Video

Service Sheet Outline & Questions

Jesus Is the Hero (Hebrews 12:1–3
Jesus Wins
 

Jesus has endured the cross, risen victorious and finished the race, so we can fix our eyes on him and keep going in faith.

Introduction
We cannot save ourselves or be the heroes of our own stories, but Jesus is the perfect Saviour who never fails.

1. Throw off what hinders (verse 1)
Because God has proved faithful to his people, we must turn from sin and anything that stops us trusting and obeying Jesus.

2. Fix your eyes on Jesus (verse 2)
Jesus endured the cross for our sins, rose in victory and now reigns at God’s right hand, so our faith rests in him rather than in ourselves.

3. Keep going without losing heart (verse 3)
When following Jesus feels hard, we persevere by remembering his suffering, his finished work and his present reign.

Conclusion
Jesus is the hero, so look to him for salvation, trust him in every struggle and keep running the race he has marked out for you.

Questions to think about...

1. What makes someone a real hero? What answers did we give at the beginning? Is a hero simply someone strong or successful? What does Jesus show us about being a hero?

2. Why is Jesus a better hero than the heroes we usually imagine? What did Jesus do for us at the cross? What happened after he died? What can Jesus do for us that we cannot do for ourselves?

3. What was hard about Jesus’ race? Look at Hebrews 12:2–3. What do you notice about the cross, shame and opposition? Why did Jesus keep going?Where is Jesus now?

4. What do you do when your own race feels long or tiring? Which of these do you most need to remember?
- Throw off — Is something hindering you from following Jesus?
- Look to Jesus — What can help you remember what Jesus has done?
- Keep going — How could another Christian encourage you this week?
You do not need to share anything private. If you have not yet begun trusting Jesus, what might it mean for you to look to him and ask him to save you?

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Jesus Is the Hero (Hebrews 12:1-3)

What makes someone a real hero?

Take a few quick answers: strong, brave, saves people, keeps going, wins.

Most of us think a hero is the person who looks strongest, wins the race, rescues the day, or never seems to fail.

But let me ask a harder question: is someone still a hero when life is hard, when they are suffering, or when it looks as though they are losing?

Take a couple of quick answers.

There is also a lie we hear a lot: "You are the hero in your own story."

But what happens if you try to be your own hero and then you fail?

What happens when you are weak, or ashamed, or tired, or you get things wrong?

The truth is: we do fail. We are not strong enough, good enough, or perfect enough to be our own hero.

Hebrews 12:2 (NIV84)
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus is the hero. He endured the cross, died for our sins, rose victorious, and sat down at the right hand of the throne.

So the Bible is not telling us to look at ourselves and save ourselves. The Bible is telling us to look to Jesus, the hero who does not fail.

So what is the big truth for today?

Jesus is the hero.

So here are our Questions to think about...

• What makes someone a real hero?
• Why is Jesus a better hero than the heroes we usually imagine?
• What was hard about Jesus' race?
• What do you do when your own race feels long or tiring?

We are going to keep coming back to those questions as we go.

Can we say our line together before we carry on?

Who is the hero?
Jesus is the hero

And now we are going to see why Hebrews tells us to fix our eyes on him.

Bible story: big idea

Here is a Bible reading rule: if you see the word "therefore", ask: what is it there for? So before Hebrews 12 tells us to run, we need to hear the voices that have come before.

When I point to you, read your lines clearly, then keep moving.

Abel: I trusted God by faith. I brought God a better sacrifice.

Enoch: I trusted God by faith. I walked with God and pleased him.

Noah: I trusted God and built the ark before I saw the flood. I listened to God's warning and obeyed him.

Abraham: I trusted God and went where he sent me, even when I did not know the road. I believed God's promise even when I could not yet see the place or the family he promised.

Sarah: I trusted God by faith. God kept his promise and gave me a son.

Isaac: I trusted God by faith. I blessed Jacob and Esau for the future.

Jacob: I trusted God by faith. I blessed Joseph's sons while leaning on my staff.

Joseph: I trusted God by faith. Before I died, I spoke about God's people leaving Egypt.

Moses: I trusted God and chose to suffer with God's people. I turned away from the treasures of Egypt because I was looking to God's reward.

Rahab: I trusted God and welcomed his people. I hid the spies and was kept safe when Jericho fell.

Gideon: I trusted God by faith. God used weakness to win a great victory.

David: I trusted God by faith. God helped me face enemies stronger than me.

Did all these people trust God? Yes.

Did they all see the whole ending yet? No.

