A Better Resurrection
Chuck and Sharon W. Betters
TODAY’S TREASURE
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself (Philippians 3:20-21).
It is unfortunate that an uninspired chapter heading interrupts the flow of thought between chapters 11 and 12 in the book of Hebrews. The author has carefully illustrated how God has fulfilled all of His promises to His people, faithful men and women who, through the centuries, have entrusted their lives and all they had to His care and keeping. The writer builds up to a mighty crescendo, bringing center stage the very culmination of this passage, the hope for the future, the city not seen, where we will dwell in the full and everlasting glory of Jesus Christ. We believe that the first three verses of chapter 12 are essential to a proper understanding of Hebrews 11.
The author of Hebrews, with the conclusion of the main point of this passage at hand, brings the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11 into sharp focus with a resounding “Therefore” (Hebrews 12:1), where he concludes:
. . . 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 God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:2–3).
The author here reminds us of the greatest suffering anyone has ever had to endure. In these verses, the pivotal event of human history—the shame and agony of the cross—is brought into full view. For Jesus suffered more loneliness, more trials, more persecution, and more wrath than anyone else who has ever lived. He suffered the wrath of God the Father for the sins of men and women. He endured all that we deserved: He suffered for the lies of Abraham, and of Jacob and of Rebekah. He suffered for the lusts of Samson, for the crimes of Jephthah, for the tainted life of Rahab, for the foul murder committed by David, for the vile persecutions carried out by Paul—and for the mean-spirited gossip you shared just this past week. Does it not grieve you? Does it not shake you? Jesus endured the punishment for every sin of every believer throughout history. He sacrificed Himself out of love for His people. There simply can be no greater demonstration of love than this.
It is significant that the first thing Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, shortly before His arrest and crucifixion, was for the Father to glorify the Son (John 17:1). Jesus was prepared to endure the shame of Calvary for one reason: that through His death and subsequent glorification—by His resurrection triumph over death—He would open the way for His people to enter into glory. In order to vanquish death for His people, the death brought on by the sins of Adam and Eve and all of their descendants, Jesus had to undergo death Himself—not just bodily death but also spiritual death, complete and utter separation from God.
It was a prospect so agonizing for Jesus that He could scarcely bear to contemplate it. Great drops of blood dripped from His forehead (Luke 22:39–45) as He groaned in His spirit and imagined being alienated from His Father. We cannot even begin to comprehend the torment that Jesus suffered.
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
How could He endure this for us—for us?
Jesus did it out of His own great love for us. He knew the only way back to His Father, the only way for us to get back home, was through the cross. Only the most perfect sacrifice could satisfy the debt we owed. In this way, Jesus obtained the “better resurrection” of Hebrews 11:35. It is “better,” indeed, because it is the only way—the only way—back into fellowship with God. This teaching concerning the resurrection is vital to the Christian; it is the very basis for our faith and our certain hope, for “if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14).
Embracing the truth of the resurrection means we will be refugees and strangers in this world (1 Peter 2:11) because our true citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20–21). Even as we live in the “already,” the present world, where sin, pain, and suffering will test the faith of every believer, we also live in the “not yet,” the life to come, where at last in His presence God will make sense of all that has confused and hurt us here.
PRAYER
Father, when we stumble, or the obstacle seems too big, remind us we are on our way Home. We are aliens, strangers – yes, refugees, longing for Home.
I hope these devotionals will whet your appetite and encourage you to dig deep into Hebrews 11 on your own. They are adapted with permission from P&R Publishing. P&R is offering Treasures of Faith for $3.00 each! And the Leader’s Guide for $2.00.
Supplies are limited.
More free resources for help hope & healing:
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
For more from Daily Treasure please visit MARKINC.ORG.
Originally published Monday, 12 June 2023.
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