Eyes on Jesus
Fix your eyes on Jesus. Just how do you do that? How do you put your eyes on someone who is unseen?
Of course, Jesus is a real person. He was the object of many eyes in Jerusalem during that Holy Week long ago, when He rode into town on a donkey, was proclaimed by the crowds to be the Great Messiah, and then was crucified on a cross with the charge over His head, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” As we will examine in our weekend worship services this Lent, some looked at Jesus with misjudging eyes, denying eyes, worldly eyes, betraying eyes, and even murderous eyes. Others looked at Him with eyes of faith, eyes of love, and eyes of great hope. At Easter, we will celebrate Jesus through the eyes of the angels at the empty tomb who proclaimed, “He is Risen!”
But once again, how do we see Jesus? Since His Ascension into heaven, how are we supposed to put our eyes on Jesus? In our theme verse for the year, the words are literally “fix your eyes on Jesus.” (Hebrews 12:2) This is a different word - in Greek, also - than “look” or “see.” Literally this word means “look away from one thing and concentrate - focus - on something else.” Some translations, similar to the old King James Bible, would write the verse as “turn away to Jesus.” One of my Greek dictionaries defines it “turn the eyes of your mind toward [Jesus].” I like that thought, especially since it is similar to “focus on Jesus.”
This world seeks our attention and focus in so many ways. Jesus taught us to live on this earth with a constant eye on God and His promises. Whenever we take time to pause and focus our eyes on Jesus and trust Him with eyes of faith, He becomes more clear, and the worries of this world soon fade away. So, let’s fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God! (Hebrews 12:2) As we endure our own crosses, picture yourself at last sitting down beside Him, at God’s own throne – by grace, through faith. Thank You, Jesus!
Pastor Charles Reich