Hebrews 12:2

 

 

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Hebrews 12:2  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.  (NASB: Lockman)

Greek: aphorontes (PAPMPN) eis ton tes pisteos archegon kai teleioten Iesoun, os anti tes prokeimenes (PMPFSG) auto charas hupemeinen (3SAAI) stauron aischunes kataphronesas, (AAPMSN) en dexia te tou thronou tou Theou kekathiken. (3SRAI) (NASB: Lockman)
Analyzed Literal
: looking with undivided attention to the Originator and Perfecter of [our] faith-Jesus-who, because of the joy being set before Him, endured a cross, having disregarded [the] shame, and has sat down at [the] right hand of the throne of God.
Amplified: Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. [Ps. 110:1]
 (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
Barclay: and, as we do so, let us keep our gaze fixed on Jesus who, in order to win the joy that was set before him, steadfastly endured the Cross, thinking nothing of its shame, and has now taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. (
Westminster Press)
BBE: Having our eyes fixed on Jesus, the guide and end of our faith, who went through the pains of the cross, not caring for the shame, because of the joy which was before him, and who has now taken his place at the right hand of God's seat of power.
Darby: looking steadfastly on Jesus the leader and completer of faith: who, in view of the joy lying before him, endured the cross, having despised the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
ESV: looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (
ESV)
ISV: looking off to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of the faith, who, in view of the joy set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
NLT: We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God’s throne in heaven.  (
NLT - Tyndale House)
NIV: Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (
NIV - IBS)
Phillips: our eyes fixed on Jesus the source and the goal of our faith. For he himself endured a cross and thought nothing of its shame because of the joy he knew would follow his suffering; and he is now seated at the right hand of God's throne. (
Phillips: Touchstone)
Weymouth; simply fixing our gaze upon Jesus, our Prince Leader in the faith, who will also award us the prize. He, for the sake of the joy which lay before Him, patiently endured the cross, looking with contempt upon its shame, and afterwards seated Himself-- where He still sits--at the right hand of the throne of God.
Wuest: looking off and away to Jesus, the originator and perfecter of this aforementioned faith, who instead of the joy then present with Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (
Erdmans
Young's Literal: looking to the author and perfecter of faith—Jesus, who, over-against the joy set before him—did endure a cross, shame having despised, on the right hand also of the throne of God did sit down

References

Albert Barnes
Brian Bell
Brian Bill
John Calvin
Adam Clarke
Steven Cole
Steven Cole
Thomas Constable
Dan Fortner
Dan Fortner
Dan Fortner
Scott Grant

Dave Guzik
Matthew Henry
Jamieson, F, B
S Lewis Johnson

John MacArthur
John MacArthur
J Vernon McGee
F B Meyer
Phil Newton
Ann Ortlund
A W Pink
John Piper
A T Robertson
J C Ryle
J C Ryle
Chuck Smith
Chuck Smith
C H Spurgeon
C H Spurgeon
C H Spurgeon
Ray Stedman
Ray Stedman
Today in the Word
Today in the Word
Today in the Word
Today in the Word
Marvin Vincent
Drew Worthen
Precept Ministries
Our Daily Bread

Hebrews 12
Hebrews:12:1 -3
Hebrews 12:2-3 Reach for the Goal
Hebrews 12
Hebrews 12
Hebrews 12:1-3 Faith to Run the Christian Marathon
Hebrews 12:4-6 God's Loving Discipline
Hebrews 12
Hebrews 12:1-2 The Rules Of The Race
Hebrews 12:2 Looking Unto Jesus
Hebrews 12:1-2 How Goes The Race?
Hebrews 12:1-3 A race for heroes

Hebrews 12
Hebrews 12
Hebrews 12

Hebrews 12:1-3 The Christian Race - Audio
Hebrews 12:1-4 Run for Your Life
Hebrews 12:1-4 Running the Race That Is Set Before Us

Hebrews 12:1-2 Mp3 Thru the Bible

Hebrews 12:1-2: Stripping for the race

Hebrews 12:1-3 Consider Christ
Fix Your Eyes On Jesus - 44 excellent meditations
Hebrews 12:2 The Object of Faith

