Looking to Jesus
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)
In chapter 11, the author of Hebrews discusses pillars of faith who have come before us. He describes Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses and others. Some were mocked, ridiculed, tortured and killed; others were victorious; yet none achieved perfection. After expressing that thought, the author begins chapter 12 writing, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses….” We are surrounded by great examples of faith, pillars showing us the way; however, we do not focus on them, we focus on Christ Jesus, the “founder and perfector of our faith.” We look to Him, we set our gaze on Him. This is not a passing glance. It is intentional, without distraction, and lasting. The only way to endure running the race is to shed sin from our lives, and the only way to do that is to focus our eyes, our hearts, our soul, our lives on Christ Jesus. It is through Christ Jesus and His holy abiding and His transforming grace that we are rendered able to run the race.
Looking to Jesus. It is at once simple and daunting and effective. It begins with turning to Jesus, which is the heart of repentance, and then continuously fixing our gaze on Him. By looking to Him we are saved, yet this is no mere glance. Throughout the gospels we see Pharisees seek out Jesus, see Him, hear Him, yet walk from the experience unchanged. In the same books we see demons recognize Jesus for who He is, yet they leave the experience unsaved. In this context, looking to Jesus involves belief, knowing and trusting, the way a disciple looks to his or her master.
Jesus discusses the notion that salvation is available to those who look to Him by referring to an incident that occurred during the Exodus. During their forty-year jaunt through the wilderness, shortly after Aaron died, they left Mount Hor and walked a route to the Red Sea that avoided Edom. Along the way the people “spoke against God and against Moses” (Numbers 21:5). They complained about the food and water God was providing. They grumbled and wanted to return to slavery in Egypt.
The plagues and God’s miraculous deliverance of His people from Egypt demonstrated His superiority over Pharaoh, who claimed to be a god, and the gods of Egypt. By desiring to return to Egypt, the Israelites were not merely desiring the food, water and lifestyle they had there, they were also expressing a desire to subject themselves to the rule of the other gods. They were rejecting Yahweh, and He was not happy about it.
Yet another demonstration of His infinite almightiness, He called poisonous snakes to the area as an act of His judgment and wrath. People bitten by a snake died. Scripture describes the snakes as “fiery serpents” (Numbers 21:7) – apparently their poison felt hot to the dying victim.
The people acknowledged their sin, they apologized for speaking against God, and they begged Moses to pray to God on their behalf to save them.
Moses prayed and God said, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live” (Numbers 21:8). By merely looking at the bronze snake, people would suddenly be empowered to overcome the poison with them. People destined to die a fiery death would suddenly gain life. Life was gained, the death sentence was overcome by merely looking at the bronze snake, but each person needed to have enough faith to travel to the snake and look at it. God did not heal them where they were bitten; they had to physically see the snake. It required a certain level of faith and the energy to act on their faith.
God transformed His judgment and wrath to mercy and grace when His people repented, humbled themselves and prayed for mercy. God is all powerful. He is in control. He summoned the snakes and He set the plan in motion providing healing and life.
With that in mind, Jesus says,
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. John 3:14-15
Jesus refers to the bronze snake lifted up on a pole providing life to everyone who looked at it, compares the snake on the pole to Him being lifted up on the cross, and says whoever believes in Him has eternal life. He connects looking to and believing. Just as the Israelites in the wilderness lived under God’s judgment and wrath, subjected to the death sentence of fiery serpents, we are also condemned, spiritually dead, destined to eternal separation from God until we look to Jesus to gain His life. Jesus says,
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” John 3:18-21
Looking to Jesus means setting our eyes on Him without wavering, setting our eyes on Him as our leader who we follow, as our Lord and Master. Looking to Jesus leads to life change. And to make that clear, in the same chapter Scripture says,
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. John 3:36
Looking to Jesus is tied to believing, which is connected to obeying. Looking and believing lead to spiritual life through Christ Jesus, communion with God, the Holy Spirit’s abiding presence, and this spiritual transformation enables us to obey. But we must always remember that Christ Jesus is the author and perfector of faith. Faith comes from Him. In His mercy and grace, He grants us faith.
We see the great cloud of witnesses. We have the benefit of their example. We see their faith and we know faith is a gift from Christ Jesus. Isaiah writes,
In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 17:7
Isaiah distinguishes between two of the three persons of God – the Father and Christ Jesus – saying we will look to Christ Jesus. And the psalmist describes the radiance resulting from looking to Him writing
Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed. Psalm 34:5
So we look to Him. Continuously without distraction. It is so simple yet so effective. May you continuously seek Him and know Him, looking to Him as you endure the race. Amen.