During the forty days of Lent from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday (forty days not counting Sundays), Jayme Thompson and I will post daily devotionals on this blog to help guide you through the season. Lent is an ancient tradition in the church intended to be a time of focusing on the cross. To help us in this pursuit, we are studying the book of Hebrews in a series called, "Journey of Hope". It is appropriate that we use this book during our fast, as the theme of Hebrews is "Fix your eyes on Jesus."
Fix Your Eyes on Jesus
The writer of Hebrews is writing to urban Christians who have been marginalized in a pluralistic culture because of their faith in Christ. Many were tempted to turn away. The writer makes the point that if you are tempted to turn from Christ, it only means that you don't understand the superiority of Christ and the meaning of the cross. In chapter 2:1, he writes, "We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard..." (NIV) The original language is much stronger. A good literal translation might be "We must be fanatically obsessed..."
If we are not obsessed with what Christ did for us on the cross, it can only mean that we don't understand the depth of our sin that was paid for, or the incredible expanse of His love that would sacrifice in order to satisfy His wrath. In the cross, we see both His perfect justice and loving mercy at work. Knowing this reality in all of it's fullness would cause us to be "obsessed".
In 12:1-2, He writes,
1Therefore, 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. 2Let us 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.
Let's make this our goal this lent season. Let's "throw off everything that hinders and entangles us" and fix our eyes on Jesus. Let's obsess over the cross as we fast together.
It doesn't get much better than Isaac Watts:
When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ, my God; All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.
See, from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down; Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Truly that is the meaning of the season.
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