The Christ Of The Ancient Saints

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Hebrews 12:2

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 

Hebrews 11:13 

We stand in the line of a great and holy heritage. It is not a heritage of flesh and blood, but a heritage of faith. Christ is the gold and silver cable Who binds together this transcendent congregation. The text which we will consider in the next few days brings us to Christ to Whom we look while we seek to, ‘run with patience the race that is set before us.’ We cannot begin that contemplation without seeing Christ first as the Christ of the ancient saints. Hence, we set alongside our text a verse from the previous chapter. ‘These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.’ This verse appears in the midst of the chapter we may call, ‘the Hall of the Heroes of the Faith.’ It points out to us that these people ‘died in faith, not having received the promises.’ Two verses earlier, in reference to Sarah, the wife of Abraham, it declares, ‘she judged Him faithful Who had promised.’ Who had promised? Genesis 19 shows us that it was Christ, appearing to Abraham in the plain of Mamre, Who had promised that Sarah would bear Isaac. From this, we conclude that Christ has always been the Hope of His people. Looking unto Jesus is not a new thing for the people of God. The ancient saints who were the heroes of the faith, all looked to Christ. We are merely continuing in the same vein in which they lived and died. The Christ, Who was the Christ of the ancient saints is our Christ as well. 

‘O, God our Help in ages past, 
our hope for years to come. 
Be Thou our Guide while life shall last, 
and our Eternal Home.’ 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning