A brief reminder where we have been! The Book of Hebrews appears to be written to a church that was struggling to find its way. They were a church that had received some great teaching and ministry. The authors concern in the face of opposition is not to dumb down the faith but dig deeper.
We are firstly given a picture of the greatness of Christ. He is greater than angels, greater than any prophets such as Moses or Abraham, greater than any priest as He is the mediator of a greater covenant. We are taken down the path of considering the mysterious Melchizedek and given to understand that even the priestly line from which Christ has come from is of a greater significance than that of the Levitical priesthood.
Through His death on the Cross Jesus has offered a greater sacrifice, a ‘once and for all’ sacrifice for sins. The curtain in the temple is removed and we are free to worship God, not in our own righteousness but through Christ’s greater righteousness that forgives, renews and restores.
In chapter 11 we are taken through a wonderful sermon that outlines the lives of great people of faith. We are encouraged to follow their example and see things through to the end of the race. Now in Chapter 12 we are given further motivations to endure.
1. The Example of Christ (12:1-4)
In these verses the writer urges the readers to follow the example of those who have gone before and to focus on the person and work of Christ.
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
The image of our lives being surrounded by ‘so great a cloud of witnesses’ is one of my favorite images from the Book of Hebrews. It places our lives, the lives of those who have gone before us and the lives of those who will come after us all into the same framework. It gives us a picture of the Church as this living body that spans not only all geographical places but also all chronological situations. Past, present and future we walk together in the promises of God. Those who have gone before urge us on. The time will come when we take to the bleachers to urge others on.
When faced with the immediacy of ones local church it can seem such a small concern. We can name most if it’s members. We know our way around. We can sometimes be overwhelmed by its activities, aspirations and ambitions or sometimes be frustrated by its lack of deep concerns or spirituality.
But then we remember it’s never been all about us. It’s all about Jesus, and those who followed Him in the past, whose legacy we enjoy and stories we sometimes still tell. It’s about the Jesus who is leading us in the present and through our faithfulness may inspire others to follow in the future. We are surrounded by ‘so great a cloud of witnesses’.
In the light of their example we are to examine our own lives. Sin is here described as something ‘that clings so closely’. Discouragement is pictured as a ‘weight’ that drags us down. Christian life is pictured not as 20 yard sprint but a life long marathon race. The obstacles are considerable. Sin holds on and won’t let go. Problems and misunderstandings push us down. Yet… the writer shouts from the side lines… carry on… persevere… keep on traveling to the end.
Whatever you do as you run this race don’t fix your eyes on your fellow runners! Do that and you are doomed to failure. You’ll see their sins. You’ll see the things weighing them down. And you’ll make those sins and problems your excuse for holding back. Instead fix your eyes on Jesus ‘the pioneer and perfecter of our faith’.
When we fix our eyes on each other we see mostly our struggles. When we fix our eyes on Jesus we see His victory. We are invited to consider just how much He faced. Shame. Hostility. The Cross on which He died. And that He faced it all for our sake. That we may not ‘grow weary or lose heart’.
‘And you know’ the writer seems to say, ‘What is asked of you is not really comparable to what Jesus faced’ and an allusion is made to the struggle Jesus faced in the Garden of Gethsemane as He wrestled with God, asking that the cup of suffering may pass from Him, a wrestling so intense that He sweated blood. That’s what the writer is talking about. When you’ve reached that stage you have something to say. But until then, keep your lips sealed and keep trying to move on down the road, with eyes fixed not on each other, but on Him.
And if the way seems rough and hard – take heart. As the athletes say… ‘No gain without pain’. Discipleship is all about discipline. Indeed a sign of being truly a member of family is that you can expect to be put right when you are going wrong.
2. The Encouragement of Discipline (12:5-11)
5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children-- "My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; 6 for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts." 7 Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline? 8 If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children. 9 Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. 11 Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
If God didn’t care about us then God could let us go our own way without ever interrupting the flow of our lives. But God is here described as a parent. And loving parents don’t let their children go whichever way the want to go but provide them with correction and guidance. From the child’s perspective, at the time, it seems unfair. Hopefully later in life they realize that if action hadn’t been taken things would not have worked out so good for them. As verse 11 puts it ‘Discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.’
