This passage of Scripture speaks on how God’s discipline proves his love for us. Out of love, Jesus received the punishment for the wrongdoings of man from the Holy Father.
As with various other sections of the Book of Hebrews, this verse is frequently cited out of context, making it lose quite a bit of its intended effect.
What Is the Significance of the Cross?
Perceiving how this verse covers a significant entry in the Book of Hebrews is vital to apply it in the manner that God planned.
The “great cloud of witnesses” is made out of the relative multitude of individuals (heroes of the faith) that was portrayed in chapter 11. Their reliability is a steady consolation to us. We do not battle alone, and we are not the first people to battle with the issues that we face.
There have been others that have run the race and won, and their witness should compel us to run and win too. We should acknowledge what a rousing legacy, which has been passed down to us.
This was with regards to clarifying how God respects and manages valid, genuine faith, which is a trust adequate to create dutifulness, notwithstanding our questions and fears (Hebrews 11:1-3).
The writer likewise references how these unwavering ones suffered difficulties during their natural lives, and even presently are holding back to see God totally satisfy the promises that he made (Hebrews 11:35-39).
That postponement is for our good so that those of us hearing the gospel currently will have a chance for that equivalent reward (Hebrews 11:40).
The earlier verse gave the consistent use of this information. With all we have been given as evidence, we should really strive to “hold fast” (Hebrews 3:6; 10:23), putting sin and self-centeredness aside and as we seek after any road God has set before us.
This is the embodiment of authentic faith, to entrust God with our future, notwithstanding the difficulty that very well maybe in the present (Philippians 4:12-13).
Here, we can perceive how, once again, Jesus fills in as a definitive illustration of this. Christ likewise endured persecution and adversity (Philippians 2:8-11), as well as being tempted (Hebrews 4:15), yet never faltered in his determination to do the desire of God the Father (Hebrews 5:8).
Christ's whole service and the predominance of the new covenant (Hebrews 10:12-14) are grounded in the model that he set, which we ought to endeavor to follow (Hebrews 2:10-11).
His readiness to persevere through those tribulations came from an agreement that God would be able, and would, “work together for good” those things (Romans 8:28).
The ultimate objective of Jesus' dutifulness was to lay out the reason we ought to be working for, “the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10), our definitive triumph and reward in God (Hebrews 11:13-16; Revelation 21:1-14).
What Does the Cross Signify to Us Today?
The Christian life includes challenging work. It expects us to surrender whatever imperils our relationship with God, to run calmly, and to battle against wrongdoing through the Holy Spirit’s power.
To live successfully, we should keep our eyes on Jesus. We stagger when we turn away from him, when we check out ourselves, or when we take a gander at the situations that encompass us. We are not running for ourselves, but for Christ, and we should continuously focus on him.
At the point when we face difficulties and debilitation, it is not difficult to fail to focus on the higher perspective. Nevertheless, we are in good company, there is help.
Many have effectively endured life suffering definitely more troublesome conditions than what we have encountered. Languishing through suffering is the preparation ground over Christian development. It fosters our understanding and makes our last triumph sweet.
But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered (Hebrews 2:9-10).
God's thoughtfulness to us drove Christ to his death upon the cross. What an alarming truth that Jesus came to endure suffering and die so we can have everlasting life (“in bringing many sons unto glory”), instead of coming into this world to acquire status or political power.
If it is hard for us to relate to Christ's servant disposition, we ought to assess our own thought processes. Is it safe to say that we are more intrigued by power, domination, and obtaining than we are to submission, service, and giving?
Jesus' experiences made him an ideal leader, or trailblazer (“captain”), of our salvation (Hebrews 5:8-9). He did not have to languish over his own salvation, however, in complying to God the Father (which prompted suffering), he turned into the complete or ideal penance for us.
He finished the job that was important for our own salvation. Similarly, the suffering that we endure can improve our service to God. Individuals who have experienced pain and agony can connect with compassion to other people who are hurting.
At the point when we do suffer, we ought to ask how our experience can assist us with serving Christ better.
The shame of the cross was that of humiliation. Crucifixion was the type of death penalty that the Romans utilized for infamous lawbreakers. Before the Romans crucified their targeted casualty, that person would endure beatings, flogging, and torture.
The casualty would then need to walk to the site of the execution and if physically able, would have to convey their own cross. It was agonizingly difficult and embarrassing.
The victim could also be stripped naked, on full display, and would be nailed or tied to the cross, and there they would be left to die. However, death would not come for quite some time and ordinarily stopped by suffocation when the heaviness of the debilitated body made breathing increasingly troublesome.
The crucifixion would occur near a well-traveled road to be utilized as a deterrent to any would-be criminals. Therefore, to many, the cross was a focus of scorn, it was “foolishness” (1 Corinthians 1:18).
Why Does the Cross Matter?
Do not despise the shame that comes from the cross.
When the writer of Hebrews said, Jesus “endured the cross, despising the shame,” he was saying that Jesus did not let the disgrace that came from the cross become so vital that he neglected to do what God needed Him to do.
The cross was an instrument of disgrace, and Jesus Christ did not allow that disgrace to prevent him from embracing the cross. Jesus died humbled and obedient (Philippians 2:8), and as one who was cursed for us (Galatians 3:13).
For further reading:
What Are the Stations of the Cross and Their Importance?
What Is the Significance of the Cross?
Why Is the Cross More Symbolic Than the Tomb?
What Do We Know about the Crucifixion of Jesus?
What Is the Purpose of Preaching the Cross?
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