In Hebrews 11, the writer shows us what faith looks like. Faith is being certain in the unseen things, particularly that God exists and that God rewards those who diligently seek Him, Hebrews 11:6. The writer shows us that the heroes mentioned in this chapter had that kind of faith.
They endured great tragedy, trials, and loss, knowing that their faith was in the better country that God promised. They did not have their eyes and hearts in this world, but desired things better than what we can have here. Realising that we have these witnesses of faith, we ought to be motivated to live our lives in the way that they did.
These people recorded in Hebrews 11 are witnesses to us about what it looks like to have faith. They show us what God-approved faith looks like. These people have shown us the life of faith that can be lived.
Let me begin this chapter by asking the question from the previous chapter. If there is a ‘waiting place’ for Christians before Judgment Day, then who are ‘the spirits of the righteous made perfect,’ and where are they now according to Hebrews 12:22-24? These people who are mentioned in Hebrews 11 are clearly spoken of as being in heaven, as do those who are mentioned in Revelation 6:9-11.
Think of the Olympics, and a huge stadium, think of the audience, those who have already run the race, cheering us on. Think about all those heroes of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11. Their faithfulness is our encouragement. They were able to run the race and finish. We are able to run this race and finish.
I think it is important to consider that the object of this race of faith is to finish. It is not about running fast, but running to finish. We need to run the race well. What do we need to do to run this race well so that we can finish? The writer tells us some necessary instructions for running the race.
Notice the words, “let us throw off everything that hinders”, Hebrews 12:1. The original runners in the Olympics were men only, and they ran naked, for the purpose of being lighter, so that nothing would hinder their race whilst they were running.
Notice the writer is not talking about sin at this point. He will address the sin that clings to us in just a moment. Rather, he is concerned about things that are not sins but are weighing us down. What things are weighing you down and keeping you from running the race to finish?
Many things are not sinful that we make sinful because they are hindering us from having the faith demanded by God. Money can weigh us down. There is nothing sinful about having money. We read about rich, godly people in the Scriptures.
On the other hand, we are strongly warned about money because it can so easily cause us to lose our faith, 1 Timothy 6:17-19. So many people think that their desire for money is normal and acceptable.
Yet this can be the very weight that is slowing us down. We have a focus on money rather than the heavenly country. Remember that we read about Moses, who turned down the fleeting pleasures of wealth and sin because he regarded suffering with Christ to be greater wealth, Hebrews 11:25-26.
What about our comforts and ease? We have become a very comfortable society, and we demand that we have our hobbies and pleasures that we can enjoy. So we spend our time watching TV, listening to music, surfing the internet, reading books, and the like. Nothing that we enjoy to unwind and relax is sinful in itself. But these things can become weights that slow us down in our race.
These are the things that block the building of our faith because we choose these points of relaxation rather than studying our Bibles. We relax rather than pray. We chill out on the couch rather than read the Bible. We spend all of our time doing everything else but deepening our faith.
So then we think we do not have time to teach children’s Bible classes because we are spending a significant portion of our time doing things that are blocking our race of faith. No, you aren’t doing anything sinful. But the things you are doing are acting like heavyweights, which are slowing you down in the race.
Even our families can get in the way of our service to God. We may have a weak spouse or a spouse who does not want us to worship God. We have to fight through that problem, realising that God comes first, before being pleasing to our family, Luke 14:26-43.
Too often, we are asking why we cannot do something as Christians. Often, we are simply trying to justify ourselves for the various actions that we want to engage in.
But let us no longer ask why we cannot do something. Rather, we need to ask, “Will this help me run the race?” So do not ask, “Is it wrong if I” and fill in the blank. Ask if it will help you run the race.
“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles”, Hebrews 12:1, implies that sin is heavy in weight. We need to cast off sin. This should be an obvious instruction, but I do not know that we always realise that sin is slowing us down in this race. Sin is stopping you from running this race. Sin causes interference and is an obstacle on our path.
What are the sins that we are not letting go of? Sexual immorality, anger, lying, selfishness, greed, and such ruin our walk with God. Admit your addictions and get help. You must stop sinning.
We are to be dead to sin and alive to Jesus. We cannot continue in sin, thinking that we are acceptable to God. Let us be reminded of the warning that the writer of Hebrews gave us previously, Hebrews 10:26-27.
