Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12.2
An author designs or creates something
A perfecter makes it perfect
What do you love to do with your family at Christmas? How does your family spend Sundays? Family traditions are important! Adam and Eve had a family tradition, but it shifted from walking with God in the Garden of Eden to running away in sin. Adam and Eve's tradition of not trusting or obeying God continues today with all people on earth. But one person is different. He is fully man and at the same time fully God, and His name is Jesus.
How Jesus can be completely God and completely man at the same time is one of those incredible thoughts that stirs up awe in our hearts. Awe is that mixture of respect and wonder that bubbles up into faith! Faith helps us know that God is much greater than our minds can imagine. This is wonderful. It means God can love, help, direct, and forgive in ways that are bigger than we can understand too!
Adam and Eve’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren didn’t think big, amazing thoughts about God. Instead, they mostly sinned, thought and acted as if they knew better than God. Those old lies of Satan were stuck like muck inside their heads. God’s people needed a Saviour, and God was ready to continue the plan.
God had a special friend who trusted Him. This friend had awe for God and faith in God. God would use this man’s family to bless the whole world. In fact, Jesus would be sent to grow up in his family! This man’s name was Abraham.
God gave this special promise to Abraham in Genesis, chapter twelve, “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Even though Abraham was very old and had no children yet, Abraham believed God’s promise that he would have as many great, great, great-grandchildren as there were stars in the sky! God kept His promise to bless all the families of the earth through Abraham when He gave Abraham his great-(41 greats to be exact) grandchild, Jesus.
Jesus is called the “author and perfecter of faith.” An author creates a story and a perfecter makes something perfect. Jesus is the one who both starts our faith and grows our faith. Jesus helps us see and know how great God is so we can be sure of Him. Just like a book starts with an author, our faith starts with Jesus because He focuses our mind on God.
Jesus is also the perfecter of our faith. He causes it to bloom. Like a gentle rain, Jesus brings love to our hearts and thinking-what-God-is-like thoughts to our mind. That makes our faith, our being sure of God, grow and grow until it will be perfect one day in heaven. Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith!
Our promise-keeping God makes a promise to Abraham. Genesis 12.3
Who in Abraham’s family would one day bless all the families of the earth?
What are some ways Jesus is perfecting your faith or the faith of someone around you?
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