Hebrews 11:39-12:2 Running w the witnesses
Hebrews 12  Greek Word Studies
Hebrews 12:2:  Are You Looking?
Hebrews 12:2:  Looking Unto Jesus
Hebrews 12:1-3 Looking Unto Jesus

Hebrews 12:2 Our Proper Attitude toward Suffering
Hebrews 12:1,2 The Rule of the Race - Pdf

Hebrews 12:2 The Shameful Sufferer
Hebrews 12:2 Devotional
Hebrews 12:2 How Faith Works
Hebrews 12:1-3 The Race of Life

Hebrews 12:1-11
Hebrews 12:1-3
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12 Greek Word Studies2
Hebrews 12:1-2
Download lesson one of Part 1
or lesson 1 of part 2
Hebrews 12:1-2: A Lifelong Journey
Hebrews 12:1-2: Proper Perspective

Hebrews 12:2: Shame

FIXING [OUR] EYES ON JESUS: aphorontes (PAPMPN) eis ton tes pisteos archegon kai teleioten Iesoun: (Hebrews 12:3)

See the well written devotional Fix Your Eyes On Jesus by Ann Ortlund)

"looking with undivided attention" (Analyzed Literal)
"Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus" (Amplified)
"looking steadfastly on Jesus" (Darby)
"simply fixing our gaze upon Jesus" (Weymouth)
"looking off and away to Jesus" (Wuest)

Westcott comments that...

The encouragement to be drawn from earthly witnesses passes into the supreme encouragement which springs from the contemplation of Christ. Above the ‘cloud of witnesses,’ who encompass us, is our King, no Roman Emperor dispensing by his arbitrary will life or death to the stricken combatant, but One Who has Himself sustained the struggle which we bear. He Who is ‘the captain (author) of our salvation,’ ‘the righteous Judge’ (see note 2 Timothy 4:8), is also the example and the inspiration of our faith. He in His humanity endured suffering and shame beyond all others and received compensating joy and glory. We therefore may hope by sharing His sufferings to share His glory (see note Romans 8:17) (The Epistle to the Hebrews)

Fixing our eyes (872) (aphorao from apo = away from something near + horao = look, see, behold) means to look away from other things and steadfastly or intently toward a distant object. The idea is to  direct one’s attention without distraction

The only other NT use is

Philippians 2:23 (note) Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me (Comment: Here the connotation is that of learning or finding out about another. There is one use in the Septuagint of Jonah 4:5 which carries a similar meaning to this use in Philippians.)

Our eyes gaze at that which engrosses our heart. If worldly and fleshly desires are harbored in our heart, they will obscure our moral vision and our ability to see Jesus as we should. Keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus is the only safe way to live in a sinful world. This involves looking "away from all else" that would turn us aside.

Westcott writes that they are to be...

looking away from all that distracts on earth into...not only at the first moment, but constantly during the whole struggle...Christ is always near and in sight... In one form or other the hope of the vision of God has been the support of the saints in all ages (Ibid)

Kenneth Wuest writes that aphorao...

means “to turn one’s mind to a certain thing.” Both meanings are applicable here, the spiritual vision turned away from all else and together with the mind, concentrated on Jesus. What a lesson in Christian running technique we have in that little preposition “off, away from,” which is prefixed to this verb. The minute the Greek runner in the stadium takes his attention away from the race course and the goal to which he is speeding, and turns it upon the onlooking crowds, his speed is slackened. It is so with the Christian. The minute he takes his eyes off of the Lord Jesus, and turns them upon others, his pace in the Christian life is slackened, and his onward progress in grace hindered. Messiah is called the author of our faith. (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans or Logos)

The present tense describes a habitual attitude (which is necessary to run with endurance) and not just a single act. Aphorao conveys the idea of "having eyes for no one but Jesus." It is good to "glance" at the godly examples of the cloud of Old Testament witnesses and be encouraged by their faithful finish, but it is imperative that each of us then firmly fix our gaze on our Savior Jesus. The idea is that we looking away from everything which may distract. The idea is to "have eyes for no one but Jesus."

Expositor's adds that...