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us”, Hebrews 12:1. The writer already pointed out in Hebrews 10:36 that we have a need for endurance. The race that has been set out before us requires endurance. Who in Hebrews 11 did not need endurance for the race set before them? All of them needed endurance! 1 Corinthians 9:24-26.
Did Abraham need endurance? He most certainly did need endurance. We need endurance also if we are going to finish this race of faith. So how can we have this athletic discipline necessary to finish the race? The writer of Hebrews gives us the answer.
During these Olympics, the Emperor would often participate, but most times he would be in the audience, and the runners would focus their eyes on him, Hebrews 12:2. We can finish the race by glueing our eyes on Jesus.
We need to get our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus. This is a call for us to have a determined focus. We are to be looking at Jesus and nothing else! We are not to have divided attention, Luke 16:13.
Too often, we are being distracted by the world. We are being distracted by all of these things that are not necessarily sinful, but they are taking our attention away from Jesus. The writer of Hebrews is calling for us to have a determined focus. Get your eyes on Jesus and off of sin! Colossians 3:1-2.
Get your eyes on Jesus and off of possessions! Get your eyes on Jesus and off of work! Get your eyes on Jesus and off of money! What are our minds focused on? What are we looking at when we fix our eyes on Jesus?
1. What Jesus did!
Jesus is described as the pioneer and the perfecter of our faith, Hebrews 12:2. We have seen this description used before by the writer of Hebrews. In Hebrews 2:10, we see the same language.
Recall that when we studied that text we noted that the likely meaning is that Jesus is our trailblazer. Jesus has blazed the path for us to follow. We are not going down an unknown road. We are going down the road that Jesus has blazed for us.
He is our pioneer, our leader, who has led the way of faith for us. Not only this, but by following Jesus, He will ‘bring our faith to completion’, Hebrews 12:2. Jesus has shown us the road we need to walk.
2. How Jesus endured.
How did Jesus make it? Jesus made it the same way that those in Hebrews 11 made it. They had their eyes fixed on the promised reward, not here on earth, Hebrews 12:2. Jesus did the same.
What does the text say that Jesus was focused on? He was focused on ‘the joy set before Him’. Jesus did not look at the physical, but at the goal. He looked at the purpose. Jesus was able to endure because He saw the joy that was set before him.
That is how Jesus endured the cross. He held the shame of the cross in no regard. He was able to look through the cross. He did not simply see the cross and consider its weight and meaning. He could look beyond the cross. He could see the joy of the salvation that would be offered by His act.
He did not focus on the temporary suffering of the cross. He did not focus on the mocking and shame of the cross. He counted these earthly things as nothing. He disregarded those things and saw the joy set before.
This is how we are to endure our suffering. Do not focus on the suffering. Fix your eyes on Jesus. See through the suffering and see the joy that will come from having endurance, Hebrews 2:10. We have a greater promise given to us that we are able to place our hope upon.
Was Jesus right to see through the cross? Yes, because God kept His promise by exalting Jesus to the right hand of the throne of God, Hebrews 12:2 / Hebrews 1:3. Jesus’ work was accomplished, and He was rewarded for His faith. God keeps His promises.
The same thing is true for us. It is right for us to see through the suffering, knowing that God keeps His promises and we have a better country and better reward waiting for us.
In Hebrews 12:1-2, the writer of Hebrews taught us to fix our eyes on Jesus. We need to look to Him as our leader of faith. We are to follow the example of the cloud of witnesses that have walked the path of faith before us by laying aside every weight that is slowing us down from righteousness and getting rid of the sin that clings so closely to us. The writer now returns to the theme of the letter, which is to encourage these Christians not to give up.
Previously, we were told to fix our eyes on Jesus, Hebrews 12:2. Now, the writer asks for some reflection. Think about what Jesus endured. Think about what Jesus suffered. Particularly, think about the hostility Jesus endured from sinners. Think about the mistreatment that He endured from His own creation.
Why should we think about the suffering of Jesus and how He endured mistreatment? The writer says we are thinking about this so that ‘we do not grow weary or discouraged’, Hebrews 12:3. The instructions that follow are to encourage us not to give up or grow weary.
