11 God’s Severe Mercy: Hebrews 12
11
God’s Severe Mercy
Hebrews 12
Twenty-six miles! You’ve been running for over two hours; your heart is pounding, your chest is heaving, your body aches and your pace begins to slacken. How nice and comfortable it would be to quit, to lie down and rest, to take it easy. You start to question whether this marathon is really worth all the effort and exhaustion.
The Hebrews had the same thoughts about their new Christian faith. Like an expert trainer, the writer of the letter to Hebrews encouraged them to keep on running because the race would be worth it.
GROUP DISCUSSION. Have group members who wear glasses pass them around so everyone tries them on and tries to see through them. Or pass around binoculars and have group members look at things out of focus. (You probably won’t be able to focus on anything with the binoculars indoors because you can’t get far enough away.) What difference does it make to look at the world out of focus? Why is sharp focus important?
PERSONAL REFLECTION. When have you especially needed endurance?
The book of Hebrews carefully explains why Jesus is the only mediator between God and humanity and is the only perfect sacrifice for our sin. The writer also praises a whole catalog of faithful people who persevered in their faith. Then at the beginning of is the word therefore. The rest of the book follows logically from everything that has gone before. Read Hebrews 12.
1. Look back through the passage. What strong words and phrases do you see?
What do you think is the central idea that the writer of this passage was trying to get across?
2. What kinds of things can hinder or entangle us as Christians (v. 1)?
3. The writer refers to a “great cloud of witnesses” who surround us (v. 1). How does the faithfulness of other believers motivate you to keep going in your spiritual “race”?
4. Jesus has already completed his race (v. 2). What are some practical ways we can fix our eyes on him as we “run”?
5. In verses 4-11 the imagery changes from a foot race to a family. What do athletic training and parental discipline have in common?
6. We often want our lives to be free from hardship or difficulty. How do verses 4-11 challenge such an attitude?
7. If we submit to God’s discipline now, how will our lives be different later on (vv. 11-13)?
8. What factors can lead us, like Esau, to miss out on God’s blessing (vv. 14-17)?
9. Looking at verses 18-24, what are the differences between Mount Sinai (symbol of the Old Covenant) and Mount Zion (our heavenly home)?
10. Why is it perilous to refuse to listen to God’s encouragement and warning in this chapter (vv. 25-27)?
11. Our God is not only a loving Father but also a consuming fire (vv. 28-29). What is there in your life that you would like him to “consume” and destroy?
Thank God for his merciful discipline in your lives. Ask for a sharper focus on Jesus as you run your spiritual race.
Now or Later
Consider and discuss how you can help each other “endure.” Everyone has different hardships and challenges. What seems minor to one person may be an unbearable weight for another. Helping each other in these areas means being open enough to admit where you need endurance.