Waterloo Hall

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9 March 2008 AM

And sat down…

2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,

let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily
entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for
the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat
down at the right hand of the throne of God.

HEBREWS 12 1-21

Easter is earlier this year than it has been since 1913. The next time
Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from
now). In a few days churches round the land will remember Good Friday –
and some will pause at the cross of Christ to reflect on His death.

I want you to forget the cross. It is past and gone. Its agony is no more, its
shame has been dissipated by history, tradition and sentimentality.

Of course – such advice is meant to be provocative! You ask: How can we

forget? Isn’t that the whole point of our being hear – to meet at His table.
But there is a profound truth – It never was the cross that was the object of
our hope or faith or doctrine – it is JESUS.

We must never come to a breaking of bread service but that we are ready
to fix our eyes on Jesus – as He is: and, whilst we pause to reflect on His
dying, we are to forget the cross and worship the Christ!

Here in this verse I suggest three points:-

• The MOTIVE behind His dying

• The MYSTERY of His suffering
• The MAJESTY of His triumph

• who for the joy set before him

• endured the cross, scorning its shame,
• and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

1
ὃς ἀντὶ τῆς προκειμένης αὐτῷ χαρᾶς ὑπέμεινεν σταυρὸν αἰσχύνης καταφρονήσας ἐν δεξιᾷ τε τοῦ θρόνου
τοῦ θεοῦ κεκάθικεν .
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The MOTIVE behind His dying

who for the joy set before him. . .

What joy? What possible joy made my Lord go that dreadful way?

The clue lies in the first part of our text :

2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,

What did my Saviour see from His cross that enabled Him to endure so
much?

His disciples?

His closest friends and relatives?

His enemies?

In a measure yes : but His real gaze is fixed on the Father and His
anticipated joy in a world of sinners . . . and our faith.

“Was it the nails, O Saviour

That bound thee to the tree?
Nay twas thine everlasting love,
Thy love for me, for me.” Katherine Kelly

Yes – it was LOVE, but when you have said that, you have not said it all

It was GRACE too – undeserved favour for undeserving sinners

It was PERFECT OBEDIENCE

And all with me in view!

“Alas, and did my Saviour bleed?

And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?” Isaac Watts

The author and perfecter of our faith...

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The writer has spent a whole chapter devoted to that amazing catalogue of
faith only to conclude that they would not be perfected except in us.

HIS JOY is HIS PEOPLE

His Church
His beloved

HIS JOY is ME!

The Mystery of His suffering

. . .endured the cross scorning its shame. . .

Here is pain and suffering beyond our comprehension: not because he

endured physical pain more than the other victims of crucifixion, but
because of ALL ELSE that he bore.

Crucifixion was chosen not just because it is an lingering agonising death –

but because it is an awful idignity.

Paul quotes Deuteronomy in Galatians 3 v 13

“becoming a curse for us . . .cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree. . .”

To comprehend a little more of His mysterious agony we need to remember

WHO HE IS who dies in such a way.

At the very least The Nazarene who went about doing good

At the most – the VERY SON OF GOD

Such rejection
Such humiliation
Such disgrace

O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown;
O sacred Head, what glory, what bliss till now was Thine!
Yet, though despised and gory, I joy to call Thee mine.

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.
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Lo, here I fall, my Saviour! ’Tis I deserve Thy place;

Look on me with Thy favour, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.
What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to Thee. Bernard of Clairvaux

What Isaiah had seen down through the ages in Chapter 53 – Our Lord
suffered in every detail.

What the Psalmist wrote and Jesus cried out from His cross:

“My God, My God! Why have you forsaken me?”

SCORNING ITS SHAME!

The Majesty of His triumph

AND SAT DOWN at the right hand of the throne of God.

Once again, Hebrews quotes from his favourite Psalm (110 v1)

“Sit at my right hand

Until I make your enemies
A footstool for your feet. . .”

This magnificent phrase beautifully sums up the TRIUMPH OF CHRIST. It is

the natural sequel to our Lord’s own words:

“It is finished. . .”

Already our writer has used this quotation three times: 1:3 8:1 & 10:12
3
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his
powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in
heaven.

8 The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of
the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord,
not by man.
11
Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same
sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for
sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13 Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool,
14
because by one sacrifice he has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy.
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In each case it is associated with His atoning work, and in each case it is
the mark of a COMPLETED WORK.

So I remind you again: Do not look towards the cross any more. Fix your
eyes on Jesus where He IS

“. . .sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. . .”

This is :-

(a) The position of a finished work

The sense is “Has once sat down and is sitting..”

He who chose to leave the riches of glory – chose to hang upon the
shameful cross – HE LIVES! And His sitting down declares:

I have dealt with since once and for all time.

I AM SAT DOWN!

Trust me – not for an incomplete work – something to be achieved at the

end of the age – not for an imperfect hope – not for a partial salvation

I AM SAT DOWN : IT IS DONE!

“Look ye saints, the sight is glorious

See the Man of Sorrows now
From the fight returned victorious
Every knee to Him shall bow. . .” Thomas Kelly

(b) The position of majesty

“at the right hand of the throne of God”

“Majesty, worship his majesty;

Unto Jesus be all glory, honour, and praise.
Majesty, kingdom authority,
Flow from his throne unto his own, his anthem raise.
So exalt, lift up on high the name of Jesus.
Magnify, come glorify Christ Jesus, the King.
Majesty, worship his majesty,
Jesus who died, now glorified, King of all kings.” Jack Hayford
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Oh, how our sin-sick world needs to hear that news!

Oh how my poor heart needs to acknowledge that truth!

He who died LIVES

He who lives REIGNS
He who reigns – IS CHRIST!

See Him – my believing friend – not on His cross but on His throne

“the perfecter of our faith!”

(c) What position in MY HEART?

“Fix your eyes upon Jesus. . .”

As travellers in the dark fix their gaze on some distant but distinct point of
light

Not in hope but in certainty!

HE SAT DOWN

And all my heart needs is in Jesus

By all means contemplate the cross – but “see the Man of Sorrows now!

HE SAT DOWN

All your weak faith

Troubled heart
Doubt and despair
Hope and aspiration

ARE IN JESUS

The author and perfecter of our faith!