Hebrews 12:2

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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 12:2 (NKJV)

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 12:2 (NIV)

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 12:2 (KJV)

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 12:2 (NLT)

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 12:2 (ESV)

looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [its Founder and its Source and the One who brings 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 12:2 (AMP)

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

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 12:2 (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

Jesus Is Both the Origin and the Completion of Your Faith

The word translated "author" (archegos) means pioneer, originator, founding leader. The word translated "finisher" (teleiotes) means perfecter, completer, the one who brings something to its intended end. Applied to faith: Jesus originated your faith and He will bring it to completion. This is not a partnership where you provide the effort and He provides the backup. He initiated the faith in you and He is responsible for completing it. Your role is verse 2's first word: looking. Keep your gaze on Him.

He Endured Because of Joy, Not Duty

The most stunning phrase in this verse may be "for the joy that was set before Him." Jesus endured the cross not primarily out of grim obligation but because He could see beyond it to what the cross would accomplish: a redeemed humanity, restored relationship with His Father, the joy of presenting you faultless before the throne. The cross was not the end He was looking at. The resurrection, the ascension, and the harvest of souls was. He despised the shame because the joy outweighed it. This is the model for endurance in any trial.

The command is "looking unto Jesus." The Greek word is aphorao: to look away from everything else and fix your gaze on one thing. It is not a casual glance. It is the deliberate act of turning your eyes from the obstacles and fixing them on Jesus. Hebrews 12:1 says lay aside every weight and run with endurance. Verse 2 says how: by looking at Jesus. The endurance comes from the gaze, not from gritting your teeth harder.

Application for Your Life

When Faith Feels Weak, Look at the Finisher

If Jesus is the finisher of your faith, then the completion of your faith is not your responsibility. It is His. Your responsibility is to keep your eyes on Him. When doubt creeps in, when the race feels long, when circumstances contradict the promise, the answer is not to manufacture more faith through self-effort. The answer is to look at Jesus. Fix your gaze on who He is, what He has done, where He is seated, and what He has promised. The looking produces the faith. The finisher does the finishing.

He Sat Down Because the Work Is Finished

The final phrase of Hebrews 12:2 is significant: He "sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Priests in the old covenant never sat down because the sacrificial work was never complete. There was always more to offer. But Jesus sat down because the work is finished. John 19:30. Hebrews 10:12 says He offered one sacrifice for sins and "sat down forever." The seated Christ is the picture of a completed redemption. Your faith rests on a finished foundation.

Prayer Based on This Verse

Father, I look to Jesus today. I take my eyes off the obstacles, the doubts, the weight of what I cannot figure out, and I fix them on Him. He is the author and the finisher of my faith. He started this and He is responsible for completing it. I trust the finisher to finish what He began in me. And I take courage from the cross: He endured it for the joy set before Him. I endure what is in front of me for the same reason, keeping my eyes on You and the joy that is set before me. He has sat down. The work is done. I rest in it. In Jesus' name. Amen.