“Focus on Christ – Our Passover”

This series on the prepared heart (prepared for fellowship, prepared for worship, and prepared for ministry service) could really have been only one installment; this one … Focus on Christ. In fact, there is a sense in which we can comfortably say this focus is the key to every aspect of our walk of faith.

Hebrews 12:1-2

2 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The “therefore” takes us back to what came before, in Chapter 11 of Hebrews. That chapter begins with a definition of faith …

Hebrews 11:1-2

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the men of old gained approval.

Faith is substance (assurance), faith is evidence (conviction) – faith is sure and certain. Faith isn’t believing the unbelievable – it is believing the undeniable. And the remainder of the chapter is written by the Spirit to give us examples of the undeniable.

Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sara, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthae, David, Samuel, the prophets, and countless others who “subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of aliens.” On and on the undeniable proof comes. Men raised from the dead, others tortured, imprisoned and sawn in two – tempted, destitute, afflicted and tormented. Men and women of whom the world was not worthy (verse 38) become for us our worthy example.

And so the Spirit says – Chapter 12:1 – “therefore”, with this historical body of undeniable truth of the faith - - AND THEN WE ARE SURPRISED. I mean, one would expect Him to say – “Therefore, never forget those examples and fix your hope on them. They stood - - you can stand too!” But that is not what the Spirit says. No He says - - fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith! Why? Why is that to be our focus – why must we fix our eyes on Jesus? Simple; because that is what they were looking at. Take any of those examples of faith in the Old Testament, add to them the examples of faith in the New Testament, and then add to them the examples of faith in the history of the church and you will find one consistent reality … THEY ALL LIVED WITH A GAZE FIXED ON CHRIST.

There are lots of stories of faithful men and women; the variety is staggering. Regardless of the person, regardless of the situation – IT IS GOD WHO WORKS ALL THINGS IN ALL PERSONS.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.

Perhaps the Apostle Paul best describes the reality of the walk of faith, and he would say, “Why are you looking at me? Fix your eyes on Him!”

Galatians 2:20-21

20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

No better way to spend your heart-preparation time today, or any day, than to fix your eyes on Him. When our heart if compromised and confused by the distractions of the world, the flesh, and the devil; it is extremely important to grab a clear glimpse of our Savior. Don’t settle for some obscured, blurry, and perhaps distorted picture of Him – go to the source of His revealed majesty; His Word to us. Learn of Him … Take a journey through the Word and see our Savior - follow the guide in the next post - "Christ in the Word".

He is much to behold. He enlivens our fellowship, He is the object of our worship, and He is the source of our ministry service to one another.

Focus on Him.

Grace and Peace,