20230909

he chose the cross

Hebrews 12:1-2 (JDV)

Hebrews 12:1 It is for that reason since we also have such a large cloud of testifiers around us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the failure that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us,
Hebrews 12:2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith. In exchange for the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, thinking little of the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

he chose the cross

Our Lord did not go to the cross to gain favor, status, or standing with the Father. He already possessed all of that. From eternity He was the Beloved Son, fully pleasing to the Father, lacking nothing. The cross did not elevate Him; it revealed Him. It did not earn Him joy; it expressed the joy that was already His. Hebrews teaches that He endured the cross “for the joy set before Him,” not because He needed to secure His own future, but because He delighted in accomplishing the Father’s will and redeeming a people for God. His sacrifice was not self‑advancement but self‑giving love.

This becomes the pattern for understanding the race of faith. The Christian life is not a quest to earn God’s approval or to achieve spiritual status. Approval has already been granted in Christ. Standing has already been given. The race is not run to gain something for oneself but to participate in the joy of God’s redeeming work. Just as Christ embraced suffering for the sake of others, believers are called to endure hardship so that others may come to know forgiveness, resurrection, and life.

This perspective reshapes the meaning of endurance. Difficulties are not hurdles to personal achievement but opportunities to reflect the character of Christ. The race is not about accumulating spiritual victories or building a résumé of accomplishments. It is about offering oneself in service, love, and witness. The joy set before believers is not self‑glory but the privilege of seeing others experience the grace that has already been received.

Christ’s example shows that true greatness is found in giving, not gaining. He did not run His race to secure His identity but to bring others into the life He already possessed. In the same way, the race of faith is run with a view toward the good of others. Endurance becomes an act of love. Sacrifice becomes a means of grace. Perseverance becomes a testimony that points beyond the self to the Savior.

The cross teaches that the highest form of obedience is motivated by joy, not ambition. The race is run not to achieve something for oneself but to participate in the joy of God’s redeeming purpose, so that others may come to know the forgiveness and resurrection found in Christ.