September 16
Looking Unto Jesus
Hebrews 12:2-3

  1. 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.
  2. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

He’s continuing his discussion about how to run with patience the race set before us.  Not only do we lay aside every weight and sin, and run with cheerful endurance, but we are to look to Jesus.  How did He do it?  He went through the agony of the cross and the shame by the joy that was set before Him.

He endured all He endured because of the joy that would come as a result of what He would accomplish.  The joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10)!  We are to look to Him and consider Him.  Consider how He endured such ‘contradiction of sinners.’  He endured the opposition and great hostility of sinners against Himself.  We are to consider what He endured so we won’t be weary and faint in our minds.

By looking at what Jesus endured and went through for us it gives us strength to endure in our situations.  It gives us strength to resist sin, to lay aside those weights without becoming weary and giving up.

 

Confession:

I look to Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith.  I see how He endured the cross by the joy set before Him.  I consider Jesus who endured great hostility and by looking at and considering what He went through I am strengthened and I will not grow weary and give up.

 

 

Obedience is a tree of life!