These are special words for our Lord: founder and perfecter of our faith. The founder lays the foundation—he is the beginning. This Greek word archègos also contains archè: beginning. Also see this same word archegos in Hebrews 2:10 and in Peter’s speeches in Acts 3:15 and Acts 5:31. At the same time, the founder is also the trailblazer, the pioneer: he opens a way where there was no way. Through the cross he creates reconciliation with God and access to the Father. Through his death a way opens to the new life with God. And through his ascension he opens heaven for us! He leads the way as a pioneer and takes us on that new road. Thus he completes our faith and fulfills our hope, because he fulfills his promise. Jesus starts with us: he gives us faith and he completes our faith.
At the beginning and at the end you think of the start and the finish of the race. He oversees the entire track and pulls me over the finish line, even when I may have doubts. Along the way my faith weakens easily, but he makes it strong. He perfects my imperfect faith! That is his faithfulness to my faith: he works it and keeps what he began. He holds us so that we can hold fast to him. He takes us where he wants us to go: the finish line. It is clearly grace from beginning to end.
How special is our Coach! Compare him to how coaches can be: he does not resign when his team (the believers, the church) fails. He does not scold you when you fail and underperform, but he lovingly corrects you and remains involved, full of grace and faithfulness. He tends to those who have fallen in battle and lies injured on the ground, raises the injured, binds up the wounds, and lets you catch your breath when you are knocked out on the sidelines.
He chose me for the selection and signed me up to participate. In your faith you want nothing more than to stay connected with Jesus. Though my faith is not great and often weak, my Lord and Saviour is great and strong! He brings my life and my struggle in the faith to a good end. I do not get there because I do everything so well, but because Jesus holds me, he trains me with his Spirit again and again, and he gives me faith. Undeserved. Then we also see the big difference from the world of sports: in faith you receive a prize that you could have never earn or conquer yourself, a wreath that never withers and has eternal value. For Jesus has earned that prize for me and will award it to me in his day. Stay close to him. Put him at the centre!
I will never fall out of his hand.
2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.