Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV)
It’s fun to have a little baby at our house. Our daughter Eden is at the age where she loves to look all around with her big eyes. But there’s something our baby is not good at doing: Focusing. If you’ve ever been around a little baby, I bet you’ve noticed this. If you sit down right in front of her, and look right into her eyes, what will she do? Look that way. Look up there. Look over there. It’s almost comical. She will look in every possible direction other than looking at your face right in front of her. Have you noticed this with babies? They haven’t learned how to focus.
The truth is, I’m not sure that ever changes. What were you focused on this past week? I bet I know the answer: Everything. It’s not just little babies who bounce from one thing to the next. It’s all of us! What were you focused on this past week? There was work and shopping to do and a birthday to celebrate and sports practices to get to and bills to pay and a doctor appointment for this and… It was a perfectly normal week. That’s how life goes, isn’t it? Like a little baby bobbing her head around, it’s hard to focus on any one thing when there’s everything going on.
That’s a problem. Why? Because life is a race. The Bible says, “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” If you’re going to run a race, what do you need to be able to do? Focus on the finish line. What is it? What’s the finish line? Heaven. Or hell. Life is a race with either heaven or hell as the finish line. You know how people say that it’s not about the destination? It’s all about the journey? That’s totally wrong. At least, in life’s race. Life is all about the final destination. Heaven or hell. Does that matter? Absolutely. We need to be focused to run our race.
So, “let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” At the end of the race of life, what matters is faith. Faith in Jesus. Not how much money you have. Not how many friends you have. Not how successful you’ve been. At the end of the race, what matters is faith in Jesus as your Savior. So, fix your eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. What does a pioneer do? Start things. Who got our faith started? Not us. Jesus did. What does a perfector do? Finish things. Who is the one who keeps our faith strong to the end? Not us. Jesus does. Jesus is the pioneer and perfector of faith. Both!
“For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus was focused. Jesus didn’t look this way and that. He was focused. On what? The cross. He “endured the cross.” There’s so much suffering in those words! Beating. Nails. Pain. Blood. Jesus “scorned its shame.” Can you imagine hanging naked on a pole for everyone to see? Jesus did that. Why? For the joy set before him. To save us from hell. To forgive our sins. To sit back down at God’s right hand. Jesus fixed his eyes on the cross.
This is what makes Palm Sunday remarkable. It seems like a great day! Everybody cheering. Palm branches. Hosanna! Except Jesus knew what it was all for. The people didn’t. But Jesus did. Why was Jesus riding into Jerusalem? To die. Would you have done that? It makes me think of the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade that ended with a shooting and someone dying. Would you go to a parade if you knew you were going to die at the end? No way, right? Jesus did. For you. For me. “For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame.”
This is why you and I need Jesus. I know you long to be loved. You want to feel special. You want someone to care. Fix your eyes on Jesus. “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Jesus endured the cross for you. Jesus scorned shame for you. He died for you. He fixed his eyes on you. So, fix your eyes on Jesus!
“Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Isn’t that last phrase so true? “…so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Just like in a real race, in the race of life it’s really easy to grow weary and lose heart. Has that happened to you? Does that describe you right now? Growing weary and losing heart. It happens to me. What’s the way to not grow weary and lose heart? Keep your eyes fixed on what Jesus has done for you. See how Jesus refused to let anything hinder his work of winning salvation for us.
So, where are you looking? Remember how our baby bobs her head around? Where are you looking? Jesus is right here. Right in front of us. Looking at us. Smiling at us. What do we do? Look that way. Look up there. Look over there. Look everywhere but at him. Isn’t that the case? You know what you need. You know what is best for you. You know that Jesus and his Word fill your soul like nothing else does. So what is keeping you from Jesus? Throw it off! That’s what the Bible says: “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.”
If you’re out for a run or a walk and a huge grasshopper lands on your arm, what do you do? Throw it off! Like this! “Let us throw off everything that hinders…” What’s slowing down your race to heaven? What’s distracting your eyes from Jesus? Throw it off! Notice that the Bible doesn’t say, “Try to think about that thing a little loss.” Or, “Look for a little more balance in life.” Or, “Try to make a little more time for Jesus.” No, that’s not what it says! “Let us throw off everything that hinders.” What’s slowing down your race? What’s distracting your eyes from Jesus? What’s in your way? What’s hindering your growth in faith? Throw it off!
