Will you come nearer to the cross, and find that self-effort, fear, unworthiness, and guilt are all dispelled by the truth of the word of God? The grace of God that came at Calvary lifts us out of the self-effort, legalism and moralism of Old Testament law: “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17 NIV)
Will you come nearer to the cross, and let Jesus touch you and remove every fear? His perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18)! Standing in the shadow of the wooden tree, you are assured that you are a chosen and precious child of God (Galatians 3:26). Will you believe what the Word says? Will you let the truth of the cross dispel each lie? Will you see that at the cross the work of the enemy is disarmed and is triumphed over (Colossians 2:15).
Will you come nearer to the cross, and see that the burden of your sins has been born in Jesus’ own body on that tree? He took all the condemnation you and I deserved, and in our place, He received all the hatred of His Father against our sin and suffered under the separation of God and Himself. He even cried out "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?"
"He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:24, NIV)
Question 2. Please write out 1 Peter 2:24 and personalize it by replacing ‘our’, ‘we’ and ‘you’, with ‘my’ and ‘I’.
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For our lesson today I want us to focus on Hebrews 12:2 and consider what it means for us who have experienced such heavy depression in our lives. We know that whatever our eyes are fixed on, our minds and thoughts will follow. Scripture repeatedly reminds us to be active in turning away from focusing on the things of this world and not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2) and fixing our eyes onto the Person of Jesus who gives us life, hope, and healing. So let’s read Hebrews 12:2 and consider it together for the remainder of this lesson:
"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 12:2, ESV)
Different translations tell us to not only ‘look’ but to ‘fix our eyes’ (NIV), ‘keep our eyes on’ (NLT), ‘to focus on’ (GW), and continue in ‘beholding into the maker of faith and the perfect ender, Jesus’ (WYC). We are encouraged to be ‘Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus’ (AMPC), thus having a relentless preoccupation or a planned and purposeful obsession with looking at Jesus.
Question 3. Thinking about the verse of Hebrews 12:2 “Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus”, would you be able to share what your eyes (your focus, your thoughts, feelings, etc.) have been focusing on mostly during the day?
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