By Joel C. Gregory
His own life was lived by faith. This is never clearer than the cross. Remember our definition of faith from
Hebrews 11:1 and 6. In His arrest, humiliation, trials, scourgings, and crucifixion there was no visible, tangible, audible evidence of anything to carry Him through. At the end he cried out, "Eli, eli lama Sabachtani -- Why have yon forsaken me?" Yet for the joy set before Him He endured the cross. By faith alone He saw beyond the humiliation to the vindication.
Faith enabled Him to exchange the cross for the joy. Here the emphasis rests on the word "cross," a manner of death reserved for subhumans, not even mentioned by the Romans, considered to be a curse from God by Jews. Yet Jesus held the shame of the cross as a thing of contempt because of the joy for which He would exchange the cross.
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What was that joy? That joy was His own personal vindication. From the agony of the cross he would experience ecstacy at the right hand of God. It was the joy of world redemption. That cross would produce an apostle Paul, a church at Corinth and Rome, a world mission movement, every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. He saw us. He saw the final defeat of the evil one. Because of that He endured the cross, holding it in contempt in light of the joy about to be His.
As we run the race we are to taste His joy. Paul said, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (
Romans 8:18).
But as Author of our faith He is more than an example. He gives us power to copy the example. Perfect models ultimately help us little. They stand like statues that cannot speak, touch, or help. The cloud of witnesses may encourage and watch but they cannot give us what they have. A thousand aspiring literary greats can watch Shakespeare but he cannot give them what he has. We may gather around gifted teachers, artists, and athletes, and may be inspired by their examples, but they cannohe great Model, but as we look unto Him He gives us the faith we need. It pours from everything about Him. Look at Him. In t give us what they have.
This is the difference of Jesus. He not only is tHis words, deeds, life, death, resurrection, and present intercession at the right hand of God, when we look unto Him He creates the very faith He requires. The longer we look, the more He creates. The more we come to Him, the more faith He gives out. It is a fountain that flows higher and higher with more and more. It is an inexhaustible river with its source in the Lord Jesus.
He is the perfector of our faith, the finisher, the consummator. At the transfiguration they looked away from Moses and Elijah and saw Jesus only. We are to do the same -- seeing Him who is invisible. At this moment walls should melt, the crowds should disappear. Look unto Jesus!