RETURNING MY EYES TO THE SAVIOR

“Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for Him, He thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and He is now seated at the right side of God's throne.”  (Hebrews 12:2 GNT)

With the arrival of Advent, Christians everywhere turn again towards the Savior. Advent marks the beginning of the celebration of His birth and His long-foretold ministry, atonement, death, resurrection and second coming. If Advent is an occasion when I return my eyes to the Savior, then it is also an invitation to consider where my eyes -- and my heart -- have been in the meantime. Advent is the gentle nudge that invites me to remember that the truth most worth knowing is that Jesus Christ is the only way Home. It is also a gentle reminder that I ought to keep my eyes upon Him all year long.  

-- Jean-Michel Hansen

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ARE YOU IN NEED OF A FAITH REFILL? - Part 2 of 2

Jesus gave John’s messengers a specific answer that holds the key to refilling any person’s faith. He said: “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard – the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” (Luke 7:22)

I love the fact that Jesus didn’t respond to John’s question by dragging out His sermon file. Just think of all the ancient messianic prophesies He could have quoted and expounded upon. But no, He understood that John needed a lifeline, not a lecture. So He threw him one. He urged John to look again at what He, Jesus, was accomplishing.

You’re probably thinking, “But wait! It can’t be that simple. There has to be more to replenishing a person’s faith than that.” No, there isn’t. If there were, Jesus would have said so. He would have laid out a detailed plan or itemized a list of requirements. There’s no way He would have given a dear friend a flawed, incomplete answer, knowing it would doom him to further anxiety.

The good news is that nothing has changed. After all these years, faith refills are still free and can still be accomplished by focusing on Jesus. Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.” 

-- Mark Atteberry in “Free Refill: Coming Back for More of Jesus” 

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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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LOOK AT JESUS

Jesus looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You. For You granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those You have given Him. Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.”  (John 17:1-3 NIV)

If you want to know who God is, look at Jesus. If you want to know what it means to be human, look at Jesus. If you want to know what love is, look at Jesus. If you want to know what grief is, look at Jesus. [If you want to know who understands your suffering, look at Jesus.] And go on looking until you’re not just a spectator, but you’re actually part of the drama which has Him as the central character. 

– Adapted from N. T. Wright

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THE HEART OF JESUS – Part 3 of 3

The crowning attribute of Christ was this: His heart was spiritual. His thoughts reflected His intimate relationship with the Father. "I am in the Father and the Father is in Me," He stated (John 14:11). His first recorded sermon begins with the words, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me" (Luke 4:18 NASB). He was "led by the Spirit" (Matthew 4:1 NIV) and "full of the Holy Spirit" (Luke 4:1 NIV). He returned from the desert "in the power of the Spirit" (Luke 4:14 NIV).

Jesus took His instructions from God. It was His habit to go to worship (Luke 4:16). It was His practice to memorize Scripture (Luke 4:4). Luke says Jesus "often slipped away to be alone so He could pray" (Luke 5:16). His times of prayer guided Him. He once returned from prayer and announced it was time to move to another city (Mark 1:38). Another time of prayer resulted in the selection of the disciples (Luke 6:12-13). Jesus was led by an unseen hand. "The Son does whatever the Father does" (John 5:19). In the same chapter He stated, "I can do nothing alone. I judge only the way I am told" (John 5:30).

The heart of Jesus was spiritual. 

-- Max Lucado in “A Heart Like Jesus”

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KEEPING OUR EYES ON JESUS

“But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.”  (Jude 20-21 NIV)

The [disciples] all had a good beginning with Jesus. Their signs of loyalty, fidelity, and faithfulness came often in their brief time with Jesus. And yet in many of the crucial times for Jesus and for them, the truth is that they drifted astray. They lost sight of Jesus and His way and focused on themselves and their way….

The bad news [today] is that individuals, congregations, and denominations can drift away. It happens so easily. It happens the moment we take our eyes off Jesus Christ. The moment we lose our center we begin to lose our way. We know it does not have to be that way because every day we can keep our eyes upon Jesus Christ and ask for guidance and grace to remain faithful. The good news Christians share is that Jesus Christ is able and willing to guide and enable us on our journey toward our true home with God. 

-- Rueben P. Job in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”

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