Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, Who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the same, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2
I am an author, at least my employer called me that. I wrote computer courses that are used to train people on the use, maintenance, and selling of various software programs. I am also the author of the daily messages that you read, and have been involved in the creation of a variety of other books and publications. Authors create the content that people can read, view, or listen to, whether it be books, journalistic productions, or online material. We are the creators of the content, putting considerable effort into the planning, preparation, and production of material that people will want to use. But, generally speaking, an author is not a publisher. When an author has completed his work, the publisher takes the material, formats it, prints it into a book or whatever form it will take, and distributes it to the market. Our text today tells us that our salvation is from One Who is both the Author and the Publisher of our faith.
As the Author of our faith, the Lord Jesus was involved in designing God’s Plan of Salvation. He performed all of the preparatory work, then came and lived a life of sinless perfection that led Him to the cross where He completed the work of redemption. It is as Author that we consider Him today, as we gather to remember Him in His death. We read the accounts of His sub-authors Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, as they record His shame and suffering. We follow these accounts up Golgotha’s heights to the middle cross, and consider how He died, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. As an author, I have learned that there is no such thing as perfection when writing content of any kind, there are only degrees of excellence. But Jesus’ authorship of our faith was perfect. And that is why He is also the Publisher.
God did not simply accept the work of the cross when Jesus die; no, He placed His approval on it by raising Him from the dead. He has also placed Him at the pinnacle of honour and majesty in Glory. As the Publisher of our faith, He has not only saved us from our sins, but He will also sustain us here in time and take us to be with Himself for eternity. He will present us faultless before His father.
Today, we recognize and worship our Author and Finisher. – Jim MacIntosh