Looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Looking.
Hebrews 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Isaiah 8:17 And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
the author.
Hebrews 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Mark 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Luke 17:5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
finisher.
Hebrews 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
Hebrews 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Psalm 138:8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
for.
Hebrews 2:7-9 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: …
Hebrews 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
Psalm 16:9-11 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope…
endured.
Hebrews 10:5-12 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: …
Matthew 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Matthew 20:18,19,20,28 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, …
the author and perfecter of our faith
Jesus is described as both the originator and the completer of faith. As the "author," He initiates faith in believers, and as the "perfecter," He brings it to completion. This dual role underscores His divine nature and His work in salvation history. The concept of Jesus as the "author" connects to John 1:1-3, where Jesus is the Word through whom all things were made. As the "perfecter," it reflects Philippians 1:6, which assures believers that God will complete the good work He began in them.
who for the joy set before Him
This phrase highlights Jesus' motivation in enduring the cross. The "joy" refers to the anticipated outcome of His sacrificial work, including the redemption of humanity and His exaltation. This forward-looking perspective is a model for believers to endure trials with the hope of future glory, as seen in Romans 8:18, which speaks of present sufferings not being worth comparing with the glory to be revealed.
endured the cross
The cross was a method of execution reserved for the most heinous criminals, symbolizing extreme suffering and humiliation. Jesus' endurance of the cross demonstrates His obedience and love, fulfilling prophecies such as Isaiah 53, which describes the suffering servant. This endurance is a call for believers to persevere in their own trials, as Jesus did.
scorning its shame
Crucifixion was not only physically painful but also socially disgraceful. Jesus' scorn of the shame associated with the cross indicates His disregard for worldly honor in favor of divine purpose. This reflects the biblical theme of God using what is foolish in the world to shame the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27), and it encourages believers to value God's approval over human opinion.
and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God
This phrase signifies Jesus' exaltation and authority following His resurrection and ascension. Sitting at the right hand of God is a position of honor and power, fulfilling the prophecy in Psalm 110:1. It indicates the completion of His redemptive work and His ongoing intercession for believers, as seen in Romans 8:34. This position assures believers of Jesus' sovereignty and the ultimate victory of His kingdom.
• Hebrews 12:1 has just urged us to “run with endurance the race set before us.” The only way to keep running is to keep looking. Colossians 3:1–2 calls us to “set your hearts on things above, where Christ is,” while Psalm 123:2 paints the picture of servants watching their master’s hand.
• Fixing our eyes means deliberate, ongoing attention—refusing to be distracted by sin, suffering, or success. Peter walked on the water when his gaze stayed on Christ (Matthew 14:29–30). The verse invites the same single-minded focus for every believer.
• “Author” points to Jesus as the initiator of salvation. He is “the pioneer of salvation” (Hebrews 2:10) and “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).
• “Perfecter” promises completion. Philippians 1:6 assures that “He who began a good work in you will perfect it.” Faith does not rest on our willpower; it rests on Christ’s finished and finishing work.
• Because He both starts and completes, our confidence is secure (John 10:28–29).
• Joy here is forward-looking: the delight of pleasing the Father (John 17:4–5), redeeming a people (Isaiah 53:11), and sharing His glory with them (John 17:22–24).
• This joy was “set before” Him like a prize before a runner (1 Corinthians 9:24); it fueled endurance. Luke 24:26 affirms “the Christ had to suffer these things and then enter His glory.”
• Endurance speaks of steadfastness under extreme weight. Philippians 2:8 notes He “became obedient to death—even death on a cross.”
• The cross involved physical agony (Mark 15:24), spiritual abandonment (Matthew 27:46), and legal substitution (1 Peter 2:24; Galatians 3:13). Jesus bore the full penalty so that “by His wounds you have been healed.”
• Crucifixion was designed to degrade (Hebrews 13:12–13). Yet Jesus “despised” that shame—counted it insignificant compared to the coming glory.
• Isaiah 50:6 shows the Servant offering His back to beatings, undeterred by disgrace. Psalm 22:6–8 records the mockery He accepted for our sake.
• The world’s shame cannot stick to the sinless Son; Romans 9:33 promises that whoever trusts in Him “will not be put to shame.”
• Sitting signifies a completed sacrifice—no more offerings needed (Hebrews 10:12–14).
• The right hand is the place of supreme honor and authority (Psalm 110:1; Ephesians 1:20–22). From there He intercedes (Romans 8:34) and reigns until every enemy is under His feet (1 Corinthians 15:25).
• Acts 2:33–36 links this enthronement to the outpouring of the Spirit, proving Jesus is both Lord and Messiah.
Hebrews 12:2 calls believers to a sustained, unwavering gaze on Jesus. He began and will complete our faith. He faced the cross with future joy in view, endured its agony, disregarded its humiliation, and now reigns in majesty. Looking to Him provides motivation, assurance, and strength for every step of the race.
