What are you looking at?

Isaiah 11:10
And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious.”

Sometimes it’s difficult to see the road ahead, the light at the end of the tunnel, especially when the problems of everyday life have us completely focused on ourselves. For some of us these problems are physical (sickness, disease) and for others they are spiritual (sin). Whatever your problem may be, it seems to hold your attention.

This is exactly what the devil wants. He wants you to become so internally focused that you fail to see the road ahead. By keeping you preoccupied with your problems he can keep you from seeing the stumbling stones in your path. And by keeping you focused on your flaws (or perceived flaws) Satan is able to keep you from seeing your perfection in and through Christ. When this happens even the “best” of Christians can stumble and even fall!

When the Israelites were in the wilderness with Moses they were attacked by serpents. Because of their sinful actions, God allowed these terrible creatures into their camp. The bites were excruciatingly painful; there was no rest for the afflicted. But when they cried out to God He gave them healing and rest. God instructed Moses to raise a bronze serpent on a pole for the people to see. When they looked at it, their pain would cease; they would be healed.

This imagery in Numbers 21 is spoken of by Jesus Himself in John 3. (“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” John 3:14) Jesus knows that when we focus on ourselves the pain and suffering is excruciating. But when we focus on Him, healing happens, pain retreats.

When we are focused inward on our own physical or spiritual sicknesses, we are blind to the healing that is readily available through looking outward at the cross. The sting, the pain, and the suffering associated with our afflictions becomes like a god. Our obsession with removing sin from our lives becomes a love affair with self-righteousness and only serves to bring about more pain.

Friends, what we need to do is look to the cross and see the perfect work of Jesus Christ completed there. We need to see our cancer, asthma, obesity, bankruptcy, crack addiction, selfishness, porn-hungriness, etc. nailed through the hands and feet of Jesus in order receive the healing that His grace has provided. When viewed through human eyes, the cross is a symbol of suffering and shame, but in the throne room of God, the cross is the glorious place where Christ was finally able to rest His head. (Luke 9:58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”, John 19:30 “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” [The word “lay” and “bowed” in these scriptures is the Greek word klino meaning “a deliberate putting of the head into rest” Strong’s word 2827]) The cross is a symbol of forgiveness, love, redemption, healing, and right-standing with the Father. It is a symbol of perfection! Look out, look up, and look to Jesus.