Hebrews 12:1-29

How can I get to heaven?

Hebrews

Ian Mackervoy

Chapter 12

The right way to live 12:1-29

Jesus is our example 12:1-3

v1 Like a great cloud, there are a lot of *witnesses round us. Let us then throw off all that would stop us doing what we should. Let us stop doing the *sins that would spoil our trust in God. Life is like a race. Let us run hard, and concentrate on the end of the race. v2 Let us keep looking to Jesus. He is the source of our *faith. He is at the end of our path of *faith. He is working to make our path perfect. Jesus’ own path of trust led him to die on a cross on our behalf. But Jesus thought nothing of the shame of such a death. He looked beyond death to the joy ahead of him. Then he sat down at the right side of God’s seat of great honour.

v3 Think about Jesus. He suffered so much as bad men spoke evil against him. Yet he continued to the end. Let him be your great example, so that you will not tire and fail.

Verse 1 There are *witnesses about us like a cloud. *Witnesses can be of two types. There are *witnesses who tell of something that they have seen. Then there are *witnesses who watch what is happening. The writer may mean both. The heroes of *faith in chapter 11 are examples of those who trusted in God. Their example encourages us to trust God in the same way. God did not fail them.

We are like runners in a race. The race is our lives and all of us must run it as a runner competes in a race. He trains himself so that he becomes strong. He makes sure that his weight is not too heavy. While he is running, he does not carry or wear anything that he does not need. He runs to win.

The runner throws off anything that would slow him down. So we must throw off anything that would make our trust in God weaker. These are things that may not be bad in themselves. But they do not make us stronger Christians. Then there are the *sins that we find so easy to do. We must be careful that we do not fail and do them. To live as God wants us to live, we have to be patient and never give up. We have to continue, strong in our trust in God, until our life here on earth comes to an end.

Verse 2 We must always keep looking to Jesus. He shows us what *faith is and our *faith comes from him. He will help us to trust God to lead us along the path that God has planned for us. Jesus’ own path led him to die on a cross. The *Jews considered that death on a cross brought great shame upon the one who died. But Jesus was looking beyond death. He saw the joy that was to come when he went back to his Father in heaven. There he would share his joy with all God’s people.

Verse 3 We are to look to Jesus as our example. He finished the work that he came here to do. He had to suffer and there were many who were against him. We who are Christians may have to suffer because we belong to Jesus. There will be many who are against us, because of our *faith in him. Like Jesus, we must be strong and brave and continue to the end, and so bring him honour.

Discipline from God 12:4-11

v4 In your struggle against *sin, you have not yet had to risk your life. v5 Have you forgotten the words that he spoke to you as sons? ‘My son, listen to the *Lord, when he is training you by discipline. Do not give up, when he shows you where you are wrong. v6 For the *Lord trains those whom he loves. He punishes each one whom he accepts as a son’ (Proverbs 3:11-12). v7 Accept God’s discipline, for it shows that you are his sons. For what father does not give discipline to his son? v8 If God does not give you discipline, you are not a true son of God. If that is so, then God is not your Father, for a father gives discipline to all his sons. v9 We have all had *human fathers who gave us discipline to train us. We now respect them for it. How much more should we obey the Father of our *spirits and live! v10 Our fathers trained us in discipline for a short time, as they thought was right. God trains us in discipline for our good, so that we may become holy like he is. v11 Discipline is hard and not pleasant. We do not enjoy it. But later we can see the good that came from it. Those, whom it has trained, have a quiet heart from doing what is right.

Verse 4 Many of those whom we read about in the last chapter, died for their *faith. The readers of this letter had not yet had to risk their lives. Today, in many parts of the world, Christians suffer and some Christians die for their *faith.

Verses 5-7 God does not let us suffer because he is angry with us. He allows these things to work for our good because he loves us. A father who loves his children will teach, correct and punish them. He tries by all these methods to train his children for their benefit. So it is with God who is our Father.

Verse 8 All children have to learn how to live. Their parents have to teach them and train them. For this they will correct them and punish them when they do wrong. If we do not have any discipline from God, then we cannot be his true children. For God is a good father who trains all his children.

Verse 9 We all had *human fathers who in the past have corrected us. At the time we did not like the discipline they gave us. Now we are older we know that it was good for us. So we respect our fathers for what they did. These were men like us. They were training us for this life. But God, like a father, is training us for the life which never ends. So when he disciplines us, we should be happy to accept it. We know that he does it, or allows it, so that we may learn how to live. He knows what is best for us and he wants the best for us.

