Keeping Your Eyes On Your Victory

Today's Word of Encouragement from Wayne:

"Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Hebrews 12:1-2

This summing up word of exhortation, near the close of the author’s letter, is the last direct reference to Psalm 110 in the book of Hebrews ("The Lord says to My Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet’" and "The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizadek" - Psalm 110: 1&4).

The first reference to Psalm 110 was in chapter one, the third verse. Writing of Jesus, the author of Hebrews declared, "He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty of high" (1:3). The first full quote reference, concerning Psalm 110 being fulfilled in Jesus Christ, was also in chapter one, "But to which of the angels has He ever said, ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet’" (1:13).

Throughout this entire document, the author of Hebrews has Master-fully, in depth and detail, taught concerning Jesus Christ, the very Lord and High Priest prophesied in Psalm 110, Who is now our Lord and High Priest of our Christian faith, through His Own New Covenant, inaugurated through His perfect sacrificial blood, which He brought into God’s presence, as our High Priest, obtaining "eternal redemption" for us (Hebrews 9:11-12). Having written boldly of Jesus, the Lord and High Priest of our faith throughout the length of this letter, and of our new and "better covenant" ( Hebrews 7:22, 8:6) realized in Christ Himself, the author now brought things to this point, of firmly admonishing Christians to "run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Don’t ever take your eyes off of Jesus my brothers and sister in Christ. Keeping our eyes on Jesus is keeping our eyes on His victory and finished work, on our behalf, and on our own victory as well, in Him, for He has "sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (12:2) Jesus sat down, in victory and completion, only after He "had made purification for [our] sins" (1:3). So, let us keep our eyes always "fixed" completely on our Lord and High Priest, our "author and finisher of faith," Jesus, our Savior, our Victor, Who urges us on, to run our race of victory in Him, by keeping our eyes upon Him and His fullness. Bless His holy name! Hallelujah!