"Victory in Jesus"
“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
The Summer Olympics are underway, and I’ve always enjoyed watching them, especially the track and field events. They originated in ancient Greece. By the end of the 6th century at least four Greek sporting festivals, sometimes called “classical games,” had achieved major importance: the Olympic Games, held at Olympia; the Pythian Games at Delphi; the Nemean Games at Nemea; and the Isthmian Games, held near Corinth. Eventually, similar festivals were held in nearly 150 cities as far away as Rome, Naples, Odessus, Antioch, and Alexandria.
Of all the games held throughout Greece, the Olympic Games were the most famous. Held every four years between August 6 and September 19, they occupied such an important place in Greek history that in some historians measured time by the interval between them—an Olympiad.
In the earliest games there was apparently only one event, a footrace that covered one length of the track at Olympia, but other events were added over the ensuing decades. The race, known as the stade, was about 210 yards long. The word stade also came to refer to the track on which the race was held and is the origin of the modern English word stadium
The author of Hebrews refers to “running the race that is set before us” and as one reads through the letter to the Hebrews, you get a strong sense that the main point of the entire letter (or sermon) is to encourage the reader or listener not to fall away from Jesus. Readers must hold fast (Heb. 10:19-25) and must not let go (Heb 10:26-31). They must not abandon their confidence but continue to believe (Heb. 10:32-39). The chapter on faith (11) builds a wonderful portrait of what enduring faith looks like. A faith that perseveres is a faith that relies on God’s promises, believing what He says even if one cannot see how they will be fulfilled. Faith looks to the future, resting on God’s word instead of fretting over present circumstances. Faith trusts God even in the face of danger or distress, knowing He will reward His own. Many who have gone on before whose testimonies are recorded in scripture serve as great examples of faith. But the supreme example is Jesus Himself.
Moving from example to exhortation, as chapter twelve of Hebrews opens, the author applies what he has said about the heroes of faith to you and I, urging us to “run the race” with patience. As did they, we too should keep our eyes on Jesus since He endured the suffering of the cross which placed Him at God’s right hand.
To endure a foot race of any length, one must train. The number of hours an Olympic athlete spends training for races as short as a few seconds is staggering. To endure in the gospel all the days of our life, we must also train. The Christian life is not easy. It takes strength and discipline, just as ardor and determination are needed to run a race. This is where the spiritual disciplines woven into the fabric of Jesus’ teachings are so valuable. Jesus Himself prayed, fasted, knew God’s word which He quoted often, worshipped and served. Knowing Himself the rigors of life, He encourages and even commands us to do the same. His daily attention to the spiritual, prepared Him “when the time was come that he should be received up” so that He could “steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51) where He endured the shame of the cross and upon it cried unto His father “it is finished, thy will is done.” (Matthew 27:54) When Jesus burst forth from the tomb, He had not just finished, He had won the victory.
We too should run the race not to just be in it, but to win it. Paul said, “Know ye not that they which run in a race all run, but only one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” (1 Corinthians 9:24) Here Paul is using the well-known (in his day) Isthmian games as a comparison to the Christian race. His emphasis though is not on being first to cross the finish line, but rather on how Christians live their lives. Always moving forward with a steadfastness in Christ and an eye single to the glory of God. A point Paul clearly makes when he points out that those that ran and fought in the Isthmian games kept a strict diet, trained and exercised self-control (1 Corinthians 9:25) but their actions and improvements over time only eared them a prize that was a crown of leaves and human praise (1 Corinthians 9:25). Train to endure we must … be in it to win it, yes … but our victory is not a result of our achievement … our victory is in Jesus. And the Glory belongs to God.
Jesus was the ultimate example of what it means to persevere in the race of life and that is why it is so important that He lives in us. Can we, like Paul, say, “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) We must because when Jesus lives in us, He becomes the “author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2) then we like Paul, when we near the time of our departure can say we have fought a good fight, finished our course, and kept the faith.
Olympic athletes have coaches, trainers, nutritionists, teammates, and others helping with their training and encouraging them and pushing them through its difficulties. Helping them to keep their eye on the prize, the ultimate purpose of enduring the rigors of training needed to run the race.
I often hear in conversation and see in faces the strain and toil of life. Age, health, job, rearing children, relationships, finances, and loss of loved ones to name just a few can be at times strong headwinds in the face of our life’s journey. So strong at times, some want to quit and give up. Even choices that we make, when they are not in harmony with God’s will, weigh us down. The writer of Hebrews says we should “lay aside every weight” which is written in the context of sin that encumbers us. As we often say, easier said than done I know. But that’s why we have each other, and it is why there is ordinance and why there are “helps and governments” as part of the framework of the household of faith.
Our branch exists for many reasons not the least of which is to help each other “run with patience the race that is set before us.” We mostly endeavor to do that through our corporate experiences together. But we also have priesthood, and we have each other and our unique gifts to help one another. And most importantly we have the presence of the Holy Spirit. The victory is already won, and no one needs to run alone.