Eyes On The Prize

Looking to Jesus in the Process of Discipline

Hebrews 12:2–4

The Christian life is hard. Not because God is cruel or distant, but because He is a loving Father who is conforming His children to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). That process — sanctification — is often agonizing. But the agony is not without aim, and the pain is not without purpose. We run the race with endurance by fixing our eyes on the One who ran before us:

“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:2)

Here, at the heart of Hebrews 12, the inspired writer gives us the key to finishing the race: We must look to Jesus. Not glance. Not nod. Look. Fix. Gaze.

Christ: The Founder and Perfecter

Jesus is both the “founder” (Greek: archēgos) and “perfecter” (Greek: teleiōtēs) of our faith. He initiates and He completes. He starts the work of salvation and He brings it to its glorious finish. As Paul writes in Philippians 1:6:

“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

John MacArthur comments, “Jesus is the supreme example of perseverance. He is the source of our faith and the One who brought it to completion. He did not simply model endurance; He enables it.”

So we run this race not by our own strength, but by His. And as we run, we look to Him — not merely as our inspiration but as our strength, our example, and our reward.

Enduring the Cross, Despising the Shame

Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus endured the cross “for the joy set before Him.” That joy was not the cross itself, but the result of the cross: the redemption of His people, the glorification of the Father, and His exaltation at the right hand of God.

Jesus despised the shame — He looked beyond it. The mocking, the spitting, the nails, the darkness — He saw through it all to the joy on the other side. He ran His race with endurance, and now sits exalted in victory.

Matthew Henry writes, “The joy that was set before Him was the glory into which He was to enter, and the joy of bringing many sons to glory… His sufferings were great, but His reward was greater.”

This is our model. The cross precedes the crown. The suffering of the present time is not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed (Romans 8:18). Like Christ, we endure by looking forward.

Consider Him — So You Don’t Grow Weary

Verse 3 says:

“Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.”

The word consider (Greek: analogizomai) means to deeply reflect, to reckon, to compare yourself to Him. When you feel like quitting, look to Christ. When trials press in, remember His passion. When suffering arises, trace the bloodstained path of your Savior who went before you.

MacArthur notes, “When we grow discouraged, it is almost always because we have forgotten what Jesus endured for us.” And Henry adds, “Our sufferings are nothing to His; let us not shrink back from our lesser trials.”

If Christ endured the cross for our sake, we can endure hardship for His glory. We are not above our Master (John 15:20). The same road that led Him to the crown will lead us to the same destination — but not without trials.

You Have Not Yet Resisted to the Point of Blood

Hebrews 12:4 reminds us:

“In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.”

This is a sobering truth. We often act as though obedience is too costly, discipline too hard, or surrender too much. But the writer says, in essence, “You haven’t even bled yet.”

Jesus bled. Jesus died. And He did it not just to save us — but to empower us to follow Him in holiness. As 1 Peter 2:21 states:

“Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.”

We’re called to struggle against sin. To fight it. To resist it. To run the race with endurance — not comfort. The Christian life is not casual. It is costly. But Jesus is worth it.

Practical Application: How to Fix Your Eyes on Christ

1. Feed daily on Scripture.

   Jesus is revealed through the Word. To look to Him, we must open our Bibles. Psalm 119:105 calls the Word “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Without it, we run in the dark.

   
   

2. Meditate on the Cross.

   Never move on from Calvary. Let the agony of the cross humble your pride, sober your mind, and stir your affections. Galatians 2:20 should be the Christian’s anthem: “The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

   
   

3. Embrace hardship as part of your training.

   As the next verses in Hebrews 12 make clear, God disciplines those He loves. Difficulty is not a sign of God’s absence — it is evidence of His fatherly care. James 1:2–4 reminds us that trials produce steadfastness, and steadfastness makes us mature and complete.

   
   

4. Fix your mind on eternity.

   We are not running for a temporary trophy. Paul writes, “We do not lose heart… for this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:16–17). Eyes on the prize.

Conclusion: Run to Win

The race of faith is agonizing — but it is worth every step. We run not because we are afraid of falling behind. We run because Jesus is at the finish line. Our eyes are not on the world, not on ourselves, not on our circumstances — but on the One who wore a crown of thorns and now wears the crown of glory.

So, Christian — look to Jesus. And run.