We are to run this race "with no eyes for any one or anything except Jesus" (Moffatt, in loc.). It is He toward Whom we run. There must be no divided attention. (Gaebelein, F, Editor: Expositor's Bible Commentary 6-Volume New Testament. Zondervan Publishing)

Am I continually fixing my eyes on Jesus?
Am I looking away from the problems and concentrating on Jesus ?

Keep your eyes
On the prize.

The Greek verb aphorao pictures a runner who is virtually oblivious to the thousands of onlookers, even as his attention is diverted from every consideration except that of running the best possible race. We've all seen runners and other top athletes who are "practicing focusing" prior to the race or event. Their attention is concentrated upon one thing to the total exclusion of everything else. And so the runner looks away from everything else and fixes his or her eyes upon the goal and not the cheering crowds or even the opponents. In a race if the runner turns his or her head even slightly toward the spectators or the opponents, their speed will be lessened. 

Peter learned the lesson of not keeping his gaze on Jesus in Matthew 14...

26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were frightened, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."
28 And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."
29 And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
30 But seeing the wind, he became afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"
31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
32 And when they got into the boat, the wind stopped.

Some storms come because of our disobedience, but this one came because the disciples obeyed Jesus. Peter obeyed Jesus' command and walked on the water; but became distracted by the waves, and took his eyes off Jesus. We look to Jesus by faith when we trust His word. We need to beware of the distracting storms (which are certainty in our life in this fallen world)! Instead we need to keep our eyes continually focused on the One Who controls the "waves" and is able to calm the storm!


Robert Murray McCheyne (
Biography) who died at in the thirtieth year of his age and seventh of his ministry" had some sage advice for his age...

For every one look at your problems, your weaknesses, your failures -- take ten looks at Jesus. (Mark it down - Worry will keep you from fixing your eyes on Jesus, or fixing your eyes on Jesus will keep you from worry).

Warren Wiersbe reminds us of the importance of a "look" writing that...

 It was in “looking to Him” that we were saved, for to look means “to trust.” When the dying Jews looked to the uplifted serpent, they were healed; and this is an illustration of our salvation through faith in Christ (Numbers 21:4-9; John 3:14-16). “Looking unto Jesus” describes an attitude of faith and not just a single act." (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor or Logos) (Bolding added)

I See Jesus

I don't look back: God knows the fruitless efforts,
The wasted hours the sinning, the regrets;
I leave them all with Him Who blots the record,
And mercifully forgives, and then forgets

I don't look forward, God sees all the future,
The road that, short or long, will lead me home,
And He will face with me its every trial,
And bear for me the burdens that may come.

I don't look round me: then would fears assail me,
So wild the tumult of earth's restless seas;
So dark the world, so filled with woe and evil,
So vain the hope of comfort or of ease.

I don't look in; for then am I most wretched;
Myself has naught on which to stay my trust;
Nothing I see save failures and short-comings,
And weak endeavors crumbling into dust.

But I look up -- into the face of Jesus,
For there my heart can rest, my fears are stilled.
And there is joy, and love, and light for darkness,
And perfect peace, and every hope fulfilled
--Annie Johnson Flint

><> ><> ><>

Guy King says that there's a gold running cup on another man's mantel that could have been -- should have been -- on his own.  He was running toward the tape, coming in number one.  Somebody was trailing on his right, and he shot a look to see where he was. It was a split-second distraction that his competitor needed, and he flashed by him and won.  "Our sole safety [as Christians]," says Guy King, "is to be found in keeping our eyes averted . . . from others, and keeping them unswervingly 'looking unto Jesus.'" (Brought In)

><> ><> ><>

A famous illustration emphasizes this basic principle of running the race with focus:

On May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister became the first man in history to run a mile in less than 4 minutes. Within 2 months, John Landy eclipsed the record by 1.4 seconds. On August 7, 1954, the two met together for a historic race. As they moved into the last lap, Landy held the lead. It looked as if he would win, but as he neared the finish he was haunted by the question, "Where is Bannister?" As he turned to look, Bannister took the lead. Landy later told a Time magazine reporter, "If I hadn't looked back, I would have won!"

