (Gen.28:15). This same promise was confirmed by Moses to Joshua, "And the Lord, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed." (Deut.31:8).
         We find that the writer to the Hebrews also affirms this, stating-- "He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Heb. 13:5). The end of our processing is secure, for it is centered in the One who is the Finisher of our faith. He first gives us the faith to believe, then He sustains us through all the "becoming process," until He completes it to His praise. God working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
         Then the writer gives the example that far outshines all other examples. It leaves us speechless and in awe, for it speaks of dimensions that beggar description, and challenge us to heights and depths that we never dreamed to be possible. "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."  (Heb.  l 2 :2).
         "Who for the joy that was set before Him..." A casual glance would imply that He endured the cross in order that He might obtain a certain joy that was placed before Him as a reward for His sufferings. But there is a much deeper truth here which thrills our soul. In this case the word "for" is the Greek word "anti" meaning: over against, or instead of. It is used in Luke 11:11, where we have, "If he asked a fish, will he for (anti, instead of) a fish give him a serpent?" The obvious answer is "No, of course not." No substitute, no instead of-- a fish was desired, a fish will be received. But it illustrates how the word "anti" is used here, with the one set over against the other.
         Young's Literal reads, "Who, over against the joy set before Him...."
         Williams, "The perfect Leader and example of faith, who, instead of the joy which lay before Him, endured the cross with no regard for its shame..." The JOY was set (literally, lying before) Him, the glory He had with the Father before the world was. HE renounced a joy already in possession in exchange for shame and death. "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Phil. 2:6-8).
         He was no stranger to THE JOY. It was not just some future glory to be received. HE WELL KNEW THE JOY, the blessedness which He shared with His Father. He could say, "And now, O Father, glorify Thou me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was." (John 17:5). It was over against-- instead of this EXPERIENCED GLORY, that He yielded Himself to the cross. The one was over against the other. How could He make such a choice? How could He turn away from THE JOY, to give Himself as the supreme sacrifice? The JOY was a sure thing-- He knew what it was. But this cross-- with all of its shame and death, how could this be desired? Yet He endured the cross, despised its shame, experienced it to the full-- and committed Himself to the will and the promise of the Father. There would be a "nevertheless afterward." HE would return to the realms of glory, for He had the promise of the Word-- "Wherefore He saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption." (Acts 13:35). But His obedience was complete, and for our sakes He laid aside the glory which He intimately shared with the Father, yielded to the cross that was before Him, and believed into the ultimate victory. The heroic character of His faith is manifested in that He relinquished the glory/joy and surrendered to the cross. The realm of fullness was exchanged for the realm of emptiness-- nothingness-- as He said, "I can of Mine own self do nothing-- because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father which sent Me." (John 5:30). He was stripped and emptied, and thus was totally dependant upon the Father. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye though His poverty might be rich." (2 Cor. 8:9).
         We cannot begin to comprehend what He gave up-- the joy that was set before Him. For "The creature was made subject to vanity," (Rom. 8:20), and this void, this vanity, this emptiness is all we know. We have "tasted that the Lord is gracious." (1 Peter 2:3). Some have even "Tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the world (age) to come." (Heb. 6:5). But we only "know in part, and we prophesy in part." (1 Cor. 13:9). "Lo, these are parts of His ways: but how little a portion is heard of Him?" (Job 26:14).
         Moses made request "Shew me now Thy way, that I may know Thee, that I may find grace in Thy sight." And God responded, "Behold there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass, while My glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with My hand while I pass by: And I will take away Mine hand, and thou shalt see My back parts: but My face shall not be seen." (Exodus 33:13, 21-23). It was awesome, the afterglow of the glory of God, and for a time the glory shone from his face in such a way that he put a veil upon his face, for the people found it hard to look at Moses. Ah, how little men are able to look upon the glory of the Lord.
         But The SON once shared in the glory of the Father, and then to lay it all aside, to share in our poverty, this goes beyond our present comprehension. On one occasion Jesus said, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head." (Matt.8:20) Use whatever examples and illustrations you like-- He shared our poverty. But He did so with a purpose, "That ye through His poverty might be rich."