“In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood”, Hebrews 12:4. This seems to be asking Christians to compare their lives to what Jesus endured. Our fight against sin has not been to the extent that Jesus fought. We have not had to go as far as Jesus had to go.
Our suffering has not been to the degree that Jesus suffered. We know this, but often forget this important point. Jesus ended up suffering all the way to the point of death, and so did many of the heroes of faith recorded in Hebrews 11.
We should not feel sorry for ourselves when we suffer. Nor should we grow weary or give up when we are considering the life of Jesus and the cloud of witnesses.
It is easy for us to give up. It is human nature for us to become discouraged and want to throw in the towel. You are fighting Satan, and you are engaged in a war against sin. But your battle has not reached the degree that Jesus endured. Ephesians 6:10-18.
The writer continues by reminding his audience that they have been called children of God. But being called children of God does not exclude us from difficult times and suffering. Being a child does not mean that everything is going to go smoothly in life. Don’t forget the exhortation given.
In Hebrews 12:5-6, the writer then quotes from Proverbs 3:11-12. Do not take the Lord’s teaching lightly. Who said that life was going to be easy? Who said that as God’s children we would not need some discipline and correction along the way? Hardship should be looked at as God’s method of training and discipline.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The doctrine of the chastening of God is neglected today; and it is likely that some have scarcely heard of it; but, of course, it is a valid teaching of the scriptures, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament; and the knowledge of it in Christian hearts can be the source of glorious light on many a dark day.’
The parent loves the child by correcting and disciplining. This text certainly enforces God’s view of parents using physical pain as a means of disciplining children.
The picture is that the Lord disciplines and whips us in this life. We have a saying that is falling out of our language about being “whipped into shape.” God is whipping us into shape because He is our Father and we are His children. Notice Hebrews 12:7, with these hardships God is treating us as His children.
“For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” Hebrews 12:7. This was an obvious answer in days past that every father disciplines his child. But that unfortunately is not true anymore, and now we have to prove that physical discipline is not only acceptable to God but commanded by God.
So what are we being taught here? God allows bad things, hard things, and difficult things to happen to us to teach us, reprove us, discipline us, and whip us into shape. God spanks us!
The atheist says there is no God because bad things happen. God says, “What kind of father would I be to you if I gave you the easy life?” Every child needs correcting.
Every child needs hardships to learn. We are not sheltered, and neither should our children be sheltered from consequences and mistakes. We learn from pain. We change because of hardships.
Notice in Hebrews 12:8 that God declares that we are illegitimate children if we are left without discipline. God says that it is neglect and child abuse if He does not discipline us as children. No discipline, no whipping, and no reproof show that you are not my child, and I do not love you.
Notice in Hebrews 12:9 that our earthly fathers disciplined us. What was our response? Today, psychologists tell us that if we whip our children into shape, they will be more violent, that they will hate us, that they will abuse other people, and so forth.
What does God say? We learned respect. We respected our parents because they were teaching us, training us, and getting our lives ready for the world. Notice the rest of Hebrews 12:9, should we not expect God to do the same and respect Him for it?
Barmby, in his commentary, says the following.
‘If a dutiful child submits patiently to the chastisements of his earthly parents, although he has derived only his body from them, how much more submissively should we bear the divine corrections, seeing they proceed from him from whom alone we have received our spiritual and immortal nature!’
In Hebrews 12:10, we read that our parents disciplined us for a short time to the best of their ability. The implication is that our parents made mistakes. Some did not discipline properly, some were too lenient, some were too strict.
Some are disciplined in selfish ways rather than according to God’s plan. But God disciplines for our own good. We suffer it is for our own good, “that we may share his holiness,” Hebrews 12:10.
God is moulding our character to be holy. If we never suffered and we were not whipped into shape, we would never change. We think that we are adults and that we are through with being corrected.
“No one can tell me what to do!” God will still correct you. The shepherds of the church will still correct you. The evangelist will still correct you. We need correction and hardships to come to bring those changes about.
Thus, Hebrews 12:11 tells us that all discipline is painful. These times of correction are not fun. But these difficulties are bringing about the fruit of righteousness in our lives. But only if we allow ourselves to be trained by the difficulties.