Especially sin. “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” That’s a very good word for sin: It entangles. Like a web. Sin sticks to you and wraps you up. You get more and more and more caught. What’s the sin in which you’re so easily entangled? Is your schedule so full that there’s little time for God? Could that be sinful? Of course. Throw it off! Is the music you’re listening to filling you with anger or discontent? Throw it off! Are the TV shows and movies you’re watching filling your mind with violence or adultery or anxiety? Throw it off! Has a hobby taken over first place in your heart and life? Throw it off! What needs to change in your heart and life for you to run your race? For you to fix your eyes on Christ?
This Lent, we’ve heard about the Seven Deadly Sins in our Wednesday Lenten services: Pride. Envy. Anger. Laziness. Lust. Gluttony. Greed. They entangle us. Is pride focusing your eyes on you instead of on Jesus? Throw it off! Is envy eating at your soul? “I need that. Why can’t I have that?” Throw it off! Does anger explode in your heart and fly out of your mouth like fire? Throw it off! Is laziness keeping you from hearing God’s Word? Is lust or pornography clouding your mind? Throw it off! Is alcohol what comforts you? Is food what gets you through the day? Throw it off! Life is a race that only has two possible outcomes: Heaven by faith in Jesus or hell without Jesus. So, “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.”
How? Maybe that’s what you’re wondering. How? If an Olympic runner makes a mistake, there are no second chances. He loses. It’s over. But not with Jesus. When we sin, when we fall, Jesus doesn’t give up on us. He forgives us. He wipes our slate clean. In fact, when Jesus died on the cross for us, he erased our name from the bottom of the leader board and wrote his name in last place instead. Then, he erased his name from the top of the leader board and wrote your name in his place. Forgiven. Saved. How do you throw off sin? You fix your eyes on Jesus, “the pioneer and perfector of our faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame.”
Our little Eden has trouble focusing, but every once in while she figures it out. She looks around in every direction. But, finally, she finds your face and locks eyes with you. And when she actually sees your face, do you know what happens? She gets a big smile that lights up her whole face. Her little body starts to wiggle because she’s so happy to see you. Nothing gives her more joy than seeing the one who loves her. Like Jesus. Isn’t that true with Jesus? We bounce around to everything. Until, suddenly, you see him. You see his love. You see his eyes looking right into yours. And what do you feel? Joy. Joy! There is joy for you in Jesus. Fix your eyes on Jesus!
There is a huge crowd cheering you on. As you run your race, there is a huge crowd cheering you on. Did you know that? Listen to how our lesson starts: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses…” The picture is that we run our race in a stadium filled with fans. Lots of fans! Who’s cheering us on? In the previous chapter, the author of Hebrews just listed off a whole bunch of “heroes of faith.” Noah. Abraham. Jacob. Rahab. David. Samson. And a whole bunch more. Those believers of the past lived by faith, and now they cheer us on.
You don’t run alone. You never run alone. There is a whole stadium full of Christians who have gone before us. Who have lived by faith. Who have run their race. Who have reached the goal—heaven. They’re cheering for us. Know what they’re cheering? Not, “You can do it!” Not, “Keep it up.” Not, “It’s not that bad.” They’re cheering, “Fix your eyes on Jesus. It’s worth it!” When the going gets rough, “Fix your eyes on Jesus. He will get you through!” When it seems like you can’t go on, “Fix your eyes on Jesus. He can raise the dead.” When you sin and fall and fail, “Fix your eyes on Jesus. He has forgiven you.” Can you hear them? “Fix your eyes on Jesus.”
This is why you need a church. It’s so easy to grow weary and lose heart. It often feels like there isn’t anyone supporting you at all. We all feel alone. We feel like we’re the only ones. But that’s not true! You are not alone. You are not on the wrong side. You are surrounded by millions of forgiven sinners—Christians saved by God’s grace through Jesus’ blood—who are cheering you on every step of the way. When you’re part of a Christian Church, you’re part of a family that’s cheering for you by saying what Christians always say to each other, “Fix your eyes on Jesus!”
That’s where joy is found. I know you could use more joy in your heart. I could too. If she could talk, our daughter would tell you where joy is found: Seeing the one who loves you. That’s what Holy Week is all about. Seeing the One who loves us. Come to every service. You won’t regret it. On Maundy Thursday, fix your eyes on Jesus. On Good Friday, fix your eyes on Jesus. On Easter, fix your eyes on Jesus. “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Fix your eyes on Jesus!
(To listen to this sermon on my Upside-Down Savior podcast, please click HERE. To watch this sermon on my Upside-Down Savior YouTube channel, please click on the link below.)
Upside-Down Savior 