Hebrews 11:32-12:2

New Testament for Everyone

Faith and the future: the great crowd

³² What more can I say, then? I’ve run out of time to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets. ³³ It was through faith that they overcame kingdoms, put justice into practice, received promises, shut the mouths of lions, ³⁴ quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were strong where they had been weak, became powerful in battle, and sent foreign armies packing. ³⁵ Women received their dead by resurrection; others were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might receive a better resurrection. ³⁶ Others again experienced painful derision and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment; ³⁷ they were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were put to the sword, they went about in sheepskins or goat-hides, they were destitute, they were persecuted, they were ill-treated— ³⁸ the world didn’t deserve them!—and they wandered in deserts and mountains, in caves and holes in the ground.

³⁹ All these people gained a reputation for their faith; but they didn’t receive the promise. ⁴⁰ God was providing something better for us, so that they wouldn’t reach perfection without our doing so as well.

Looking to Jesus

12 What about us, then? We have such a great cloud of witnesses all around us! What we must do is this: we must put aside each heavy weight, and the sin which gets in the way so easily. We must run the race that lies in front of us, and we must run it patiently. ² We must look ahead, to Jesus. He is the one who carved out the path for faith, and he’s the one who brought it to completion.

He knew that there was joy spread out and waiting for him. That’s why he endured the cross, making light of its shame, and has now taken his seat at the right hand of God’s throne.