Verse 10 When we were young our fathers corrected us. They did what they thought was best for us. Although they were not always right, for they were *human, they tried. But God is always right in all that he does. He corrects us to make us holy like he is, and so fit to live with him.

Verse 11 When our fathers punished us for doing wrong, we did not enjoy it. We do not like it when someone corrects us. It hurts us and it makes us sad. Yet when God corrects us and we accept it, the result is always good for us. If we allow God to train us, we shall benefit by it. As we do what that discipline teaches us, our lives will please God. This brings us a quiet heart.

Continue to live as Christians 12:12-17

v12 So make your tired hands and your weak knees strong. v13 Make straight paths for your feet. Then the weak leg will not get worse, but rather it will heal. v14 Let your desire be for unity with all people and to be holy. Only those who are holy will see the *Lord. v15 Take care that none of you misses the goodness of God. Let no anger grow in you and cause trouble. That would spoil the *belief of many. v16 See that none of you is guilty of wrong sex. Do not forget God as Esau did. He sold his rights, as the first son of his father, for a single meal. v17 Later he wanted to get back the rights that he had sold, but it was impossible, although he cried. He was not really sorry for what he had done (Genesis 25:29-34).

Verse 12 The writer is again thinking about the Christian life as a race. He is not here talking of actual hands and knees. By tired hands and weak knees he means people who find it too hard to continue the Christian’s race. They are ready to give up their *belief in Jesus. Tired hands can no longer work. Weak knees stop moving forward. He urges his readers to make their hands and knees strong again. They must be brave and strong, like all those people the writer has been talking about. They must not give up when troubles come. They must continue to trust Jesus and live as God wants them to live, even when it is difficult.

Verse 13 The Christian life is like a race along a path. If that path is straight or level, it will be easier to reach the place where we are going. If we do not keep to the straight path, the journey will be longer and harder. If we leave the path, we may not get back on it again. On a rough path or a longer way, the weak will get weaker and will fail. We should make the path as easy as we can for others, so that the weak will be able to keep on it. In the right way there is healing for them. So they will be able to get to the end. How can we help them? We need to be clear in our *belief and in what we teach. We need to walk together and live as God wants us to live.

Verse 14 We live in a world in which there is so much disagreement. Even in the church there are often quarrels. We have a duty to try to live without quarrels. We are to try to be in unity with all people. That means both with those who trust God, as we do, and with those who do not. It may not always be possible, but we are not to be the cause of trouble. The writer tells us to be holy as well. The meaning of the word ‘holy’ has as its base that we belong to God alone. He is to be the Master of all that we do. We should always live as God wants us to live. Only those who are holy will see God. No person can make himself or herself holy. It is God who makes us holy, when we obey him and trust in Jesus.

Verse 15 Christians must care for each other to make sure that none of them fails to know the love of God. We need each other to help us to be true to our *faith. One of the dangers that comes is anger. Anger is like a bitter root. Although a tree can grow from a bitter root, its fruit will be bitter to the taste. We must not let anger grow like that, for it will cause so much trouble. It will spoil the whole church and hurt many people. We must not let anger stay in our hearts or minds.

Verse 16a. There is danger to the church if a member has wrong sex. God has told us that sex is good and right between husband and wife. Sex with another person is wrong.

Verses 16b-17 We should be careful about what God has done for us and has promised to us. Esau was the oldest son of his father Isaac. As the oldest son he would have special rights when his father died. One day when he was hungry, he sold his rights merely for a meal. He gave away his future rights for nothing. He did not think his future was as important as what he happened to want just then. We should not be like him. Our life with God is far more important than the little things of this present life. Esau had given away his rights and he could not get them back. He wanted them, but they now belonged to his brother. He cried and tried so hard, yet he was not really sorry for what he had done (Genesis 25:19-34). He is to be a warning to us. We must value what we have because of our *belief in Jesus more than anything else.

