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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.
Hebrews 12:2 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
  • KJV Looking unto 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.
  • NKJV looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
  • NASB looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
  • NLT We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

We run by looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who endured the cross for the joy ahead and now reigns at God's right hand. Christ is both the supreme example and the goal of faith.

Overview

This is the climax of the whole passage: every witness pointed forward, and now the gaze fixes on Jesus, who originates and completes faith. He endured the shame of the cross because of the joy set before him and has been exalted to God's right hand (Psalm 110:1). His example empowers perseverance, and his finished work is the ground of the believer's hope and the perfection of all faith.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 40

  • Mic 7:7But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.
  • 1 Pet 3:18For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit,
  • 1 Pet 2:23–24When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.
  • Heb 1:3The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
  • Phil 1:6being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
  • Eph 5:2and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.
  • Heb 9:28so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.
  • Titus 2:13–14as we await the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
  • John 6:40For it is My Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
  • Phil 2:8–11And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.
  • 1 Pet 3:22who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to Him.
  • Phil 3:20But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
  • Acts 5:31God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior, in order to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.
  • Isa 45:22Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
  • Luke 24:26Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then to enter His glory?”
  • Jude 1:21keep yourselves in the love of God as you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life.
  • Isa 53:3He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
  • 2 Tim 4:8From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing.
  • Mark 14:36“Abba, Father,” He said, “all things are possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.”
  • 1 Pet 4:14–16If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
  • John 17:1–4When Jesus had spoken these things, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You.
  • Heb 8:1The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,
  • Rev 2:8To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the First and the Last, who died and returned to life.
  • Isa 8:17I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in Him.
  • Heb 5:9And having been made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him
  • Heb 13:13Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace He bore.
  • Acts 2:25–26David says about Him: ‘I saw the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
  • Heb 12:3Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
  • John 12:27–28Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? No, it is for this purpose that I have come to this hour.
  • Isa 50:6–7I offered My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard. I did not hide My face from scorn and spittle.
  • Ps 138:8The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me. O LORD, Your loving devotion endures forever—do not abandon the works of Your hands.
  • John 13:3Jesus knew that the Father had delivered all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was returning to God.
  • Mark 9:24Immediately the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”
  • Eph 2:16and reconciling both of them to God in one body through the cross, by which He extinguished their hostility.
  • Luke 17:5The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
  • Matt 26:67–68Then they spit in His face and struck Him. Others slapped Him
  • Ps 22:6–8But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.
  • John 1:29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
  • Heb 2:7–10You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor
  • John 12:32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw everyone to Myself.”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (8)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Hebrews videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Hebrews 12:2YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on HebrewsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Hebrews is sustained worship of Christ: better than angels, Moses, and the priests; the great High Priest after Melchizedek who by one sacrifice perfects forever those he saves.

How Hebrews 12:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.