For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up. —Hebrews 12:3
In our quest to be like Jesus, we cannot escape the need for great endurance . . . or the pain, hostility, suffering, and weariness that makes endurance necessary.
Which is why we must consider Jesus, the endurer.
It is one thing to imagine the faces of those who whipped Him, who hated Him, who took delight in His agony. But let’s not consider them; let’s consider Him. Let’s think long and hard about how He received the blows, curses, and torture. Scripture tells us that it was “the joy that lay before him” (Heb. 12:2) that undergirded Christ’s holy endurance—the joy of knowing that He would soon return to the Father and the joy of knowing that “we are healed by his wounds” (Isa. 53:5).
As for us, we will never suffer to Calvary’s extreme, but we will suffer, perhaps even unjustly (all of Jesus’ sufferings were unjust, of course). When we do, let us consider Him who suffered and endured for us.
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Incomparable: 50 Days with Jesus © 2024 by Revived Hearts Foundation
Scripture taken from The CSB
Make it Personal
Are you feeling the pain of unjust insults and hostility? Before responding, think of Christ and the way He endured on your behalf.