(2) Looking unto Jesus.--As in Hebrews 2:9, the description precedes the mention of the name, "Looking unto the Author and Perfecter of (our) faith, Jesus." The first word is very similar to that of Hebrews 11:26; the runner looks away from all other objects and fixes his gaze on One. Jesus is not directly spoken of as the Judge (2Timothy 4:8); but, as the next words show, He has Himself reached the goal, and His presence marks the point at which the race will close. As the last verse spoke of our "patient endurance," this speaks of our faith, and of this Jesus is the Author and the Perfecter. The former word has occurred before, in Hebrews 2:10; and here, as there, origination is the principal thought. There the idea of leading the way was also present; but here "Author" stands in contrast with "Perfecter," and the example of our Lord is the subject of the clause which follows. Because it is He who begins and brings to perfection our faith, we must run the race with our eye fixed upon Him: in Him is the beginning, in Him the completion of the promises (2Corinthians 1:20); and in the steady and trustful dependence upon Him which this figure describes consists our faith.Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.--The literal meaning is very forcible, endured a cross, despising shame; the shame of such a death being set over against the joy that lay before Him. Here again we have the thought of Hebrews 2:9 (Philippians 2:9-10); the joy of His accomplished purpose (Isaiah 53:11; Matthew 25:21; Luke 10:21-22) and the glory with which He was crowned (John 17:1; 1Peter 1:11) being the reward for His "obedience even unto death." The whole form of the expression (comp. especially Hebrews 6:18, "the hope set before us") shows that Jesus is presented to us as an example not of endurance only, but also of faith (Hebrews 2:12). On the last words of the verse see Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 1:13; Hebrews 8:1; Hebrews 10:12-13; there is here a slight change in the Greek, which requires the rendering, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. . . .
Verse 2. - Looking unto the Author and Finisher of our faith (rather, the Leader, or Captain, as in Hebrews 2:10, and Perfecter of the faith, or of faith - faith's Captain and Completer), Jesus; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. The idea is not, as implied in the A.V. and understood by Chrysostom and other ancients, that Jesus first inspires and then brings to its complete result the individual Christian's faith ("quod caepit in nobis consummabit"), but (as implied in the word ἀρχηγὸς, and suiting the context better) that he is the Leader of the whole army of faith, whose standard we are to follow, and whoso own completed victory is the enabling cause as well as the earnest of our own. It is no valid objection to this view that he could not have been a Leader in this sense to the faithful ones before his coming, referred to in the last chapter; for, as has been before observed (see on "the reproach of Christ," Hebrews 11:26), he is regarded as the Head and Leader, in all ages, of the faithful; and in virtue of his future warfare for mankind the saints of old endured and triumphed: - and certainly Christians, to whom the exhortation is addressed, may look to him in an obvious sense as their Captain to be followed. Nor, again, is there difficulty - apart from that of the whole mystery of the Incarnation - in his being presented to us as himself an example of triumphant faith. For he is elsewhere spoken of as having so "emptied himself" of his Divine glory as to have become like unto us in all things, sin except; and thus to have been sustained during his human life by faith in the unseen, as we are. His addresses to the Father (see especially John 17.) are strikingly significant in this regard. The expression, "for the joy," etc. (ἀντὶ τῆς προκειμένης αὐτῷ χαρᾶς), does not mean, as some take it, "instead of the joy which he might have had on earth" (such e.g. as was offered to him by the tempter), but, as is evident from the word προκειμένης, "as set against, i.e. for the sake of, future joy" (cf. ἀντὶ βρώσεως μιᾶς, ver. 16). Such looking forward to joy with the Father and the redeemed after triumph is expressed in the great intercessory prayer-above referred to (John 17:5, 13, 22, 23, 24, 26). It may be here observed that anticipation of reward hereafter is among legitimate human motives to a good life. It may be said, indeed, that the highest virtue consists in doing what is right simply because it is right - in fulfilling God's will, whatever may come of it to ourselves; but the hope of a final happy issue comes properly, and indeed inevitably, in as an inspiring and sustaining motive. Aspiration after Happiness is a God-given instinct of humanity, necessary for keeping up the life of virtue. There may be some so in love with virtue as to be capable of persevering in lifelong self-denial, though without any faith in a life to come. But human nature in general certainly requires this further incentive, and Christian faith supplies it. Nor are those who thus work with a view to future joy to be accused of selfish motives, as though they balanced only a greater against a smaller gain. To the true Christian the grand inspiring principle is still the love of God and of his neighbor, and of goodness for its own sake, though the hope of an eternal reward supports and cheers him mightily. Nor, again, is the joy looked forward to a selfish joy. It is the joy of sharing in the triumph of eternal righteousness in company with all the redeemed, whose salvation, no less than his own, he desires and strives for. And, further, with regard to his own individual joy, what is it but the joy of attaining the end of his being, the perfection God meant him for, and to which it is his duty to aspire? Hence Christ would not have been a perfect Example to man had he not been represented as looking forward to "the joy that was set before him."