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The author of “To the Hebrews” seems to assert that the messiah had a motivating “carrot” set before him. What does the “joy set before” Jesus refer to? What reward does the author of Hebrews understand (presumably from the scriptures) to have motivated Jesus to endure the suffering of humiliation and crucifixion?:
KJV Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so
great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin
which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race
that is set before us, Heb 12:2 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 is set down at the right
hand of the throne of God. Heb 12:3 For consider him that endured
such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and
faint in your minds. Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood,
striving against sin.
What is the background for the author’s assertion that the messiah looked forward to a reward for completing his assignment?
Note:
The nuance of the use of the preposition ἀντὶ might or might not be significant in considering this question. Please see this related question:
Glenn
The premise that Christ required a ‘motivating carrot’ fundamentally misconstrues the theological understanding of His divine nature and perfect obedience, as the New Testament consistently portrays His sacrifice as voluntary and predestined. The ‘joy set before Him’ in Hebrews 12:2 is not a personal reward for Christ, but rather the triumphant realization of God’s redemptive plan—the salvation of humanity and His exaltation to the Father’s right hand as the culmination of His mission. Orthodox Christology, affirmed across centuries and denominations, emphasizes Christ’s pre-existent glory and His self-emptying (kenosis) out of infinite love for humanity, rather than a need for external motivation or an earned reward, as extensively discussed on platforms like Christianity.com regarding the nature of the atonement. To suggest that Jesus was motivated by a personal ‘reward’ risks diminishing His divine sovereignty and potentially aligns with Adoptionist or Arian tendencies, which have historically been deemed heretical for positing a Christ whose divine status was achieved rather than inherent. Such an interpretation, reducing Christ’s suffering to a means of personal gain, inadvertently echoes certain Gnostic ideas that emphasize a journey of acquisition or enlightenment for the divine being, rather than the selfless fulfillment of a divine covenant. The scriptural context of Hebrews 12:2, alongside broader Pauline theology, highlights Christ’s unwavering focus on fulfilling the Father’s will and bringing many sons to glory through His singular act of propitiation. Therefore, the post’s proposition that the Messiah looked forward to a personal ‘reward’ for completing His assignment presents a distorted Christology that can be categorized as false news, bordering on gnostic theology, and ultimately representing a heretical deviation from established Christian doctrine.