Enduring The Cross
The two things Jesus did to endure the Cross.
“Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted” Hebrews 12:1-3
In our Christian life, maturity in our discipleship calls for us to persevere in our obedience, be persistent in our prayers, and be steadfast in our hope. The easiest thing to do is to give up and turn to either sin or what the author calls "weight", which may not be explicitly sinful, but is clearly something that greatly hinders our walk with Christ - worldly distractions, worldly wisdom, etc. So whats the solution the author suggests for us to be steadfast? Look to Jesus!
What did Jesus do? He endured or persevered under the cross. How? Notice the two things stated before and after this phrase "endured the cross". First, He fixed His eyes on "the joy that was set before Him", meaning He looked beyond the cross to His great reward: namely His vindication in His resurrection and also the great work of redeeming His beloved bride, which includes those like you and me. Secondly, it says that He "despised its shame". Jesus shamed the shame of the cross. How? He despised that shame by not yielding to it. He paid no attention to it and thus belittled it. Now, the shame of the cross is something that comes from other men, not from God. So regarding the cross, Jesus focused on the joy that God had set before Him and did not dwell on the shame men held against Him. This is how Jesus endured the cross, and the author claims this is also our example and solution to persevere under the cross.
Dear Christian, following God's will always entails bearing a cross. There is no discipleship without a cross (Lk.9:23). For each cross we bear, God promises a joyful reward if we endure, while the world may shame us for our willingness to embrace it. The choice we face is whether to endure the cross by focusing on God's promise of future reward or to shy away from it, fearing men's ridicule and shame. To bear the cross means continually looking toward the joyful reward that God has for us and rejecting the shame placed upon us by others. Let us keep our gaze firmly fixed on Jesus, who while facing great hostility and shame from others, faithfully obeyed God's will because He remained centred on His future reward from God. May we also endure the cross by directing our attention towards God's promised rewards in His future kingdom, rather than the present shame we may encounter today. Amen.