Αρχηγός
Week Four
January 19, 2025
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.
– Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)
Jesus is our source, our captain, the one who has gone before us – our pathbreaker. What he starts in us, he finishes. Those he leads, he leads home. And the path he’s pioneered before us, though wrought with many trials and tears, is a good path.
In the koine Greek (the Greek of the New Testament), the word ἀρχηγός (pronounced, archegos) means pathbreaker, captain-leader, source, and speaks of Jesus and his working in our faith walk. Our faith has been penned by him, written in the ink of his kind providence, and he has carved out for us a path to walk upon by walking it himself, as all good leaders do, even to the very end. Jesus is our trailblazer. That is why we are instructed to look to him, to fix our eyes on the one who is our captain, our leader. We take our cue from his hand, the hand of our faithful and loving elder brother.
When we feel discouraged, we can know that the one who started this good work in us will finish it, and we can know this even in the darkest of valleys. The one who brought us to himself and clothed us with himself, the one who authored our faith, this great scribe of our salvation, is the one who will also perfect us through our trials. But we must fix our eyes on him, the object of our sure hope: Jesus.
In his book, Deeper, Dane Ortland writes, “Our fallen hearts are spring-loaded to assess our justified state on the basis of how our sanctification is going.”¹ This week’s scripture encourages us not to look to or evaluate ourselves, but instead to fix our gaze on Jesus, the perfect one. There is a place for self-examination, in the right context, but may I suggest that we examine the Αρχηγός before we measure ourselves?
We all tend to trip about as we follow him, don’t we? But the Lord is not looking for perfection in those he has called; he is simply looking for willing hearts who will heed his call. We all stumble in many ways in our desire to please him. James the apostle warned us of this. One day we will reach the fulfillment of his intention and promise – we shall be like him, conformed to his beauteous and glorious image. This is a hope we must hold on to as we are careful to steer clear of the slippery slope of our tendency to self-judgement and self-appraisal. Assessment is best left in the hands of our Master.
Our struggles are not an indicator of the level of his favor in our lives. Blessings often take the form of trials and tribulations. Christ our captain suffered; shall we expect anything less for ourselves? Suffering is the teacher of many a valuable lesson and an effective tool in our transformation process. The reliance we learn, a strong dependence on God, comes as our testings make evident our weaknesses. This freedom from self-reliance becomes a powerful ally carrying us through difficult and hopeless situations, bringing glory to him.
Saint, know this: he is all-sufficient, your creator and sustainer, bringing you home by the strong grip of his fatherly hand.
Monday
January 20, 2025
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
– Philippians 1:6 (NLT)
Finally. There’s something both refreshing and releasing about that word. “Ah, finally!” like the untying of a tie, like the dumping of a great weight. On this journey to our final finally, we must remember that we are not self-made men and women, but rather God-made men and women. Formed by the hands of the Master Potter. May my epitaph not read, “He was a great man.” Instead, may all who read my final marker read, “God was great in his life.” I hope there will be nodding as it is read.
Paul uses two words in Philippians 1:6 to convey the same encouragement that the author of Hebrews uses in Hebrews 12:2. What are those two words and how do they encourage you?
What is our role in God’s work of faith in our lives? What is the relationship or dynamic between what God does versus what we do? (Consider Philippians 2:12-13).
Tuesday
January 21, 2025
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
– 2 Corinthians 13:5 (CSB)
There is a place for scriptural self-examination, but introspection should never turn to an obsessive gazing into ourselves. Mirrors can be helpful, but they can also entrap us and lead us into pride or discouragement. May I suggest something? The next time you feel the need to look into the mirror of self, do it with your bible open and a faithful friend nearby. There is safety in a multitude of counselors. And remember that the end-goal of any self-evaluation is not a DYI project, but rather an invitation to invite the Lord into your need.
What should any introspection lead to? (Consider the fruit that our actions produce.) What is the benefit of sharing your self-reflection with a trusted brother or sister?
Is it possible that the reflection you see in the mirror is seen through the dirty spots of guilt and shame? Might our view of self be tainted? How do we avoid thinking too highly, or too lowly of ourselves?
Wednesday
January 22, 2025
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.
– Psalm 63:2
We don’t always have the answers to life’s hard questions, but we can find strength as we navigate through them. A young bride fixes her gaze upon her husband. His face and his ways captivate her. As the Bride of Christ, does the Bridegroom captivate your heart? He wants to. He wants to hold your gaze because he knows only heaven’s beauty will dispel today’s burdens. Only that gaze has the power to stabilize our hearts.
Where, besides the Lord, do you at times turn your gaze for answers or comfort? What holds your attention in the tough times?
How and in what ways does Jesus model a life of faith to you? (Consider him who suffered at the hand of sinners and his example). Where did Jesus find strength in his darkest times?
Thursday
January 23, 2025
Look, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a female servant look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes will look to the Lord, our God, until he shows us favor.
– Psalms 123:2 (NET)
Waiting is hard. Attentiveness is in short supply these days. But this psalm is calling us to both, instructing us to wait attentively. The bridegroom waits for his bride to walk down the aisle. He waits attentively. The appearance of his beloved causes his heart to both leap and flutter with hope-filled expectation. We can wait with the same expectation. The Lord has promised favor. It will come. In hope we wait for him, in our waiting we look to him, and in our looking we are changed.
As you look to the Lord, what desires are waiting in your heart? Hope is a powerfully sustaining possession. What do you hope for?
What should our posture, our attitude, be as we look to him? And who is this One we look to?
Friday
January 24, 2025
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
– Psalm 23:1 (ESV)
The Lord has promised to shepherd us as we walk through the valley and to keep us in the midst of dark turmoil. We rest our hope, not in us or our situation, but in the faithfulness of the One who has called us and cares for our souls. At the sound of our Shepherd’s voice, we raise our gaze and see the one who supplies all our needs; we see the one who brings comfort to bear upon our easily upturned lives. Where else should we look?
Have you ever wandered and found yourself in need of a Shepherd that leaves the ninety-nine to search for the one? Tell your story; when have you found that to be true and what was that experience like?
When a sheep is anxious, where is the one place it finds comfort for its nervous shuddering? Do you believe Jesus wants to comfort you?