Why Are You Running?
JULY 25
… who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2b
Jesus is our example. He is a champion who, at the end of His race, received a crown of joy. When an athlete runs, he runs to win a trophy. In our verse today, what is “the joy set before Him”? It’s winning the race. He “endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
The crown gave Him the ability to endure. If you keep the crown in mind, you can bear the cross. But you cannot have the crown if you despise the cross. We are crucified with the Lord Jesus Christ.
I have a few trophies I won back in high school on a championship football team: a gold football, a letterman’s sweater and a silver cup. Do you know what happened to all those trophies? Someone broke into the house and got the gold football. The moths had a camp meeting in the sweater, and it’s gone—no more letters on the letter sweater. What happened to the silver cup? I haven’t the foggiest.
Athletes run “to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” (1 Corinthians 9:25). Running the race, Jesus had the joy that was set before Him and He endured the cross. He despised the shame. There is a prize to possess.
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