One of the most descriptive pictures of the Christian life in the Bible is of an athlete competing in a race. First Corinthians 9:24-27 tells us that discipline is the key to winning. In Hebrews 12:1-2, we are encouraged to lay aside anything that might hinder our spiritual advancement and to stay focused on Christ. And in Philippians 3:12-13, the apostle Paul said, "I press on, . . . forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead."

Lord, give us endurance as we run this race of life. Help us not to wallow in past failures, but to be disciplined and to shun sinful ways. May we fix our eyes on the eternal goal set before us and keep looking unto Jesus. --H G Bosch (Our Daily Bread)

Run the straight race through God's good grace,
Lift up thine eyes and seek His face;
Life with its way before us lies,
Christ is the path and Christ the prize. --Monsell

You can't make spiritual progress
by looking back.

><> ><> ><>

What a lesson for the Christian. The minute we turn our eyes toward our fellow-men and take them off the Lord Jesus, our pace is slackened. Pride, discouragement, envy, the desire for praise, these and other evils incapacitate the Christian runner as he looks at men instead of keeping his eyes fixed upon Jesus.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
by Helen Lemmel

 O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
O’er us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conquerors we are!
Refrain

His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell! 
Refrain
 

It is possible that some of the Jewish Christian readers had begun to take their eyes off their Messiah and to fix them instead on the hardships they were encountering for the sake of Christ.

Don't look at your fellow Christian stumbling along. Don't look at any great Christian that you admire. He might take you in a different path. Note well that the eyes are very important in any athletic endeavor. Looking unto Jesus - that is our occupation!

Keep your eyes on the Lord
He never takes His eyes off you.

A W Pink has an excellent note on "fixing our eyes on Jesus" writing that...

The person of the Saviour is to be the “mark” (Ed note: the Greek word for "mark" is skopos =  that on which the eye is fixed, the distant mark looked at, the goal or end that one has in view) on which the eyes of those who are pressing forward for the prize of the high calling of God, are to be fixed. Be constantly “looking” to Him, trustfully, submissively, hopefully, expectantly. He is the Fountain of all grace (John 1:16): our every need is supplied by God “according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (see note Philippians 4:19). Then seek the help of the Holy Spirit that the eye of faith be steadfastly fixed on Christ. He has declared “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” then let us add, “The Lord is my Helper, I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (see note Hebrews 13:5; 13:6). Salvation is by grace, through faith: it is through “faith” we are saved, not only from Hell, but also from this world (1 John 5:4), from temptation, from the power of indwelling sin—by coming to Christ, trusting in Him, drawing from Him.

What are the things which hinder us running? An active Devil, an evil world, indwelling sin, mysterious trials, fierce opposition, afflictions which almost make us doubt the love of the Father. Then call to mind the “great cloud of witnesses”: they were men of like passions with us, they encountered the same difficulties and discouragements, they met with the same hindrances and obstacles. But they ran “with patience,” they overcame, they won the victor’s crown. How? By “looking unto Jesus”: see note Hebrews 11:26. But more: look away from difficulties (see note Romans 4:19), from self, from fellow-racers, unto Him who has left us an example to follow, in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, so that He is able to succour the tempted, strengthen the weak, guide the perplexed, supply our every need. Let the heart be centered in and the mind stayed upon Him.

The more we are “looking unto Jesus” the easier will it be to “lay aside every weight.” It is at this point so many fail. If the Christian denies self of different things without an adequate motive (for Christ’s sake), he will still secretly hanker after the things relinquished, or ere long return to them, or become proud of his little sacrifices and become self-righteous. The most effective way of getting a child to drop any dirty or injurious object, is to proffer him something better. The best way to make a tired horse move more quickly, is not to use the whip, but to turn his head toward home! So, if our hearts be occupied with the sacrificial love of Christ for us, we shall be “constrained” thereby to drop all that which displeases Him; and the more we dwell upon the joy set before us, the more strength shall we have to run “with patience the race that is set before us.” (Pink, A. W: An Exposition of Hebrews) (Bolding added)

Jesus (2424) (Iesous equivalent to the Hebrew Yeshu'a H3091 = Jehovah His help, Jehovah is salvation or Jehovah delivers)  means He saves, helps or delivers. Vine says Jesus is a transliteration of the Hebrew name “Joshua” which means "Jehovah is salvation".