That is what the therefore is there for. Hebrews 12 is building on Hebrews 11. All these people trusted God. All these people kept going. And all these people are now witnesses saying: God can be trusted.

They are not mainly spectators watching our performance. They are witnesses whose lives speak.

Their stories say: faith is worth it. Keep trusting God.

These names are now all around us. And in a sense, we are the ones in the race now.

Hebrews 12:1 (NIV84)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

If you were running a race, would you want to carry extra bags and tangled-up clothes? No.

So Hebrews says: throw off what slows you down, and keep running the race God has marked out for you.

But even here, the passage does not finally say, "Fix your eyes on Abel," or Moses, or David.

Hebrews 12:2a (NIV84)
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

That is where Hebrews 12 is taking us. All these people are wonderful examples of faith. But Hebrews 12 does not finally say, "Look to them." It says, "Fix your eyes on Jesus."

All these runners tell us God can be trusted, and Hebrews 12 tells us where to look next: to Jesus.

In a moment, Teaching Time will help us slow down and see why Jesus is the true hero.

But first, let us sing it: Jesus is the hero.

Teaching time

We have heard the witnesses from Hebrews 11. We have sung that Jesus is the hero. Now let us ask: what does Hebrews 12 want us to do?

The big idea is this: Jesus has already run the hardest race and finished it, all the way through real suffering to a real throne, so we can fix our eyes on him and keep going.

We are going to hear three simple things: throw off, look to Jesus, keep going.

Can we say them together?

Throw off. Look to Jesus. Keep going.

And here is something we must get clear: the Bible is not telling us, "You are the hero in your story." Hebrews 12 is teaching us something better: Jesus is the hero. We are the runners who need him.

1. Throw off

Could they run well like this? No.

Everyone do the action with me: shake your shoulders and hands as if you are throwing something off.

Hebrews 12:1 (NIV84)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles...

That "therefore" takes us straight back to Hebrews 11. To Abel, Noah, Abraham and Sarah, Moses, Rahab, David, and all the others. That is the great cloud of witnesses. They are wonderful examples of faith. But they are not the hero we finally look to. Their lives say: God can be trusted. Keep going.

Hebrews says there are things that slow us down. Some things are sinful. Some things may not be bad in themselves, but they still get in the way.

So if something is stopping us trusting Jesus and following Jesus, we should throw it off.

2. Look to Jesus

What is wrong now? Take a few answers.

Everyone point both hands upwards and say: Look to Jesus.

Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus...

That is the centre of the passage. Not fix your eyes on yourself. Not fix your eyes on the other runners. Not even fix your eyes on the Hebrews 11 people. Fix your eyes on Jesus.

Why? Because we do fail. We sin. We get things wrong. We are totally unable to be our own hero.

But Jesus is the perfect hero and Saviour. He endured the cross for our sins, rose victorious, and now reigns at God's right hand.

So even when we fail, we trust a Saviour who does not fail. Even when we fall, we trust a Saviour who has finished.

3. Keep going

Everyone do running arms with me and say: Keep going.

Hebrews 12:3
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

The Bible knows people get tired. Sometimes life feels long. Sometimes we want to give up. And Hebrews does not say, "Just try harder." It says: consider Jesus.

Think about him carefully. Remember what he endured. Remember where he is now. Remember that he finished.

So when you are doing well, Jesus is still the hero. When you are struggling, Jesus is still the hero. When your race feels long, Jesus is still the hero.

That is why the answer is not "be a hero yourself." The answer is: fix your eyes on Jesus.

Perhaps you have never yet begun trusting Jesus. We will come back at the end to what your first step can be.

So what does Hebrews 12 want us to do?

Throw off. Look to Jesus. Keep going.

Because Jesus has already run the hardest race and finished it, so we can fix our eyes on him and keep going.

Conclusion

We began with four questions to think about.

What makes someone a real hero? Not just strength. Not just winning. A real hero keeps going at real cost.

Why is Jesus a better hero than the heroes we usually imagine? Because he endured the cross, scorned its shame, and finished the race.

What was hard about Jesus' race? Real suffering, real shame, real opposition.

What do you do when your own race feels long or tiring? You do not finally look to yourself. You fix your eyes on Jesus.

Jesus did not merely suffer bravely. He died for our sins, rose victorious, and now reigns.

So let us say the big truth one more time: Jesus is the hero.

Perhaps you have never yet begun trusting Jesus. The first step is not to try harder. It is to look to him and ask him to save you.

And because Jesus is the hero, we can trust him, follow him, and keep going.