We cannot give up. We cannot quit. We cannot decide not to learn God’s lessons. Life is hard, so we will bear fruit if we allow ourselves to be changed by the things we experience.
Be strong! Get a grip! Stop whining! Pull yourself together! Put things in order and prepare for your journey of faith. Don’t get out of joint, but put your trust in God! Have faith!
Stay with God and be healed. Quit falling apart under the weight of suffering. In our struggle against sin, we have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood, Hebrews 12:12-13.
Then notice Hebrews 12:14, strive for peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. Remember what the writer of Hebrews taught in Hebrews 11:6, “It is impossible to please God without faith.”
Notice this other impossibility: no one will see the Lord without holiness. We have to act differently! We are not going to make it if we act like everyone else who falls apart in difficult times. We are called to be holy, that is, different and set apart for God’s service. We are being disciplined so that we can be holy.
We are being whipped into shape so that we can be set apart for God, for without this holiness, we are not going to see God. To put it another way, without God’s correction, reproof, discipline, and whipping us into shape, we are not going to see the Lord.
Let God change you! Let Him change you by being peaceable with everyone. Don’t be a quarreller! Don’t be a fighter! Don’t be argumentative! Seek reconciliation, not fighting. Seek peace in relationships, not strife.
Hebrews 12:15 tells us that we need to let God’s correction change our hearts, ridding us of bitterness. Cut out the root of bitterness in your life. Get rid of the animosity you have that is causing you to hold a grudge against another. Be forgiving, not bitter.
Notice that the writer uses the metaphor of a root to speak about bitterness, Hebrews 12:15, because you don’t see roots. We see the stalk, we see the branch, we see the trunk, we even see the fruit, but we don’t see the roots.
That’s exactly how bitterness operates, bitter people rarely realise that they are and even more rarely, they won’t admit they are. Bitterness is an underground sin; it festers, it grows, it’s poisonous, but no one really sees it. We need to get underneath the surface and root bitterness out, and here’s how to do that.
1. Don’t curse your offender.
The world says when we get hit, we should retaliate, when we get wounded, we should wound back. And it’s so easy to rationalise, it’s so easy to justify our offence and to want to hurt back. Most people in life think you survive by hurting back, you slap me, and I’ll slap you back harder. That’s how we think, I can give it back as good as I can take it!
Why do we think we can heal a wound by causing another one? Why do we think that hurting someone else is going to help our hurt? Paul says, Don’t curse your offender, bless them, Romans 12:14.
There are times when we want to curse them to God, we might even want God to damn them. You’re certainly not going to pray for them. And then you’re going to mouth off about them to anyone who will listen.
You’ll make sure that you tell everyone how bad they are and how badly you’ve been treated. And if you get a chance, boy, you’ll tell them right to their face how miserable they are, that’s cursing someone.
Is that what Jesus did? Did he retaliate when people insulted him? You want to let your enemy have it? Do what Jesus did, let God have it, 1 Peter 2:23. Just hand over the whole situation to God and trust Him with it. If you need to talk out your pain, talk it out with God, don’t curse your offender.
2. Don’t nurse your pain.
If you want to justify your bitterness, you’ll find out it’s pretty easy to do; you’ll come up with some good arguments. Bitter people will articulate their injustice over and over to anybody who will listen, but all you’re doing is nursing that pain.
How does holding onto your pain change the past or repair broken relationships? Some people cling to their pain, and sadly, it has become their new identity.
I’m the woman who was abandoned by my husband. I’m the kid who grew up with an alcoholic dad. I’m the Christian who was mistreated by the church. And that’s going to be their identity for the rest of their lives.
The Bible says no, there’s a better way, you deal with your resentment immediately and radically, Ephesians 4:26-27. When you nurse your anger, you’re letting yourself become vulnerable to satanic intrusion. You’re saying to the devil, ‘I’m going to take off my armour on this whole side of my body, go ahead, shoot all the darts you want right here.’
What you don’t release, you will begin to resemble. You will never lovingly share grace until you understand how much you need it. In Matthew 18, there was a guy who owed somebody an absolute fortune; he was up to his eyes in debt to another man. It was so horrendous; he knew he could never pay it off.
The man who owed the money told the guy he would wipe the slate clean. He didn’t have to pay a single penny of his debt, then this guy found someone else who owed him a few pence, a pittance in fact.
