March 12
An example to examine
Looking unto Jesus… Hebrews 12:2a (NKJV)
An understanding of Heaven ought to enhance our usefulness on earth. The more eternally aware a person is, the more sacrificial they’ll be. There’s no better example of this than Jesus.
Jesus certainly had an eternal perspective. He was constantly referring to life beyond this world. In the four gospels, He directly references “Heaven” or “heavenly” no less than 115 times! You can scarcely read a page without Him referring to His Father in Heaven, or His heavenly Kingdom. As a compass is always inexorably inclined to point to true north, Christ’s heart was constantly drawn Heavenward, and His words reflected this.
He was also the living embodiment of sacrifice. No other figure in history even comes close. Jesus did everything for others. His life was spent in healing the multitudes who were sick, feeding the hungry and poor, teaching the crowds who needed to know God’s truth, and even training the disciples. Jesus was even born so that He could die as the sin-sacrifice for all mankind.
In Christ, we have someone who has an eternal perspective as well as a sacrificial heart. We see a perfect fusion of this in the verse above that exhorts us to look unto Jesus…
…who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2b NKJV)
Notice what this is saying. Jesus sacrificially endured the cross. But we see that beneath the act was awareness. He had the eternal perspective that His death would result in our joyful reunion with Him in Heaven. Eternity impacted time, and a heavenly awareness produced an earthly sacrifice.
This is what we should always expect to see, not only with Jesus but with ourselves as well, because they go together and they will continue to do so…for time and eternity.
Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
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