(August 17, 2024) Wayne Swift again calls it as it is…

Focus—

Now that’s a word meaning ‘the main or central point of something, especially of interest or attention.’

Did you ever realise that your salvation depended on Jesus’ focused resolution to suffer the cross and all that that entailed? That before Christ even went to the cross He had to focus on His commitment to the task ahead.

Jesus’ Origins
It’s amazing really that Almighty God had made the incredible decision to come to this world in human form as Jesus Christ for our sakes!

And consequently He had feelings and emotions as we have. For example…

• He cared (Matthew 15:30).
• He comforted (Matthew 11:28).
• He cried (Luke 19:41).

Jesus also experienced concerns. I particularly mention seven emotions that Jesus felt during that dark Calvary-centred episode— the events of the night He was betrayed, then wrongly accused, deserted by friends, then convicted eventuating in being horribly crucified!

Christ experienced —

• Disappointment.
• Loneliness.
• Trouble.
• Adversity.
• Betrayal.
• Desertion.
• Pain.

Think about it! How then did Christ — the all-powerful second person of the Godhead now in human form — make it to the cross instead of defending Himself by calling down powerful heavenly help?

Remember what Jesus told the disciples that night in Gethsemane’s garden — ‘Don’t you realise that I am able right now to call to my Father, and twelve companies — more, if I want them — of fighting angels would be here, battle-ready?’ (Matthew 26:53NLT).

And He didn’t! He was totally focused on something else and added, ‘But if I did that, how would the scriptures come true that say this is the way it has to be?’ (v54). 

Have you ever thought about all this, wondering how Jesus went through all it all? Let me tell you some more about our Saviour friend —

Jesus’ Obligations
Despite feeling those heart-breaking emotions above there was another one that was uppermost in His mind— Jesus also sensed obligation — both to His Father and to us! He was committed to the task ahead of becoming our Saviour despite what it would cost Him!

John 12:27a records that one time, obviously thinking ahead, Jesus had said to some of His disciples and a gathered crowd: ‘Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? “Father, save me from this hour”?’ This was the human emotion of being adverse to dying— however Jesus had promptly acknowledged His obligation to His Father— ‘No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.’ (v27b).

Message Bible reads ‘Right now I am storm-tossed. And what am I going to say? “Father, get me out of this”? No, this is why I came in the first place.’ 

That obligation Christ felt would really have Him deeply troubled one dark night sometime later! Mark 14:33-42 tells of that evening when the betrayed Jesus would be arrested and interrogation began preluding being taken away to be crucified.

That was the night Jesus so desired that His dearest friends would stand by Him in  the garden and pray with Him, ‘“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” He said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from Him. “Abba, Father,” He said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”’

Verses 37-39 tell of the disappointment and loneliness Jesus felt:  ‘Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” He said to Peter, “are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Once more He went away and prayed the same thing.’

Actually He prayed alone not once more but twice, totalling three anguished prayer times. Luke 22:44  records ‘And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.’ It was the beginning of more dark times…

Christ made it to the cross by focussing on something other than His own personal pain and anguish! Jesus was obligated to us too and determined to achieve what would glorify His Father and ensure our salvation! Jesus was our focused friend!

Jesus’ Operations
1. He Focused on our Future
Paul summed up the result of what Jesus achieved on Calvary in Romans 5:10: ‘For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life. Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.’

Hey reader… that’s amazing! In all that He went through, suffered on Calvary’s cross, Jesus was focused on redeeming us from our sins and reconciling us with our heavenly Father!

Our eternal home in heaven with God is guaranteed when we accept Jesus as our Saviour. Christians have no fear of this not being a reality!

Jesus now in heaven with Father God will be returning one day to gather us to Himself for our journey to the heavenly realms. But even if we were to die before Jesus returns, because of what He achieved on Calvary, we are assured of eternal life!

Here’s what the great D.L. Moody wrote in confirmation: ‘Some day you will read in the papers that D.L. Moody of East Northfield, is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now. I shall have gone up higher, that is all-out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal; a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint, a body fashioned like unto his glorious body. I was born of the flesh in 1837. I was born of the Spirit in 1856. That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit will live forever’ (D.L. Moody, Christian History, no. 25).

We now have a future in heaven!

2. He Focused on our Freedom
Paul understood what Christ’s focus on us, His Father’s will, and Calvary achieved.

He summed it up in Colossians 2:13-15: ‘When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.’

Our Saviour’s commitment has gained us many things, especially—

• Freedom from the penalty of sin.
• Freedom from slavery to sin.
• Freedom to live for Christ.

We now have a future here on earth!

3. He Focused on our Need for Forgiveness
We’re human… we sin, offending a holy God… and sinners need His forgiveness. And this was established when His Son Jesus focused on us and paid the price of sin on Calvary’s cross!

The writer of Hebrews confirmed this: ‘“Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin’ (Hebrews 10:17-18).

On repentance of sins and acceptance of Christ as Saviour, one is forgiven by Almighty God! That is good news indeed. We needed God to forgive us!

• And… I would remind us of two other forgiveness needs linked in here—

(i) The need to forgive others
Having been forgiven by God for our sins, we must forgive those who sinned against us, that is hurt us in some way, maybe several ways! Remember what Jesus taught in the Lord’s Prayer? ‘… forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us’ (Matthew 6:12NLT).

Forgiving those who have faulted against us is vital!

(ii) The need to forgive yourself
This too is vital! Actually it’s logical — but unfortunately not always recognised or talked about. One can find lots of quotes from secular and famous personalities on forgiving oneself, but Christians, even ministers, often don’t grasp the spiritual importance of self-forgiveness!

The reality is that our enemy, the devil, can trick us into recalling past sins and failures, how we hurt and offended someone— and then accuse us of being failures! And if we get caught up in this trap, we could begin to question our redemption in Christ!

If this happens, we must be like Jesus and take His example! We too must be focused! Focused on the fact that we have been forgiven, are cleansed! The old has gone as far as God is concerned.

Paul knew this and wrote to the Philippian church: ‘I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us’ (Philippians 3:13-14NLT).

‘Forgetting’ here is epilanthanomia. Now that’s a big word, but then not forgiving oneself can be a big heavy! It’s means to ‘lose out of one’s mind, to neglect’! In other words, forget it! When the past begins to rear its ugly head, drop it immediately and focus like Paul on pressing on into all that God has for us here… on our way to heaven!

We now have a future on life!

Jesus’ Objectives
Focus, obligation and commitment took Christ to the cross. These deep emotions should take us to the cross as well, that is whatever ‘our cross’ — our calling in following Christ — might be. Even as Jesus denied Himself to fulfill His obligation to His Father, we too should be so committed.

Jesus pointed this out: ‘Then He called the crowd to Him along with His disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”’(Mark 8:34).

Our cross — our objectives — in following Jesus are the like of sharing Him with lost souls (Matthew 28:18-20), caring and praying for troubled individuals (John 15:12), loving your neighbour (Matthew 22:39), supporting your local church (Hebrews 10:25).

*Dear reader… I urge you to be Christ Focused!
If my thoughts above have touch your emotions, I would end with three challenging questions—

• Will you sincerely deny yourself and accept and focus on the call to follow Christ?
• Can you wholeheartedly determine to focus on and commit yourself to the cause of Christ?
• Are you prepared to change your focus from your own wellbeing and, like Christ, focus on the wellbeing of others?

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Wayne and Ruth Swift pastor Resound Church, Scoresby, Victoria. Link: Web resound.church
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