But what did he do? When the first man found out what had happened, that someone whom he had released from a huge debt wouldn’t release someone from a small debt, he had him thrown in jail eternally, Matthew 18:30.
The point of the parable is this: we have all run up debts in different ways. But every single one of us is a debtor, and none of us can pay our debt before God. But we have a God who freed us from our debt, even though we had wounded Him greatly.
The parable doesn’t say the man was angry because the guy had a huge debt; he was angry because the guy wouldn’t forgive his neighbour. You say can, ‘But I have been wronged! And justice demands that someone pays for that wrong.’
There’s a hill outside of Jerusalem called Calvary, and that’s where Someone did pay for it. Why do you want your enemy to pay for something that Jesus has already paid for? If the blood of Jesus has satisfied God for their sin, why are you still not satisfied?
You see, the cross has invalidated all justification for holding a grudge, Ephesians 2:16. That doesn’t mean you still can’t hate; it means you don’t have a right to. You have no right because of the righteousness of the cross of Jesus to hold onto a grudge against anybody.
That’s the problem with bitterness: we aren’t willing to let go of it, we want to hang on to it, and we want to hold people in our debt, Matthew 18:30. The struggle to forgive is the struggle of the will, and to soften your will, you have to do some serious business at the cross.
Forgiveness is hard, but so was Calvary, and that’s our model, Ephesians 4:32 / Colossians 3:13. The cross doesn’t make forgiveness easy, but it does make it possible.
How do you root out that bitter spirit? Don’t curse, that won’t help it; don’t nurse it, that won’t help it. You do what God did: you focus on your enemy’s needs instead of your hurts. You act, instead of react, you initiate instead of retaliate.
Christians are warriors; they’re not just survivors, we’re not trying to survive evil, we’re trying to conquer evil. And we conquer evil by throwing good back at it because God is stronger than evil.
When you root out bitterness and do good to your enemy, it may not change your enemy, but it will change you. God is in the business of changing people, and God will be relentless if you hold onto bitterness.
When Jesus hung on the cross, nails didn’t silence Him; He prayed for His enemies, Luke 23:34. You can’t see what’s rooted deep inside each other, but I do know from experience that if bitterness is rooted deep within your soul, you need to root it out. Because it’s just going to gnaw away at your faith and your relationship with God and His people.
Don’t let Satan get a hold of you with bitterness; let it go by talking to God about it. He understands when people hurt you and let you down. He’s been there in more ways than we will ever experience in this life.
But He will not change His mind. We must forgive our debtors if we want to be forgiven our debts, Matthew 6:12. Will you let go of any bitterness you may have today? Will you allow Jesus to take it away today? I hope and pray that you do, because like I said, speaking from experience, the joy will come into your life when you throw out the bitterness from your life.
To grow through bitterness, you need to practice what Jesus preached. Love your enemies, do good to them, feed them when they are hungry, give them clothes when they are cold, and visit them when they are sick.
Notice the warning of Hebrews 12:15. Don’t lose your grace by not allowing yourself to be trained and moulded by God’s correction. How do we fail to obtain the grace of God? The writer is going to conclude with the example of Esau.
What does Esau have to do with not giving up and accepting God’s discipline? What did Esau do? Remember what took place in Genesis with his brother Jacob, Genesis 25:29-34. Esau went hunting and came back very hungry. Jacob had made a stew, but would not give it to Esau without him giving his birthright to Jacob.
The birthright was important. He would receive a double portion of the inheritance from his father. He gave up his inheritance for the stew that Jacob had made. This should bring the point of the writer of Hebrews into focus.
Esau traded the spiritually and eternally important for something that was only physically and temporarily important. He did not see the importance of his birthright. Genesis says that Esau despised his birthright, Genesis 25:24.
This is the teaching lesson for us. We are suffering, we are going through hardships and difficulties, but just because you are going through hardships, do not trade away your eternal inheritance with the Lord just for temporary comfort and pleasure now.
That is exactly what Esau did, and he was rejected by God and did not receive the blessing either. The blessing went to his brother, Jacob, instead. Are you going to throw away your eternal reward because you are suffering?
You have not suffered to the point of shedding blood like Jesus! Lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.
