Focus: Look To Jesus

Text: Heb.12:2.

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..."

The writer of Hebrews gives us a huge list of past men of faith in chapter 11. These men, I am sure, are the 'cloud of witnesses' in chapter 12, who are now seated in the heavenly amphitheater, watching and urging us to run the race of faith to the finish line. We are spiritual athletes running the spiritual race of faith.

The writer is telling us what to do to hit our ultimate goal.

He instructs us to look to Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith. In the original text the word 'looking' has a prefix attached to it. It is the word 'apo,' which means 'off' or 'away from.' The writer is therefore saying that you have to look away from all else to be able to focus or fix your gaze firmly on Jesus. We have to take our eyes off men and then concentrate on Jesus.

To look to Jesus alone, we must first look away from mere mortals.

Let's bear in mind that even the best of us are imperfect. We are constantly failing and falling.

We can't be looking back and looking around and expect to run well in this race of faith.

All those mentioned in Hebrews 11 are good men, but none of them is the author and finisher of our faith. Only Jesus! None of them died to redeem us from sin and Satan. Jesus alone did. As our pioneer he has cleared the way for us, and as a matter of fact, he is the way. No other way exists. Jesus is our leader and perfecter. By him we hit the goal of our faith.

I could hear the writer say, 'Since you have taken a glance at the cloud of witnesses, I urge you now to look away from them and fix your gaze firmly on Jesus. He is the focal point and goal of our faith. He alone is the captain of our salvation. We must esteem him above all else.

Keep your eyes on Jesus and you will become a successful spiritual athlete with a lot of imperishable laurels.

Blessings!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter