Men of ObedienceSample

Eyes on Him

We live in the age of “I.”

Me, my and I-phone captivate us. The I AM stands among us, ignored.

M’Cheyne beckons us to a different focal point: “Learn much of the Lord Jesus. For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ.”[1]

Jesus Christ is the one man who has been able to be angry without sin. If you slap Him in the face, He’ll turn the other cheek, but if you keep outsiders from praying in the temple, He’ll flip tables. He keeps the wedding celebration going and hangs out with the disreputable and religious alike.

Jesus is the perfect man. He knew how to work to exhaustion when the Father asked, yet He was interruptible. He trusted God completely and yet courageously and constantly fulfilled His responsibilities. He treated women with unparalleled dignity and care.

He alone practiced what He preached. Prayer was no mere duty or ritual for Him—it was the garden yielding intimacy, clarity, and power. He arose from prayer to a life of disciple-making and spiritual warfare. Demons pleaded for mercy, and elements obeyed His commands. He wielded power without corruption and transcended the coming and going of fame without fault.

Jesus navigated explosive political and religious topics with ease. He turned funerals into celebrations. At His direction, they took off Lazarus’ grave clothes and set him free, the first reverse embalming.

The Author of Creation was silent before Pilate and refused to come down from the Cross. Imagine His flayed body nailed to His cruciform throne, His stomach churning as the sickness and shame of every unfaithful husband and more assaulted His heart. In those moments, the words that arose from His heart were of forgiveness for those crucifying Him (Luke 23:34), as well as care for His mother (John 19:26-27).

He was obedient even unto that death.

And He is risen!

Men, this week is about obedience. We must be clear about Who we are obeying and where that obedience leads. The answer is one and the same:

We obey Christ Jesus, and by obeying Him, we shall live with Him and become like Him forever.

Reeves writes that most of our problems and failures occur “through forgetting or marginalizing Christ…we fail to build our lives and thoughts upon the rock.”[2]

So, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

Prayer: Lord, deepen my awe and wonder. Show me who You are anew. Lead me into a life of worship. Amen.

Reflection: What are your favourite stories about Jesus? Why?

[1] As quoted in Rejoicing in Christ by Michael Reeves, pg 11.

[2] Rejoicing in Christ by Michael Reeves, pg 10.