Vincent writes...

Having presented a long catalogue of witnesses under the old covenant, he now presents Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and the supreme witness. (Vincent, M. R. Word Studies in the New Testament 4:538)

Writing to Timothy Paul refers to the "witness" of Jesus...

I charge you in the presence of God, Who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, Who testified (martureo - witnessed, gave evidence) the good confession before Pontius Pilate

John refers to Jesus twice as a "witness"..

Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, (see note Revelation 1:5)

(Jesus speaking) And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this... (see note Revelation 3:14)

We do well to fix our eyes on the One Whose testimony was and is both faithful (worthy of our trust) and true (containing no deceit or lies, etc.) Whenever you are tempted to look at your circumstances or at yourself, look to Jesus by faith and rejoice in His faithfulness.

John Piper reminds us that...

Jesus is the one sure thing. He is the rock (Ed note: Click for Scripture chain & chart - studying these passages observing what they teach about Jesus as the Rock would make a great Sunday School lesson), the foundation. Get Him in view when everything else in your life is swirling and you will land safely. The coach knows that panic is the worst enemy in the midst of a dangerous routine. And panic comes from a building sense of weakness and uncertainty—or we might say, a lack of assurance in the Christian life. And the main cry of this book is: Jesus is sure! God is sure! The Cross is sure! The Covenant is sure! The promises are sure! Fix your attention on the things that are sure! “Find the floor!” (Read his full message The Doctrine of Perseverance: The Earnest Pursuit of Assurance )

In another message Piper says that the idea of looking to Jesus means that you...

do not dwell on yourself, dwell on what God has done in Jesus Christ. There is a paradox here. For many people—most people, I think—the more we focus on the subjective inner workings of our own soul and the relative purity or impurity of our own attitudes and behavior, the more uncertain we become of our own assessment of our authenticity. Paradoxically the path to assurance is to shift our focus off of ourselves and onto God. Off of the subjective and onto the objective. (Read his full message God Has Chosen Us in Him Before the Foundation of the Earth)

Spurgeon has a similar thought writing...

How frequently you who are coming to Christ look to yourselves. "Oh," say you, "I do not repent enough!" That is looking to yourself. "I do not believe enough!" That is looking to yourself. "I am too unworthy." That is looking to yourself. "I cannot discover," says another, "that I have any righteousness." It is quite right to say that you have not any righteousness, but it is quite wrong to look for any....Look to Him, look at Him, study Him, know all you can about Him, meditate upon Him.

Piper observes that this passage makes the point...

that the fight of faith is not done in our own strength. When you go away to plan your fall run with Jesus, verse 2 says, “Look to Jesus the author and perfecter of your faith.” Don’t look to your own resources and say, “I’ve tried before. It won’t work.” Fix your eyes on him. The battle is a battle of faith: will you believe that the things he promises are better than the bad habits that you use to cover your sadness? (Read the full message Running with the Witnesses)

Just as a runner concentrates on the finish line, believers should concentrate on Jesus, the goal and objective of our faith. Paul wrote

"Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of (taken eagerly; seized, possessed) it yet; but one thing (singleness of purpose; focused) [I do = not in the original Greek]: forgetting (completely forgetting; present tense = continually forgetting) what lies behind and reaching forward (attempting energetically to attain the goal like a runner stretching his head out to cross the tape the winner; present tense = lifelong attitude) to what lies ahead (in front of), I press on (follow hard after, pursuing with desire, earnestness and diligence in order to obtain ~ "zeal" = burning desire to please God, to do His will & to advance His glory) toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (see notes Philippians 3:13; 14)

Bruce writes that we are to keep our eyes riveted on Jesus, the foremost Runner for only One...

...stands out conspicuous above all the rest ... the Man who first perfectly realised the idea of living by faith ... , who undauntedly endured the bitter suffering of the cross, and despised the ignominy of it, sustained by a faith that so vividly realised coming joy and glory as to obliterate the consciousness of present pain and shame. (Bruce, A B: Hebrews, P 415-416)

MacDonald adds that Jesus...