Be strong! Look through the suffering and see the eternal reward. Don’t trade away God’s blessings and God’s inheritance for a few crumbs of this physical world.
The author begins by telling his audience what they have not come to. They have not come to what may be touched, that is, physical things. In particular, the author is describing Mount Sinai when the people of Israel came to the mountain, Hebrews 12:18.
To appreciate what the author is relating to, note Exodus 19:10-20:21, and see the power and vivid imagery of God coming to His people. Deuteronomy 5:22-27 gives us a little more information about the terrifying image of God’s presence at Sinai. It was imagery intended to bring about awe and fear. The warnings to the people were intended to bring that fear, Hebrews 12:19.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The sound of the trumpet’ is of special interest since a trumpet sound is associated with the final judgment and the resurrection of the dead, 1 Corinthians 15:52. Also, the seven angels with seven trumpets are a feature of John’s vision of the last things, Revelation 8:2.’
No one was to come near the mountain. Limits were set around the mountain, and no one was to come close. If they did, they would be killed by God. Even if an animal came close to the mountain, it would also be killed, Hebrews 12:20 / Exodus 19:12-13.
What a powerful picture of the presence and holiness of God! Do not come near to God. Be fearful! Be afraid! Stay back! Even Moses was afraid, Hebrews 12:21 / Deuteronomy 9:19. God is holy, and this fear was to compel the people not to sin, Exodus 20:20.
But the author has told these disciples that they have not come to that mountain. They have not come to the physical things that can be touched. This is not the way it is any longer. It was that way, but not now. That is not what we have come to.
Rather than explaining more, the author tells us what we have come to. We have come to Mount Zion. We have not come to the physical but, by implication, to the spiritual. We have come to Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, Hebrews 12:22.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The prophets had extolled the word of the Lord as going forth from Mount Zion, Isaiah 2:3; it was toward Mount Zion that the captive Daniel had prayed in Babylon; and even Jesus Christ referred to it as the ‘city of the great King’, Matthew 5:35.’
We have not come to the physical city, but to the city of the living God, Hebrews 12:22. By faith Abraham looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God, Hebrews 11:10. That is the city we have come to. Let us consider what else we have come to.
“Thousands of angels in joyful assembly”, Hebrews 12:22. Too often, we read these descriptions and do not ask what this is telling us. We simply say that we have come to innumerable angels. But what does that mean for us? Consider the Scriptures and think about where these innumerable angels are, Daniel 7:9-10 / Revelation 5:11-12.
What is the writer saying that we have come to innumerable angels? We have come to the very presence of God. We have not come to the God who had to tell the people not to come near Him because of His holiness. We have come near to God, which is the point the writer of Hebrews made earlier in his writing, Hebrews 4:16.
What else is the author telling us we have come to? Hebrews 12:22-23. Remember that the writer of Hebrews is teaching us what we have left and what we now have. This is not a third party.
He is telling us that we are part of the new covenant, we are the assembly of the saved, and our names are written in heaven. You are part of something great. You have not come to the physical; rather, you are part of the group of people whose names are registered in heaven. Simply awesome!
We are of the firstborn, not only because Jesus is the firstborn of the dead, but because we have valued our birthright. We have not been like Esau, the firstborn, who despised his birthright inheritance and gave it away for the pleasures of this world. We are not that.
We value our inheritance with God and are part of the family of God, Hebrews 2:11. Part of this assembly is those who have died, Hebrews 12:23. They are also part of the family, and we are joined together. Death separates us, but we are still joined together as God’s saved family.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘A study of the various references to the book of life reveals the following: One. Christians’ names are written in it; Two. the ancient faithful, such as Moses, are therein; Three. those whose names are not inscribed in it shall not be saved, Revelation 13:8 / Revelation 20:15 / Revelation 21:27; Four. even though inscribed there, a name can be blotted out, and for sufficient cause will be blotted out, Revelation 3:5.’
Notice we’ve come “To Jesus”, Hebrews 12:24. This is really awesome. You have not come to the physical. You have not come to Sinai, but you have come to Jesus.
Moses was the mediator of the Sinai covenant. Jesus is the mediator of the Zion covenant. We have come to the sprinkled blood, which is a picture of atonement, Hebrews 12:24. We’ve come to “The blood of Abel”, Hebrews 12:24. The question is, which blood?
