Hebrews 12:2 “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.”
Our Good Shepherd-Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, set the perfect example of “faith” for us to follow! A good shepherd is always leading his sheep, showing and leading the way and setting the example. The word “faith” has a far weightier meaning than just believing, it also means fidelity and reliability; that is, to Christ and His Word in all circumstances whether pleasant or unpleasant, whether easy or hard, and whether troubled or peaceful. In setting the example for us, He faithfully “endured the cross”. He had the power to not do it, He could have called for “more than twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53) to fight for Him and to deliver Him; but, He didn’t. As the time of His Crucifixion drew near, our Lord said, “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.” (John 12:27). He had a “cause”, a purpose, a mission and He faithfully and He perfectly accomplished it. In prophecy He said, “Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” (Psalm 46:7-8). Furthermore, He plainly declared, “I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me” (John 6:38) and again “I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38). Our Lord had a mission, and their came a moment, while He hung on “the cross”, that He declared “It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30); that is, He had accomplished the “will” of His Father and had “saved his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). The “joy that was set before him” was to satisfy His Father’s “will”; furthermore, He looked beyond the ordeal of His suffering and sacrifice; for, He was “crowned with glory and honour” (Hebrews 2:9) and “is set down at the right hand of the throne of God”. While we have the examples of “faith” in Hebrews Chapter Eleven and even now, “we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1); the greatest example of all is our Lord Jesus Christ. In daily view of our Lord’s great example of “faith”, let us likewise, faithfully and joyfully and lovingly, “deny” ourselves “and take up” our “cross daily, and follow” our Lord (Luke 9:23); always looking forward to that great and blessed day when we shall “be caught up together … in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (I Thessalonians 4:17)!