What Are You Gazing At?

As Easter approaches, I would like to ask you where your gaze is. Are you looking to the cross as a reminder of what Christ did for us? Are you looking at the empty tomb? Are you gazing into the sky looking for Jesus’ return? Or are you gazing at Jesus himself?

The cross is a powerful symbol of the sacrifice Jesus made for our sins. So much happened in that one event that set mankind free from the curse that had been placed on Adam and Eve and therefore mankind. Jesus was beaten and bruised and eventually crucified so that our diseases could be healed, our sins forgiven, and we would never have to be separated from God again. 

In her book, Revealing the Healer, Yvon Attita writes “the cross of Christ does not become a reflection of our sins but of our value.” I love this thought. The cross is not supposed to continually remind us of how bad and sinful we are. God says that when our sins are forgiven He doesn’t remember them (Hebrews 10:17). In Ephesians Chapter 1, Paul writes that the very same love God has for Jesus, He has for us. If we have asked God for the forgiveness of our sins, He is not rehearsing all the bad things we have done. He is, however,  continually reminding us of how valuable we are. 

The day Jesus was crucified had to have been deeply confusing, devastating, and terrifying for the disciples and others who followed Jesus. Even though Jesus had told them repeatedly what was about to happen, they had no grid to understand it. They still believed Jesus was going to overthrow the Roman government. Instead, they watched as Jesus was severely punished and killed. It was so devasting, Peter denied Jesus. They did not understand the spiritual significance of what was taking place. Although Jesus had told the disciples that He would rise from the dead and then He would meet them in Galilee, they truly thought it was over and He was gone. 

When Mary Magdelene and Jesus’s mother, Mary, went out to the tomb that Jesus had been placed in, they were greeted by an angel. Matthew 28:5 -7 (NKJV) “But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” 

Does this happen in your life? Jesus tells you something. Maybe you even receive a prophetic word, but then everything in your life tends to move in the opposite direction. You become so overwhelmed by the circumstances that you forget what God has promised. Like the disciples, you forget that God has basically told you that you might face hard times, but that He will meet you in Galilee. In other words, He will meet you in the promised place. This doesn’t mean that He will abandon you in the hard times. It means that as you walk through the hard times that is the time to remember what God has said. It is the time to stand on His promises, not question His promise. You will get to the other side of these circumstances and experience great joy.

The Bible tells us that once Jesus was raised from the dead He spent forty more days on the earth speaking with His disciples and others. He then gives them a commandment commonly referred to as the great commission. Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV) “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” 

That is a pretty tall order Jesus gave them, so Jesus also tells them they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them. The Holy Spirit is what empowers us to fulfill the great commission. In fact, the Bible in Romans 8 also tells us that the very spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives inside us! That is a deep truth that I think many believers are not in connection with on a daily basis. How would we approach fear, lack, sickness, and tragedy if we truly understood what Spirit lives inside us and what authority we carry? 

In Acts, the Bible tells us that Jesus blessed the disciples and then ascended into heaven. The disciples watched Him go. Then they stood staring into the sky. Two men in white appeared to the disciples and basically reminded them of what Jesus had just said. “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:10b NKJV)

These angels are essentially telling the disciples to get moving! Quit standing here gazing into the sky waiting for Jesus to come back. Jesus told you to go wait for the Holy Spirit to come upon you, and then you have a big job ahead of you. You are to go into all the world and tell people about who Jesus is and what He has done for you. 

I think we as the church sometimes get caught up in gazing into the sky and waiting for Jesus to come back. In the Bible, we are definitely told to anticipate His return so that our hearts can be ready. However, nowhere in the Bible does Jesus say go hide until I return. Things will get really terrible and you won’t have any of the answers the world needs. So the best thing is to not make any waves or tell anyone about me. 

In fact, Jesus pretty much says the opposite. He says you are the light of the world. He says I am with you always. He says to tell people about me. He says to heal the sick and cast out demons. He says go represent me to the world. 

Wouldn’t it also stand to reason that Christians should have world solutions? We as Christians are plugged into the One that has all the answers. Christians should be extremely creative because God is extremely creative. God created each and every one of us with unique gift mixes and abilities. Because we have a relationship with God, we have unique answers and creative ideas the world does not have. 

So I would like to ask you again. Where is your gaze this Easter season? Is it on the cross as a reflection of your value? Is it on the empty tomb as a reminder that God will fulfill His promises? Or is your gaze on Jesus Himself, our Savior, our Intercessor, our Healer, and who left the earth in physical form, so we could have the Holy Spirit? 

Remember friend, God is always for us never against us. I challenge you to allow the Lord to speak to you about your value and identity in Him. Allow Him to fill your heart with hope for the promises yet fulfilled. Allow Him to show you truly who you are in Him so you can effectively represent Jesus to a world that does not yet know Him and so desperately needs Him. Jesus loves you more than you can understand. He wants you to live victoriously and abundantly in Him.