After spending a week on messages about the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus the Christ, I am ready to get back to our series entitled, “Refined Focus”. However, I am not ready to get back to Psalm 1 yet. Early this morning, as I prayed over what to write today, I had both the life of Jesus on the “focus” series on my mind and heart. During the prayer I began to meditate on the focus Jesus had and that’s what today’s message will be about. Jesus had to have tremendous focus in order to do what He did.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem because Micah prophesied a leader of Israel with everlasting origins would be born in Bethlehem. Bethlehem also has ties to David and Jesus was to come from the house and lineage of David. As a young baby, Jesus was threatened by king Herod, so his parents took him to live in Egypt. But this too was the fulfillment of a prophecy. The prophet Hosea prophesied that God would call His son out of Egypt. When Herod was dead, Mary and Joseph took a young Jesus to be raised in Nazareth. This too was the fulfillment of prophecy, for Jesus was to be called a Nazarene. With all that behind him, a young Jesus attempted to live life as a common man. He was fully God and fully man at the same time. As a young boy, knowing good-and-well that He was God in the flesh, it took tremendous focus and discipline to wait for the fulness of time before starting His ministry.
When He was 12 years old His parents made their annual trip to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When the festival was over the family returned home, but they did not realize Jesus stayed behind. It took Mary and Joseph three days to find Jesus. When they did, they found Him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard young Jesus was amazed at his understanding and answers. His parents were upset, but He said, “Didn’t you know I had to be about my Father’s business?” And with that, they took Him away. He went back to a normal life. The Bible says, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” He did His best to remain focused, and to live as a common man.
We don’t hear from Jesus again until 18 years later. At the age of 30 Jesus started His ministry. He was baptized by His cousin, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, and He went off into the wilderness to be tested. After being tested Jesus started preaching the gospel of the Kingdom. He recruited 12 disciples and He setup His ministry headquarters in Capernaum. Even that was purposeful, because Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah was humble the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, a coastal region later known as Capernaum.
After three and a half years of ministry Jesus was crucified for us. Throughout the entire ordeal, Jesus had to exercise tremendous focus and restraint. At any point He could have called down a legion of angels and wiped-out His enemies. But instead of having them killed, He prayed for them. He interceded for them in earnest. Jesus was focused on fulfilling His divine assignment.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- When you develop divine focus you are able to exercise patience and restraint. Jesus waited 30 years for a 3 1/2 year ministry.
- God will not present you publicly until you are proven. You must be focused as you endure the “test” phases of your life. Even though Jesus had never sinned, the Father did not allow Him to start His public ministry until He was tested in the wilderness.
- If you focus on God and His Word long enough you will get to the point where you truly trust Him; and believe me, you will need to develop trust in order to endure your “process” in life. Jesus had a unique path to His purpose. Your path may not be His, but you have your own process to endure.
- It may look like everything is going hay-wire in your life. It may seem like it is taking too long for God’s promises to manifest. It may look like you don’t know where you are going. Rest assured, God has a plan and if you remain in faith, His plan will unfold in the fulness of time.
- Your book may not be called the Old Testament, but you also have some prophecies to fulfill. Like Jesus, you have been destined for a divine purpose. When you feel like you have been tossed to-and-fro, from pillar-to-post, from place-to-place, just remember the zig-zag road Jesus took to fulfill His purpose. Jesus had to go from Bethlehem, to Egypt, to Nazareth, to Capernaum, and ultimately to Golgotha’s hill, but He was simply fulfilling prophecy. Looking back one day, you will be able to say the same about your own life. God had a plan, you had to fulfill it, and it took you places you never expected. In the end, God was glorified!
Closing Confession: Father, this is a season of refined focus for me. I bring my life into focus in 2016 by focusing on Your divine assignment. I am not moved by the places I sometimes have to go. I am not moved by the challenges I face along the way. I am not moved by the time it is taking to fulfill many of the promises I am waiting on. I am only moved by You. I remained focused on You and Your divine assignment. I say what I hear You say. I do what You lead me to do. I live by faith, my faith accesses Your grace, and I will accomplish everything I was born to accomplish in the fulness of Your timing. I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