The writer encourages the hearers and readers to approach the rough spots in their lives with a particular attitude. An attitude that accepts that whatever comes along, somehow God is there in the midst of it, trying to teach us something, trying to correct something that’s not right about our lives. To trust that whatever God permits to befall our lives is ultimately in our best interests.
It has been suggested that when trouble comes our way, (as it surely will) it is best not ask ‘Why?’ but ask ‘How?’ Not ask “Why this happened to me?” but rather seek to understand how to get through this time in such a way as we learn whatever it is that God can teach us in and through the situation. Don’t ask 'why' ask 'how'!
In his commentary Matthew Henry makes the following observation regarding the persecution endured by the church… ‘Men persecute them because they are religious; God chastises them because they are not more so: men persecute them because they will not give up their profession; God chastises them because they have not lived up to their profession.’ Such is again a contrast in attitudes. Outsiders think we are too religious, God says we are not spiritual enough, those who doubt our beliefs question the truths we hold dear, God meanwhile simply would like us to live them better!
The point is also made that under the discipline of those that love us we learn to respect them and honor them. Because we have learned to honor and love them for setting us on the right track, so we live in a way we hope they would approve of. If that’s how it is with earthly guardians and parents then how much more so should it be the case with God, our heavenly Father. Verse 9 in the Message Bible puts it this way; “We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live?”
Whilst God does seek for us to live disciplined ‘disciple-d’ lives, God doesn’t just leave us to get on with it all alone. He sends His Holy Spirit to help us.
3. The Enablement of Grace (12:12-15)
12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. 14 Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and through it many become defiled.
In this great passage of encouragement our weakness in running the race is acknowledged, but the ability of God to heal and strengthen is lifted up. We all have those times in life we just don’t know how we’ll get through. We walk with shoulders down, stumbling along, heads hung low. The writer encourages us to not continue along that twisty turning road but ‘make straight paths for your feet.'
The danger in not doing so is of course that we may stumble and fall. It’s hard to see where you are going when you are hanging your head walking along a bumpy road. If you are not walking surely and firmly, you can mess up your joints. Ask a chiropractor! Part of their work is to get people out of habits of moving and doing things that are damaging, and take up actions that bring health and strength.
In terms of a Church fellowship, the author seems to suggest that it is those who are dragging their feet who create trouble and create fertile soil for bitterness. There’s an old saying that ‘the devil makes work for idle hands’. I’d adapt it and say that the devil also finds opportunities to create discord through those who drag their feet when it comes to their commitment to Jesus Christ.
So the author urges the readers ‘Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.’ That verse also reminds us that fellowship with one another and diligence in our Christian walk isn’t just for our own sake, but for the sake of the gospel. It was said of the earliest Christians, “See how these people love one another!” When people outside of the church hear of Christians squabbling and arguing over things that are of little importance it is hardly surprising that they never darken our doors. Pursue the holiness ‘without which no one will see the Lord!’ And to bring the point home we are given;
4. The Example of Esau (12:16-17)
16 See to it that no one becomes like Esau, an immoral and godless person, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 You know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, even though he sought the blessing with tears.
Esau is chastised for the fact that he ‘sold his birthright for a single meal.’ He is described as ‘immoral and godless’ as he succumbed to fleshly desires for security. A theologian by the name of Oberholtzer points out that Esau’s inheritance “was lost because of his lack of future perspective and because of his present physical distress.”
In other words Esau was one who had his head drooped down, who wasn’t looking ahead but only at the ground in front of him. He had no future perspective. He didn’t realize how what seemed like a trifling little decision to get something to calm his hunger, could affect his future destiny.
How often in life do we also lose our perspective? We focus on immediate needs rather than thinking of God’s Kingdom. We live for today rather than for eternity. We miss the sacredness of every moment, and sometimes make decisions on the spur of the moment without thinking through their consequences further down the road.
Esau discovered that in missing that sacred moment he was placed in a position where nothing he could do could get it back again. There was no chance to repent. The reality is that life does bring those moments to us where we make decisions that we cannot reverse. We are told that ‘even though he sought the blessing with tears’ still nothing could be done. Our regrets are not enough to reverse our negative actions. Yes… there is grace for the people of God, but even grace cannot undo every action and whatever we do creates consequences that we have to face.