1. Is it Abel’s own blood, shed by Cain?
2. Or is it the blood that Abel himself offered in sacrifice when he slew the lamb?
It is often supposed that it was his own blood, an opinion based on Genesis 4:10, because God said to Cain, “The voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground”. I believe that this is a mistaken view and that the blood referred to in Hebrews 12:24 is the blood that Abel himself shed.
We need to ask ourselves, in what sense does the blood of Christ speak better things than the blood of Abel? If there is one thing of which the blood of Abel’s sacrifice speaks, it is sin and the separation which sin creates.
Abel’s sacrifice spoke of guilt, as did every other sacrifice offered under the Patriarchal Age and the Mosaic Age that followed, and it was, like the offerings made under the Mosaic Law, which was yet to come, a confession of unworthiness before God.
But in contrast with the blood of Abel, the blood of Christ speaks of the possibility of forgiveness of sin and reconciliation to God, which brings forgiveness.
It is not the blood of wrath, which is what the blood of Abel spoke. Abel’s death demanded vengeance on Cain. We have come to the blood of Jesus, which takes away wrath and brings mercy. We are under the new covenant of Jesus. That is what we have come to.
1. Jesus is the mediator of the New Testament because of the blood He shed at Golgotha, Hebrews 9:18-26.
2. The blood of Abel cried for vengeance against the one who sinned against him, Genesis 4:10.
The blood of Christ “speaks better things,” that is, salvation for those who obey the Gospel, Ephesians 1:7 / Colossians 1:13-14.
This is where the author’s teaching goes deep in this chapter. Unfortunately, the text has been glossed over. I listened to several sermons online, and all of them missed the thunderous point that the author is making, so let’s dig deeper.
Now, some may tend to read this and think that God is a kinder, gentler God. Before we approached God with fear, but now we can go to God any way we like. To prevent such thinking, the writer of Hebrews gives a warning now. “See that you do not refuse him who is speaking,” Hebrews 12:25. Here is another argument from the lesser to the greater, Hebrews 10:28-30.
If they did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, who warned them on the Earth, how do we think we will escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven? Hebrews 12:25. Obviously, we will not escape judgment. Now watch what the author presents.
When God spoke at that time, His voice shook the earth, Hebrews 12:26. This observation refers back to the events of Mount Sinai that we read about earlier, Exodus 19:18-19. But something has been promised for right now, the first century, when the author is writing these words.
The promise the author is referring to in Hebrews 12:26 is found in Haggai 2:6. Remember, this prophecy was stated by Haggai in the context of the construction of the temple in Jerusalem.
The author states that this promise refers to the removal of things that are shaken. What are the things that are shaken? Hebrews 12;26. The author is referring to the things that are made. The things that have been made must be removed so that the things which cannot be shaken can remain. What are the things that cannot be shaken?
According to Hebrews 12:27, the things that cannot be shaken are the things that have not been made with human hands. Hebrews 12:28 gives us more clarity that the things that cannot be shaken is the kingdom we are receiving. Now we cannot pass this by because he just made a critical point that is easy to miss.
The things that have been made must be removed so that the things that cannot be shaken can remain. The things that are shaken was Mount Sinai, and the quotation was given in the context of the building of the physical temple in Jerusalem.
Hebrews 12:27 tells us that these things must be removed so that the unshakable kingdom of God can remain. The point is not that we can go before God any way we want.
The point is that God has kept His word, bringing about an unshakable kingdom that we are able to enter because we have come to Mount Zion and not Mount Sinai. We are part of the assembly of the firstborn, those who have not thrown away their birthright inheritance.
Therefore, we need to be grateful for the kingdom we are receiving, Hebrews 12:28. We need to be thankful to be fellow partakers of the superior covenant, superior sacrifice, superior High Priest, and superior kingdom.
Let us then offer acceptable worship in reverence and awe because God is a consuming fire, Hebrews 12:29. God is not lenient now. Our God is a consuming fire. We need to worship Him with reverence and awe. We need to be obedient since we are part of this unshakable kingdom.
1. Look at what you have come to!
2. Look how you are part of the unshakable kingdom!
3. Look at how you can worship God acceptably!