A Great Cloud of Witnessesby Jeff Robb

Reflection

The letter to the Hebrews was written to believers who were tired. They had suffered for their faith, and some were thinking about turning back. So the writer spends a whole chapter, chapter eleven, reminding them of those who had gone before.

Abel. Enoch. Noah. Abraham and Sarah. Moses. Rahab. Gideon, David, Samuel and the prophets. Men and women who all died in faith, not having received the promises, but who saw them afar off and held on.

Then chapter twelve begins with a word that ties it all together. Wherefore. Because of all those faithful lives, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses.

Picture a great stadium. The race is on, and the stands are full of those who have already finished. They are not there to judge us. They are witnesses, living proof that it can be done. God carried them home, and He can carry us too.

So the writer tells us how to run. First, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us. No runner carries a heavy pack in a race. Some things in our lives aren't sinful in themselves. They are just weights that slow us down. Other things are sin, and they wrap around our legs and trip us. Both have to go.

Second, let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Patience here means endurance. This isn't a sprint. It's a long race, and it's won by those who keep going. Notice also that the race is set before us. God has marked out the course. We don't have to invent it. We just have to run it.

Third, and most important, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. The witnesses in the stands are an encouragement, but they are not where we fix our eyes. We look to Jesus. He started our faith, and He will finish it.

And look at how He ran. For the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame. He saw past the suffering to the joy on the other side. Today He is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. He finished His race, and He waits for us at the finish line.

Today, November 1, many churches remember All Saints' Day. In the Bible, a saint isn't a special class of believer. Paul writes his letters to all the saints, meaning everyone who belongs to Christ. So today is a good day to give thanks for the faithful people who went before you. A grandparent who prayed. A teacher who opened the scriptures. A friend who never gave up.

They finished their race. Now it's our turn. Lay aside the weights, keep running, and keep looking unto Jesus.

Cross-references

Hebrews 11:13-16; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 2 Timothy 4:7-8