Contrast of *Sinai and *Zion 12:18-25

v18 You have come to a mountain, but not to a mountain that you can touch. It is not the fiery mountain that scared the *Israelites. Neither have you come to darkness, deep shadow or a fierce storm, as they did. v19 You have not heard that *trumpet or the voice that spoke. The *Israelites who heard it cried out to God to stop speaking to them (Exodus 19:10-25; Deuteronomy 4:11-12; Deuteronomy 5:22-26). v20 They could not dare to listen when God said, ‘If even an animal approaches the mountain, you must kill it with stones’. v21 The sight of Mount *Sinai was so awful that Moses said, ‘I am trembling with fear’ (Deuteronomy 9:19). v22 No, you have come to the mountain of *Zion, and to the city of the God who is alive. You have come to the *Jerusalem in heaven and to the large crowd of *angels who are praising God. v23 You have joined that great crowd and the church of those who trusted in God before you. The *Lord has made them at home in heaven. You have come to God who is the judge of all people. There are the *spirits of good men whom God has made perfect. v24 Jesus who made the new agreement is there. There also is the blood that Jesus gave on our behalf. That blood is better and more powerful than the blood of Abel.

v25 Make sure that you do not refuse to listen to God. They who refused him who warned them on earth did not escape. How much less shall we escape, if we turn from him who warns us from heaven?

Verses 18-21 The writer contrasts the giving of the law to the *Jews and the blessing that came by Jesus. God gave the law at Mount *Sinai. Jesus died on Mount *Zion. Verses 18-21 tell of the terror of Mount *Sinai. Verses 22-24 tell of our approach to better things by our *faith.

The *Jews could not come near Mount *Sinai. God would not let them approach it. There was a great darkness and a wild storm. The mountain was burning with fire. There was a loud sound like that of a *trumpet. Then God spoke, and it made them very afraid. So much so that they cried out that he should stop speaking to them. They could not bear to listen to the words of God. The sound of his voice made them afraid. If an animal came near to the mountain, it must die. They had to kill it by throwing stones. If any person were to come near, that person too must die. God told Moses to come up the mountain. What Moses saw there was so awful that he trembled with fear (Exodus 19:10-25; Deuteronomy 4:11-12; Deuteronomy 5:22-26).

We Christians do not have such a terrible experience. We, too, come to a mountain. But it is a very different one.

Verse 22 Christians, says the writer, have come to Mount *Zion, the city of God. Mount *Zion is one of the hills on which is the city of *Jerusalem. It was in *Jerusalem that the *Jews praised and worshipped God. It was here that they could meet God, for his special house, the *temple, was there. But we Christians have not come to the Mount *Zion that is on earth. We have not come to the city of *Jerusalem that stands on that Mount *Zion. The writer is painting a picture in words to show that we have come to where God really lives, that is, in heaven. We have come, not to the terror of *Sinai, but to the living God. He has called us to come to him because of what Jesus has done for us. In that city of God in heaven we can join with the vast crowd of *angels that *worship him.

Verse 23 In heaven also is the true church. *Believers in Jesus, both those who are on earth and those who have died, are all part of the church. It is the church of Jesus who was the first person to rise from the dead. God has written in heaven the names of all who have *faith in Jesus. We have come to God as the judge who is over all. There we join all those who have died but who were loyal to Jesus while they lived on earth. God has made them alive again and made them perfect. They live there with God.

Verse 24 The reason why we are able to come to God and live with him is that Jesus is there. The awful terror of *Sinai was because of the old agreement with God. But Jesus has made a new agreement with God for us. By it he has taken away all our *sin by his death on the cross. It is his blood that he gave there that makes the new agreement for us with God. God has accepted that blood for our *sins. So we are fit to live with a holy God. The blood of Abel could not do what the blood of Jesus has done. All Abel’s blood could do was to cry out for God to punish Cain who murdered him.

Verse 25 The writer now contrasts the way that God spoke then with the way that he speaks now. Those who heard God speak at *Sinai wanted him to stop. The voice of God made them afraid. So they agreed that God should speak to Moses and that he should tell them what God said. They promised to obey all the law of God that he gave to them by Moses. They did not keep that promise. They refused to listen when God warned them. In the end God punished them. God speaks to us today, not by Moses but by his Son Jesus. He does not speak to us on earth, but he speaks from heaven. What God says now by Jesus is greater than what he said by Moses. God punished those who did not obey what he said by Moses. How much more will he punish those who do not obey what he says by his Son Jesus! There is only one way that we can escape the punishment of God. We must accept what Jesus has done for us.

When God shakes all things 12:26-29

v26 His voice shook the earth then. Now he has promised, ‘Yet once more I will shake, not only the earth, but also the heavens’. v27 This phrase ‘yet once more’ shows that God will remove all he shakes. That is, all created things. All that he does not shake will remain. v28 We are receiving a place where God is the king. That place will remain always, for nobody can shake it. Let us then give to God the praise and honour that please him. Let us respect him and live in the fear of him. v29 For our God is like a fire that can burn up everything.

