Chapter 4: Looking Unto Jesus

“Looking unto Jesus” is the answer to every discouragement and every problem. It is also our purpose, our focus, and our right bearing: Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

Jesus Christ, Lord of all things visible and invisible, is so delightful to look at. The very sight of Him breaks us down. We look His way, because He starts the love. He authors, He sustains, and He finishes our eternal love-bond. What glory.

And so we look at Him. And we look TO Him – for everything.

An era where all in the kingdom would “look unto Jesus” is prophesied in Isaiah 17:7: At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. We are living in that era. When you set your eyes upon Him, you are the fulfillment of this 2700-year-old prophesy!

The results of this looking are revealed in Psalm 34:5: They looked unto him, and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed. When we look to Jesus, we glow, and we are returned to a primitive place of no shame, like when Adam and Eve were “naked and unashamed” (Genesis 2:25). O may our faces glow like Moses, in the light of His hope and glory! As we meet with Him face to face, we radiate His love.

When we look unto Jesus, we are looking to the One who has gone before us into heaven. He has trodden the path we are now treading. Hebrews 4:14 says, Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. And so we look to Jesus as a runner looks to a forerunner. He is running out ahead of us. We hunger, thirst, pant, and run after Him. Hebrews 6:20 says, “Jesus the forerunner has entered for us.” Praise You, Lord.

This is like Gideon’s advice in Judges 7:17: And [Gideon] said unto them, ‘Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall you do.’ Just as the Israelites were called to lock onto their leader, we are called to lock eyes with the Lion.

And this procures untold benefits. We can have assurance that God hears us when we look to Jesus, as it says in Micah 7:7: Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

In looking unto Jesus, we fulfill the saving command of Isaiah 45:22, Look unto me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. Though we can’t always literally look AT Him right now, we can look TO Him and thereby be saved. This “look” also teaches us the singular specialness of Jesus. There is no one else worthy of our longing gaze.

When we are at a loss and surrounded by enemies, we must look unto Jesus. See what it says in 2 Chronicles 20:12: O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that comes against us; nor do we know what to do; but our eyes are upon You.

We can stay our hearts there. Our eyes look to You, Jesus. Our eyes are upon You.