         There was a "JOY SET BEFORE HIM" that He purposed to share with His people. Yes, He knew THE JOY, He was cognizant of the glory He had shared with the Father. But "over against" this was the cross, the shame, the death, and a oneness with the Father's will, so that He took the cup and drank it to the full, knowing that now the JOY that was set before Him could be shared with all of this groaning creation. "FOR YOUR SAKES He became poor..." Always it was "for" you, He never worked against you. All of the mercy of the purpose and plan of God, to wit, "That God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself," (2 Cor. 5:19), has been FOR US, on our behalf-- that He might share with us THE JOY.
         "JOY unspeakable and full of glory." (1 Peter 1:8) . Words fail us! How can we tell of that which we have not seen, nor felt, nor known? All that we desire is found IN CHRIST. We have nothing in ourselves. "What hast thou that thou didst not receive." (1 Cor. 4:7). Herein is the tremendous love and compassion which the Father has for His creation. And He would do whatever was necessary to unite US with HIS GLORY. He knows we have nothing in/of ourselves, and so He purposed to give Himself to/for us. And the way in which He would bring this to pass is so awe-inspiring, for HE would come to us in all our weakness, emptiness, humanity, and "condescending to men of low estate," (Romans 12:16), He would share of the riches of His life with us. While Paul was writing this to the Christian, that we ought to have this attitude, certainly our Lord demonstrates humility in every sense of the word. And He comes to us where we are, that He might bring us to where He is. He wrapped Himself in the creaturely garment of His own creation, and was found in fashion as a man, as He gave Himself for us.
         Condescending– the Greek word here is "sunapagomai" meaning: to be led away with. It speaks of a real identification with lowly things or people. It is a visible manifestation of humility as He humbles Himself even to His death on the cross, and thus was numbered with the transgressors. He, who KNEW the UNSPEAKABLE JOY– the overflowing of LIFE, chose to walk among men in a poverty made all the more humiliating because of its contrast with the joy that was set before Him. But, and here we must repeat ourselves, it was all according to the Divine Purpose, that He might ultimately share that joy with us. Fanny J. Crosby must have had a glimpse of this when she wrote the beloved hymn---
                                                       "Tell me the story of Jesus; Write on my heart every word.
                                                        Tell me the story most precious, Sweetest that ever was heard.
                                                        Tell how the angels in chorus, Sang as they welcomed His birth;
                                                        "Glory to God in the Highest! Peace and good tidings to earth."
                                                        Fasting alone in the desert, Tell of the days that are past;
                                                        How for our sins He was tempted, Yet was triumphant at last.
                                                        Tell of the years of His labour, Tell of the sorrow He bore.
                                                        He was despised and afflicted, Homeless, rejected, and poor.
                                                        Tell of the cross where they nailed Him, Writhing in anguish and pain,
                                                        Tell of the grave where they laid Him; Tell how He liveth again.
                                                        Love in that story so tender Clearer than ever I see.
                                                        Stay, let me weep while you whisper Love paid the ransom for me.
                                                        Tell me the story of Jesus, Write on my heart every word.
                                                        Tell me the story most precious, Sweetest that ever was heard."
         "For your sakes..." He did it for us! "For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth." (John 17:19). The Father purposed that we should all "be conformed to the image of His Son," (Rom. 8:29), and with a view that HE "might be the firstborn among many brethren." He is the Leader, He is the Foremost One, the Firstborn. Therefore "IN ALL THINGS it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest. . . " (Heb. 2:17). If ever we were to be partakers of the joy set before Him, then it was also essential that He would become the way into that joy. So it was determined in the wise counsels of God that the Son would partake of our humanity. He took on our image, that we might be changed into His image. It is truly a multifaceted WORKING OF GOD! He experienced us, that we might experience Him. He sanctified Himself, and now as we become ONE IN HIM, then we also partake of that sanctification. "For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren." (Heb. 2:11). There is nothing in the processing that we can partake of that He has not already FIRST partaken of that realm. He "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." (Heb. 4:15). And "over against" all these processings is that JOY that was set before Him.”
         It is this joy that He now imparts and blends into our sufferings. That is why Paul could write, "And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the Word in much affliction, with joy of the holy Spirit." (1 Thess. 1:6). It is with respect to the joy that HE HAS that we are able to endure much affliction. It is not a self-generated joy, but it is of the Father. It is IN HIM, and when we are also IN HIM we are to share in that joy and victory. That's why we read-- "Your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory." (Col. 3:3-4).
