FIXING OUR EYES ON JESUS

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”  (Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV)

The entire ministry of our Savior was plagued with difficulty and opposition. During Jesus’ forty-day wilderness fast, Satan tried to derail Him with temptations disguised as painless shortcuts to His goal. Throughout His ministry He endured opposition, exhaustion, and misunderstanding. Near the end He vividly foresaw the horrors looming ahead and prayed in abject agony with sweat pouring from Him like great drops of blood. Finally, He was falsely accused in a mock trial, brutally scourged from the thorns lacerating His scalp, from the wounds in His hands and His back, and finally from the wound of a spear impaling His side.

And yet He persevered through it all.

The result? Forgiveness for us. The shattering of the gates of hell. And glorious resurrection from the dead. When we keep our eyes on Jesus, He gives us the spiritual stamina to run with perseverance, to endure, and to never grow weary and lose heart.

When you feel like quitting, just look at the cross. Look at the empty tomb! Look at His ascension into heaven. Look at Him there on the throne. Look at His victory. Look at His love for you. Look at His grace. Consider Him. Meditate on Him. Talk to Him. Draw from His Word.

And never give up. 

-- David Jeremiah in “Keep the Faith: How to Stand Strong in a World Turned Upside Down”

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