"not only began the race but finished it triumphantly. For Him the race course stretched from heaven to Bethlehem, then on to Gethsemane and Calvary, then out of the tomb and back to heaven. At no time did He falter or turn back. He kept His eyes fixed on the coming glory when all the redeemed would be gathered with Him eternally. This enabled Him to think nothing of shame and to endure suffering and death. (MacDonald, W & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson  or Logos

Vincent writes that the author...

Having presented a long catalogue of witnesses under the old covenant, now presents Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, and the supreme Witness. (Vincent, M. R. Word studies in the New Testament. Vol. 4, Page 538)

A W Pink agrees writing that...

“The cloud of witnesses is not the object on which our heart is fixed. They testify of faith, and we cherish their memory with gratitude, and walk with a firmer step because of the music of their lives. Our eye, however, is fixed, not on many, but on One; not on the army, but the Leader; not on the servants, but the Lord. We see Jesus only, and from Him we derive our true strength, even as He is our light of life” (A. Saphir). In all things Christ has the pre-eminence: He is placed here not among the other “racers,” but as One who, instead of exemplifying certain characteristics of faith, as they did, is the “Author and Finisher” of faith in His own person." (The Object of Faith)

Keep choosing to turn your eyes away from the trials and sorrows that are nearby (also from the great conflict of sufferings that was probably imminently looming on the horizon in 70AD as well as the daily reproaches from other Jews calling them to turn away from Messiah).

A T Robertson says

Fix your eyes on Jesus, after a glance at “the cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 11) for He is the Goal." (Robertson, A T: Word Pictures in the New Testament)

Moses ran his "race". looking with eyes of faith to Him Who is unseen:

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin;26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. (see notes Hebrews 11:24;11:25; 11:26; 11:27)

Looking to Jesus...

Why look?  Because the best beings in the universe encourage it (the Angels, the redeemed in heaven, the Holiest on earth), our own needs demand it (we need a Mediator, Example, Friend, such as He is) and finally because the great God enjoins it.

How to look? By the study of His biography. By communion with others of pure heart.

When to look?  At the beginning of the Christian life. I times of temptation and difficult. In all the encouragements and discouragements of life. At death.

What should be our attitude? Trustful. Obedient.. Loving. (Adapted from the Biblical Illustrator)

C H Spurgeon discusses looking to Jesus...
 

The rule of the race: —
I. First, then, we are to look to Jesus as THE AUTHOR OF FAITH. The apostle would have us view the Lord Jesus as the starter of the race. When a foot-race began, the men were drawn up in a line, and they had to wait for a signal. Those who were in the race had to look to the starter; for the runner who should get first by a false start would not win, because he did not run according to the rules of the race. No man is crowned unless he strives lawfully. The starter was in his place, and the men stood all waiting and looking. Our word at starting in the Christian life is, “Look unto Jesus.”

   A). We have to look to Jesus, first, by trusting in that which He has wrought for us. It is described in these words: “Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame.”

   B). We also begin looking unto Jesus because of what He has wrought in us.

II. But now we must look to Jesus as THE FINISHER OF FAITH. As Jesus is at the commencement of the course, starting the runners, so He is at the end of the course, the rewarder of those who endure to the end. Those who would win in the great race must keep their eyes upon Him all along the course, even till they reach the winning-post.

   A). You will be helped to look to Him when you remember that He is the finisher of your faith by what He has wrought for you; for the text saith “He endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” You also shall have heaven, for He has it; you shall sit upon the throne, for He sits there.

   B). We are helped to run to the end, not only by what Jesus has done for us, but by what Jesus is doing in us.

      (1) You that are in the middle of the race, remember that Jesus sustains you. Every atom of your strength for running comes from your Lord. Look to Him for it.

      (2) We are not only sustained by looking unto Jesus, but we are inspirited thereby. A sight of the exalted Leader fires the zeal of each believer, and makes him run like a roe or a young hart.

      (3) Looking unto Jesus, you will get many a direction; for, as He sits at the winning-post, His very presence indicates the way.

     (4) Look to Jesus, for by that look He draws you. The great magnet up yonder is drawing us towards itself. Christ’s cords of love give us speed.

