Start to Finish

Most of us like to have an example to follow, someone who has already gone before and knows the way. That is, unless you're one of those pioneer types that explored the North Pole on foot.

Hebrews 12:2 tells us that we have an example who was the pioneer. Speaking of enduring in the Christian life, the writer says "We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith." So as we look at the difficulties we face in life, we have an example to look to, of someone who had a much more difficult journey and has already gone ahead of us.

Much more than that, our pioneer completed the journey perfectly on our behalf. It's one thing to have an example to look to. But it doesn't help me to look to Kobe Bryant and imagine that I can slam-dunk the way he does! Nor, in that sense, does it help to look to Jesus' perfection and imagine that if I try extra hard, I will manage to measure up to his example of perfection!

The point being made here is that the perfect life-journey of Jesus himself wasn't just an example for us to follow. It's the story of the One who knew ahead of time that he would have to sacrifice ("Author, Pioneer, Captain, Founder" as this word is translated in different versions). Not only did he conceive that his infleshment would have to happen to bring humanity into oneness with God, he is the one who walked that journey himself, did it perfectly, and did it to full completion ("Finisher, Perfecter", in different versions). This might be similar to saying "the Alpha and Omega" as Jesus is described three times in Revelation.

The Greek here says "perfecter of the faith", not just "our faith." What does that mean? It means that faith itself is made perfect in Jesus Christ. Our measly human-effort faith only serves to identify us with his own perfect faith, which alone -- because it's perfect -- is acceptable before the Father. It means that his perfect journey --which alone is acceptable before the Father -- has already been made on our behalf. Our on-again, off-again human attempts at following Jesus identify us with his successful journey, and it's his perfect journey that we have faith in (surely not our own!).

How did he endure? Because he was fully human, and because he didn't ever use his divine powers for his own personal comfort, he had to use something powerful: "Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame." He knew that he would come out of the grave (Psalm 16:8-10) and rise to glory.

So he held on. And because we know he held on, we can hold on in the face of far less pain, persecution and shame than he endured. Because we know he was successful, we know that our salvation, in the end, is completely assured. So instead of looking to someone in the past, or trusting in our own measly efforts, we can keep our eyes on him -- who is our example, our captain, our guide and our guarantee of salvation.