Verse 26 When God spoke at *Sinai, the whole mountain shook (Exodus 19:18). There was a great fire and darkness. It was awful and those who saw it were very afraid. God promises that one day he will again shake the earth. He will shake not only that mountain, but the whole earth. He will shake not only the whole earth, but the heavens as well.

Verse 27 There is a time coming when God will shake all that exists. God will remove all that shakes in that day. All that God has made, the physical world and the sky, he will shake. God will remove them all. After that, God has promised to make a new heaven and a new earth.

As God shakes all physical things, there are some things that will last for always. These are the things that we cannot see yet, but they are real. These will remain and they will never end. The writer does not tell us what all of these are.

Verses 28-29 One thing that will remain is the place where God is the king. This place will not shake or move and it has no end. God is giving us Christians a home in this place. We cannot earn it by anything that we do. It is a free gift that we receive from God. We accept this great and wonderful gift and say thank you to God for it. Let us give ourselves to God to be his servants. We want to please him in all that we do. We should praise him and respect him.

We should fear and respect God. We need to be careful how we approach God. He is the God who has all power, who made all that is in heaven and on earth. He is the God who will judge all things. He will punish all who fail to obey what he has said. He is like a fire that burns up all the rubbish. We need to be sure that we really are Christians. Only by our trust in Jesus can we come to God. He will accept us because we belong to Jesus. He has paid for all our *sins.

witness ~ a witness is someone who sees an event and will tell of it. To witness is to tell what you have seen.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God; sins are the wrong things that we do.
faith ~ to trust someone or something; belief and trust in God and in Jesus his Son; belief that the Bible is true.
belief ~ what we accept as true... see faith.
witness ~ a witness is someone who sees an event and will tell of it. To witness is to tell what you have seen.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children. It is also a name for the people of Israel.
Israel ~ God changed the name of Jacob to Israel (Genesis 35). The sons of Jacob were the beginning of the nation of Israel. The land that God promised to them is the land of Israel.
Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all.
spirit ~ that part of a person which we cannot see but which can speak to other spirits or to the soul; there are other spirits which can be good or evil.
soul ~ the part of a person that we cannot see that is in us during our life and lives after we die; it is our inner life (not the body); it is that part of people that God speaks to through their spirits.
belief ~ what we accept as true... see faith.
faith ~ to trust someone or something; belief and trust in God and in Jesus his Son; belief that the Bible is true.
Sinai ~ a mountain where God met with Moses and gave him the law.
Zion ~ another name for Jerusalem, but especially of the New Jerusalem.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel; the temple of God was there.
Israel ~ God changed the name of Jacob to Israel (Genesis 35). The sons of Jacob were the beginning of the nation of Israel. The land that God promised to them is the land of Israel.
temple ~ a special building for the worship of God. The Jews had one in Jerusalem for the worship of the true God.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise, thanks and respect.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children. It is also a name for the people of Israel.
Israelites ~ the people of Israel.
Israel ~ God changed the name of Jacob to Israel (Genesis 35). The sons of Jacob were the beginning of the nation of Israel. The land that God promised to them is the land of Israel.
trumpet ~ an instrument for making music or to sound an alarm.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel; the temple of God was there.
Israel ~ God changed the name of Jacob to Israel (Genesis 35). The sons of Jacob were the beginning of the nation of Israel. The land that God promised to them is the land of Israel.
temple ~ a special building for the worship of God. The Jews had one in Jerusalem for the worship of the true God.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise, thanks and respect.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children. It is also a name for the people of Israel.
angel ~ a spirit person made by God to serve him and take his messages. There are angels who sinned and now serve the Devil.
spirit ~ that part of a person which we cannot see but which can speak to other spirits or to the soul; there are other spirits which can be good or evil.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God; sins are the wrong things that we do.
soul ~ the part of a person that we cannot see that is in us during our life and lives after we die; it is our inner life (not the body); it is that part of people that God speaks to through their spirits.
temple ~ a special building for the worship of God. The Jews had one in Jerusalem for the worship of the true God.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise, thanks and respect.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children. It is also a name for the people of Israel.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel; the temple of God was there.
Israel ~ God changed the name of Jacob to Israel (Genesis 35). The sons of Jacob were the beginning of the nation of Israel. The land that God promised to them is the land of Israel.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise, thanks and respect.
believers ~ those who know and accept Christ.