I wonder if at this point the writer is wondering, as he’s laying all this talk about discipline and actions that even tearful repentance can’t fix, if he’s laying down the law a little too heavy! For we are given now a picture of the relationship between the New covenant and the Old covenant, that contrasts two of the great mountains of Israel, Mount Sinai and Mount Zion.
5. The Explanation of the New Relationship to God (12:18-24)
18 You have not come to something that can be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest, 19 and the sound of a trumpet, and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that not another word be spoken to them. 20 (For they could not endure the order that was given, "If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death." 21 Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I tremble with fear.") 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Mount Sinai was a fearful place causing people to shrink from God’s presence. Even an animal that touched the mountain had to be destroyed! But Mount Zion was a place of celebration where all those set free by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ could come with rejoicing.
Mount Zion is described as ‘the city of the living God’, and ‘The Heavenly Jerusalem’. It is the place ‘innumerable angels gather in festal gathering’. Lest we doubt that these are images of heaven, allusion is made to ‘the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven’. These are images that would fit comfortably in the Book of Revelation. The impression given is that the author is drawing from a larger source, maybe a sermon or bible study.
God is pictured as the righteous judge. All those made righteous through the death of Christ are there. The New Covenant is mentioned, possibly an allusion to communion. The theme of the greatness of Christ reoccurs as the final verse proclaims ‘the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.’
Mount Sinai, the place of the Old Covenant, is a fearful place. A place where people who heard the voice of God begged not to hear another sound. A place of gloom and darkness. Who would want to be headed there? You couldn’t get near to God through that way.
Instead we are encouraged to make a pilgrimage to Zion. This is an image the original hearers would be familiar with as it appears many times in the Psalms as the rich poetry invites the follower of god’s way to ascend the holy mountain. For example: - Psalm 48:1-2; “Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.”
Now cast your mind back to our very first sessions. Do you remember we talked about how the Book of Hebrews was interspersed with a number of warnings?
- In chapter 1 we were warned that if Jesus were the greatest messenger of God (greater than any angel) we should listen more to what He has to say than to any others words.
- In Chapter 3 we were warned that if Jesus promised us a Kingdom (described as the ‘Rest of God’) we should be sure that we don’t fail to enter the things of that kingdom through unbelief.
- In chapter 5 we were warned that if we wanted our faith to be a living, growing thing then we have to move from babyhood to maturity and feed on solid spiritual meat.
- In chapter 10 we were warned of the danger of apostasy and that to treat our faith lightly was playing with fire.
Now in chapter 12 we have our fifth and final warning.
WARNING 5 But hold On! (12:25-29) – Don’t refuse to listen!
25 See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking; for if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject the one who warns from heaven! 26 At that time his voice shook the earth; but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven." 27 This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of what is shaken-- that is, created things-- so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; 29 for indeed our God is a consuming fire.
When God spoke people were expected to listen! If they failed to do so then they paid the price. In the days of Mount Sinai, when God spoke the earth shook. Now Christ has come the earth and the heavens are shaken up. Remember that Elvis song… “All shook up”. As we are ‘all shook up’ we better wake up and pay attention.
Yet actually the Kingdom of God is beyond shaking. We’re the shaking ones, not the things God has set in place. The Kingdom is firm and solid, like a rock that doesn’t roll. Jesus has established it fast. And the love of God is a consuming fire that can purify our lives through the action of the Holy Spirit. The image of Pentecost, and the flames that touched the heads of those gathered in the upper Room, empowering them for service, is here evoked.
And the purpose is not to scare us but to create thanksgiving towards God for all God has done for us in Jesus Christ. It is that story of redemption… Christ lived, Christ Died and Christ is Risen Again … that should inspire us and move us to Christian service that should fill our lives with reverence and awe.
Maybe that is particularly true during the Christmas Season when we contemplate that the Savior of the world came to us as baby in a manger, born to humble parents, welcomed by shepherds and worshiped by the wise.
So hold on… don’t refuse to listen to the songs the Christmas angels proclaim, ‘Christ is Born in Bethlehem!”