Seeing Jesus by Faith

The theme of the book of Hebrews is surely perseverance by looking unto Jesus. While there are many underlying ideas and teachings in the book, this is the overarching focus. When the author comes to chapter 10, he quotes a modified form of Habakkuk 4:2-4: “For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” If you went back and considered the original context of that prophecy, you would discover that it is a generic statement about the surety of the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises. It is realized in the first coming of Christ and will be consummated in the second. Moving from a general statement of the response to God’s promises, and the fruit thereof (i.e. the just shall live by faith), the writer of Hebrews proceeds to set out the example of the Old Testament saints who lived by faith, waiting on the promised Messiah. After setting out the definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1, the writer builds on the idea of hoping in what is not seen. This phrase is repeated in various forms throughout the great faith chapter. The writer tells us in verse 2 that it is “by faith we believe that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made by things which are visible. Then, in verse 7, we are told that Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen…acted in faith by building an ark for the salvation of his household. In each and every case in this chapter men and women are set out as examples of faith, because they believed the word of God about things to come–things that they could not see with their eyes.

The climax of the section actually comes in chapter 12 where the writer says, “Since therefore we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily besets us, and let us run with endurance the race set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…” The whole thing is summed up in Christ. The Old Testament saints looked forward to Him (see 11:25-26), we look back at His finished work and forward to His promised return. Every promise of God that we are called to believe is “Yes and Amen in Christ Jesus to the glory of God.” The writer of Hebrew emphasized this at the beginning of the epistle when he said in chapter 2, “Now we do not yet see all things put under him (i.e. man) but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the Angels…” The future consummation–the world to come that is made subject to redeemed humanity–is founded upon the Person and finished work of Jesus Christ. Therefore, even though we do not see all that God has promised and secured in the death and resurrection of Christ, we, nevertheless, see Him by faith. In seeing Him, and continuing to look to Him, by faith we apprehend all the promised blessings of God. Remember what the apostle says in 11:6, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Here is a previous meditation on Hebrews 11.