Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV)
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.
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2 (KJV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne.
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 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.
Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)
Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let's rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let's run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NASB)Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God's absolute faithfulness], stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].
Hebrews 12:1-2 (AMP)Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org
Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, 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].
Hebrews 12:1-2 (AMPC)Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMPC), Copyright © 1954, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org
Do you see what this means — all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running — and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed — that exhilarating finish in and with God — he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.
Hebrews 12:1-2 (MSG)Scripture quotations from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
New Covenant Meaning
The Race Is Set Before You, Not Chosen by You
The race that is set before us is a specific race, not a generic one. The word set before carries the idea of something laid out in advance, appointed. Your race is not accidental. It is the particular life and calling that God has assigned to you. The goal is not to run someone else's race or to compare your pace with the person beside you. It is to run the specific race that is set before you. This is both humbling and freeing: you do not choose the course, but you are the one assigned to run it, and you have been equipped to finish it.
Looking to Jesus Is the Key to Endurance
The instruction is not to look at the witnesses behind you or the difficulty around you. It is to look to Jesus, the author and finisher of faith. The word translated looking away means to fix your gaze on one point while looking away from everything else. When runners watch the finish line instead of their competitors, they run better. Looking to Jesus in the middle of a hard race means keeping His reality in view: He endured the cross for the joy set before Him. He did not quit when it was hard. He is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God, and He is your model for what endurance looks like.
In the New Covenant, Jesus is described as the author and finisher of faith. The Greek word for author is archegos, meaning pioneer, originator, the one who goes first and opens the way. Jesus did not just describe the life of faith. He lived it perfectly. He endured what you face and more. He finished the course and sat down, which means the work is complete. The same Jesus who authored your faith will finish it. Philippians 1:6 says He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. You are not running alone, and you are not running without help. The one who sets the race also runs with you.
Application for Your Life
Lay Aside What Slows You Down
Hebrews 12:1 identifies two categories of things that hinder the race: weights and sin. Sin is obvious. But weights are different. A weight is not necessarily sinful. It can be anything that slows you down in your specific race: an activity that is not wrong but consumes time and energy meant for your calling, a relationship that drains rather than builds, a preoccupation that keeps your attention from the right things. Ask honestly what you are carrying that is slowing your pace. Weights look different for different people. The question is not whether something is evil. It is whether it belongs in your race.
Keep Your Eyes on Jesus When the Race Gets Hard
Endurance is not the same as willpower. It is the product of keeping your gaze on the right object. When the race is hard, the temptation is to focus on how tired you are, how far you have left to go, or how other people seem to be running with less effort. Hebrews 12:2 redirects all of that: fix your eyes on Jesus. Consider Him who endured the cross. He knew what was ahead of Him and He kept going because He could see past the suffering to the joy. Let the reality of who Jesus is and what He has done be the thing your eyes keep returning to when the race is difficult.
Prayer Based on This Verse
Father, I lay aside every weight and every sin that tries to entangle me. I am running the race You have set before me with endurance. I keep my eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith. When the race is hard, I look to Him. When I am tired, I remember that He endured the cross for joy and sat down at Your right hand. That same Jesus is the finisher of my faith. He started this, and He will complete it. I am not running in my own strength. I am running with my eyes on the one who already finished. In Jesus name. Amen.