III. Let us next consider our Lord Jesus as THE PATTERN OF OUR FAITH.

Run, as Jesus ran, and look to Him as you run, that you may run like Him. How did our Lord pursue His course?

   A). You will see this if you first note His motive: “Who for the joy that was set before Him.” The chief end of man is to glorify God; let it be my chief end, even as it was my Lord’s. Oh, that I might glorify Thee, my Creator, my Preserver, my Redeemer! To this end was I born, and for this end would I live in every action of my life. We cannot run the race set before us unless we feel thus.

   B). Wherein are we to imitate Jesus?

      (1) First, we are to copy His endurance. He “ endured the Cross.” Ours is a trifling cross compared with that which pressed Him down; but He endured it. He took it up willingly, and carried it patiently.

      (2) Imitate your Lord in His magnanimity. He endured the Cross, “despising the shame.” Shame is a cruel thing to many hearts. Our Lord shows us how to treat it. See, He puts His shoulder under the Cross; but He sets His foot upon the shame. He endures the one, but He despises the other.

      (3) Our Saviour is to be imitated in His perseverance. For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the Cross, despising the shame, and “is set down.” He never stopped running till He could sit down at the right hand of the throne of God; and that is the only place where you may sit down.

IV. Lastly, our text sets before us Jesus as THE GOAL OF FAITH

We are to run “looking unto Jesus” as the end that we should aim at. True faith neither goes away from Christ Jesus, nor takes a roundabout road to Jesus, nor so much as dreams of going beyond Jesus. Now, we are to run towards Him, looking unto Him. Looking to Jesus and running to Jesus will look well and run well together. The eyes outstrip the feet; but this also is well, for the feet will thus be made to move the faster. Look you that you may see more of Jesus. Let us run towards Jesus, that we may grow more like Him. It is one of the virtues of Jesus that He transforms into His own image those who look at Him. He photographs Himself upon all sensitive hearts. Run, that you may come nearer to Jesus. Seek after more near and dear fellowship with Him. (Read Spurgeon's full sermon The Rule of the Race - Pdf)

Robert Murray McCheyne advised that...

For every one look at your problems, your weaknesses, your failures -- take ten looks at Jesus.

C. M. Merry writes that...

1. “Looking to Jesus” supplies the strongest motive to run well our Christian race; that is, love towards Himself. You know that fire and force are the effect of a supreme affection; how it makes light of difficulties, and changes leaden feet into feet of angel swiftness. Love lightens toil, and makes even waiting more than endurable.

2. “Looking to Jesus” furnishes all needful strength for running well our Christian race. This is the act on our part that appropriates it for our various occasions and exigencies; just as plants, by opening out their
leaves, to them the organs of assimilation, imbibe the light and dew, and distribute sustenance through their entire structure, so we, by “ looking to Jesus,” receive those communications of a spiritual kind, upon which the life of our souls and the vigor of our Christian walk depend.

3. “Looking to Jesus “ brings before us the highest example of a successful runner in the Christian race. When you are in doubt, ask, “What, in such a case, would my Master have done?” (Biblical Illustrator)

F B Meyer writes that we should

...look off unto Jesus. Away from past failure and success; away from human applause and blame; away from the gold pieces scattered on the path, and the flowers that line either side. Do not look now and again, but acquire the habit of looking always; so that it shall become natural to look up from every piece of daily work, from every room, however small, from every street, however crowded, to His calm face; just as the sojourner on the northern shores of Geneva’s lake is constantly prone to look up from any book or work on which the attention may have been engaged, to behold the splendour and glory of the noble range of snowcapped summits on the further shores. And if it seems hard to acquire this habitual attitude, trust the Holy Spirit to form it in your soul.

Above all, remember that where you tread there your Lord trod once, combating your difficulties and sorrows, though without sin; and ere long you shall be where He is now. Keep your eye fixed, then, on him as he stands to welcome and reward you; and struggle through all, animated by his smile, and attracted to his side, and you will find weights and unbelief dropping off almost insensibly and of themselves.

