What does Hebrews 12:3 mean?
The prior verse mentioned Jesus, and His willingness to endure suffering for the sake of future joy. In particular, Jesus' attitude towards suffering is important. The fact of His persecution is, of course, meaningful. However, as used here, the more crucial point is that Jesus saw those hardships as part of God's plan, and a plan for Jesus' own benefit!Here, the writer emphasizes that we should take the same approach when faced with trials of our own. Jesus endured terrible hardships at the hands of His enemies (Hebrews 2:10; Isaiah 53:3; Matthew 27:26). Even though Jesus was God incarnate (Hebrews 1:3), He was still subjected to "hostility" and struggle. As this passage continues, the writer will point out that the existence of trials in this life is not evidence that God despises us. Jesus lived the only perfectly sinless life (Hebrews 4:15), and still experienced pain and suffering. When we face those challenges in our lives, we should not see it as a sign that God has abandoned us.