for the joy set before him

The Word for today:
Hebrews 10:19-39

mark this: Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
mark this: Hebrews 12:1-2
Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Did Jesus, being God, still need faith? I mean, if he could see the future (as God can) then he wouldn’t need faith, like we do, would he?

We can’t answer that question because its premise is erroneous. There has never been a moment when Jesus was not God, but when he came here to take our place on the cross, he emptied himself (Philippians 2:7) of the prerogatives of deity (things like omniscience and omnipresence) in order to become like us in all things, except for sin.

So, for the most part, he knew as much about the future as the Word of God told him. Does that remind you of somebody? It should, ‘cause that somebody is you.

Jesus’ “saw” the future in the Word of God. Jesus saw the cross, and past it, with the eyes of faith. He read in the scripture that the Messiah would be cut off and killed. He also read that his sacrifice would rescue, redeem, heal, and liberate many people, and that his body would not see the corruption of death. So, for the joy set before him, he went to the cross.

Certainly that joy was not set before his physical eyes. He went to the cross, and through the cross, because the Word of God promised redemption, rescue, resurrection, and rest on the other side:
Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

That’s all our faith really is. It’s trusting the Word of God enough to live it out. So when the Bible tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen, the substance and evidence are the Word of God.

The only difference between God’s faith and my faith is that he acts on the Word he wrote, while I act on the Word he wrote. Look that sentence over (and over) and the difference will eventually emerge.

Tomorrow we will learn all about the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, commonly known as the Hall of Fame of Faith. But one name will be missing until we get to chapter 12, where we will see that Jesus is the source—the author and perfecter--of our faith.

Jesus wrote the book on faith. Of that we’re all aware. Then he lived it out, embodied it, turned it into flesh. It was his most comprehensive miracle. Now it's ours to emulate.

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