This is the only way by which souls can be persuaded. Argue with them; urge them; try to force them-and they will cling the closer to the encumbrances which are clogging their steps. But present to them Jesus in the beauty and attractiveness of his person and work, and there will be a natural loosening of impediments; as the snow which had been bending the leaves to the earth drops away when the sun begins to shine. And God never takes aught from us, without giving us something better. He removes the symbol, to give us the reality; breaks the type, to give the substance; releases us from the natural and human, to give us the divine. Oh, trust him, soul: and dare to let go, that thou mayest take; to be stripped, that thou mayest become clothed! (Meyer, F B:
Hebrews 12:1-2: Stripping for the race)

G Campbell Morgan sums up this section:

These words catch up and apply all that had been said as to the service ren­dered in the past by those who had "received the promises," and had died, not having "received the promise." If they so endured with courage and cheerfulness, we also should be prepared to endure with patience, and run the race toward the glorious goal without wavering, however hopeless the enterprise may seem, when judged by the circumstances of the hour. The ultimate strength of this appeal, however, lies in the contrast which it suggests between these men of the past and ourselves. They had the promises; we have Jesus. They look for the City; we look off unto Jesus. This means that in Him we have a clearer revelation of the glory of the City, and of the travail through which alone it can be built. Through Him our understanding of what the tabernacling of God with men means, is more perfect. In Him the call is to yet profounder suffering and to greater patience. But He is Himself the File-leader of the Faithful; that is, in His own life and service He takes precedence of all others. And so He is supremely the Vindicator of faith in the promises of God as the one principle which moves toward the fulfilment of those very promises. He also is waiting for the consummation, waiting till His enemies shall be made the footstool of His feet, but waiting in the perfect assurance of the final victory. Then we are called upon to rest in His assurance, to have fellowship with His sufferings, and so to hasten the coming of the Day of God. (Morgan, G. C.: Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible). (Bolding added)

J. C. Ryle commenting on "looking to Jesus" has some excellent advice:

The expression before us is one of the pithy golden sayings which stand out here and there on the face of the New Testament, and demand special attention. It is like “to me to live is Christ,” “Christ is all and in all,” “Christ who is our life,” “He is our peace,” “I live by the faith of the Son of God.” To each and all of these sayings one common remark applies. They contain far more than a careless eye can see on the surface. But the grand question which rises out of the text is this: What is that we are to look at in Jesus?

I. First and foremost, if we would look rightly to Jesus, we must look daily at His DEATH, as the only source of inward peace. We all need peace. Now there is only one source of peace revealed in Scripture, and that is the sacrifice of the death of Christ, and the atonement which He has made for sin by that vicarious death on the Cross. To obtain a portion in that great peace, we have only to look by faith to Jesus, as our substitute and Redeemer.

Let your faith's eye daily look on Christ crucified, and rest in the sight.
Let the first look of your soul to Jesus, be a look backward.
Look at Him dying for your sins on the cross, and as you look, say to yourself,
"This was done for me."

II. In the second place, if we would look rightly to Jesus, we must look daily to His LIFE OF INTERCESSION, in heaven, as our principal provision of strength and help. While we are fighting Amalek in the valley below, one greater than Moses is holding up His hands for us in heaven, and through His intercession we shall prevail.

Let your faith's eye see Jesus as your Priest in heaven, and rejoice in the sight.

What will you see there? You will see the same Saviour who died for you exalted to the place of highest honour, and doing the work of an intercessor and advocate for your soul. All was not done when He suffered for your sins on Calvary. He rose again and ascended up to heaven, to carry on there the work which He began on earth. There, as our Priest and Representative, He ever lives to make intercession for us. He presents our names before the Father; He continually pleads our cause. He obtains for us a never-ending supply of mercy and grace; He watches over our interests with an eye that never sleeps. He is ready, morning, noon, and night, to hear our confessions, to grant us absolution, to strengthen us for duty, to comfort us in trial, to guide us in perplexity, to hold us up in temptation, and to preserve us safe on our journey heavenward until we reach home.

What will you get by looking upward to Jesus? Comfort and strength in all the daily battle of life. What thought more cheering than the thought that Jesus is ever looking at you and watching over you! What idea more strengthening than the idea that you are never alone, never forgotten, never neglected, never without a Friend who is "able to save to the uttermost all them who come unto God by Him!" (Heb. 7:25.)