         Joy-- “charo," and it comes from the same root as "charis" which is translated as "grace." It speaks of Divine favor. It speaks of gladness, that joyfulness that springs from a sense of well-being. It is a rejoicing because of the abundance of life as we are much graced by our Lord.
         Now we understand why the writer to the Hebrews gave emphasis to our looking unto Jesus. Precious as the testimonies of Hebrews 11 are, these men and women of faith cannot impart that "joy that is set before Him." Jesus Christ alone is that wellspring of life, and so fully triumphant that HE can give us JOY in the midst of our afflictions. "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us." (Rom. 8:37). Again, "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 15:57). "In His favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." (Psalm 30:5).
         '"Weeping may endure for a night..."-- He "endured the cross, despising the shame..." -- "If ye endure chastening (child-training)..." (Heb. 12:7). And we thank God "for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure.” (2 Thess. 1:4). We need not list at length the things to be endured-- but even Jesus said, "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." (Matt. 6:34). Measured out according to the necessary processing for the day, but there is also a joy in the Lord that balances out all of the negatives, and we learn to "in everything give thanks."
         The situations vary according to His divine handiwork, but methinks we all can identify with Esther, when she said-- "How can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?" (Esther 8:6). It is so hard sometimes to have to stand by and observe what our loved ones go through. We endure a grief and would be prone to want to interfere-- but it is GOD'S WILL that must be wrought in them, even as it must be in us. Sometimes the night is so dark, and the pressure is so intense, the evils seem to be so rampant about us, that we would just as soon give it all up, pull the covers over our head and just quit the race. And then we hear the Word-- "Consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." (Heb. 12:3). HE endured so much more than we'll ever be called upon to face, and it was with respect for the joy that was set before Him, that He CHOSE the Father's will, and endured until the work was complete.
        "Lest ye be weary and faint in you mind." I dare say, often it is a severe battle of the mind, "casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God..." (2 Cor. 10:5). We become mentally fatigued and faint-- grappling with the problems of the day. Then it is time to CONSIDER HIM-- and, as the chorus goes:
                                                   "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face,
                                                    And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of
                                                    His glory and grace."
         And so our prayer for you-- that "Now the God of hope fill you with all JOY and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13). BY HIS SPIRIT He shares with us of this unspeakable joy-- giving us HOPE in the midst of the trial. HE can do it, for though HE knew of the joy that was set before Him, He also knew what it was to give Himself fully for the outworking of the Father's will. And now He shares of that JOY when there is no earthy reason to rejoice. When it seems like all hell has broken loose around us, and we know not which way to turn, then HE says-- "IN ME ye shall have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33). Amazing! He became poor, that we might become rich. He emptied Himself, that we might be made full. "These things I speak in the world, that they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves." (John 17:13).
         Looking unto Jesus we find that "for your sakes" HE overcame the world, and now as we abide in Him, we can share in that overcoming. So, while He had respect as to the joy that was set before Him, and knew the end was secure, He was able to endure the cross, and despise its shame-- the Greek word for despise is "kataphroneo," to think down upon. HE did not allow the shame to mushroom all out of proportion, HE THOUGHT IT DOWN, and let THE JOY rise up to the glory and praise of God. Indeed, He said, "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?" (Luke 24:26). The glory was waiting-- over against the suffering was the glory-- secure in the Father's plan. Suffering was but a means to an end, and when that end was accomplished there would be an overflowing of joy.
         NOW, WE are to focus our eye upon the JOY THAT IS IN HIM, which He would share with us. He promises that we shall experience both the sorrow and the joy. While first "ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy." (John 16:20). How could He say that? Ah, He had respect for the joy that was set before Him. He knew the glory and rejoicing, the gladness and shouts of victory that ultimately are to be ours-- and even before He was crucified, before the apex of the cross was experienced, HE knew the final word would be positively wonderful-- for HE would turn all our sorrow into joy-- the miracle of conversion. He knew that the end result would be JOY. Amen!
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(1)Prinzing, Ray and Doris "Letters of Truth"  Boise, Idaho 83705, P.O. Box 5822

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