As a runner keeps looking toward his or her goal, so we should keep looking to Jesus, not primarily to the other witnesses ( Hebrews 12:1). When we take our eyes of faith off Jesus, we begin to sink, like Peter did ( Matthew 14:22-33). Jesus should be our primary model when it comes to persevering. The writer used the simple personal name "Jesus" to accent our Lord"s humanity, especially His endurance of pain, humiliation, and the disgrace of the cross. [source][source][source]
"The writer now returns to the duty of hupomone [1] as the immediate exercise of pistis [2] (1036f.), as the great Believer, who shows us what true pistis means, from beginning to end, in its heroic course (ton prokeimenon hemin agona) [3]." [4][source]
He is our "author" (lit. file leader, captain, pioneer; Hebrews 2:10). It was by looking to Him in faith that we were saved. Jesus set the example of living by faith for us, one evidence of His faith being His prayers. Jesus perfected faith in the sense that He finished His course of living by faith successfully (cf. Hebrews 2:13). [source][source][source]
"As the "perfecter of faith" Jesus is the one in whom faith has reached its perfection." [5][source]
"He alone is the source of hope and help in their time of need. Looking to Him in faith and devotion is the central theological and practical message of Hebrews." [6][source]
The joy of the prospect of His reward, namely, His victory over death, glorification, inheritance, and reign motivated Him, too ( Hebrews 1:9; Hebrews 1:13-14; Hebrews 8:1; Hebrews 10:12). This is the only occurrence of "cross" outside the Gospels and the Pauline Epistles, and its presence here stresses the shame associated with Jesus" crucifixion. What we look forward to is very similar to what Jesus anticipated. Such a prospect will help us endure suffering and despise the shame involved in living faithful to God before unbelieving critics. [source][source][source]