How to Look Away unto Jesus (Hebrews 12:2)

 

How to Look Away unto Jesus (Hebrews 12:2)

Hebrews 12:1-2: “Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” 

Aspect	How to Look Away unto Jesus (Hebrews 12:2)
Meaning	“Looking away” means turning from all other goals and fixing our attention solely on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). Like a runner who ignores distractions and keeps his eyes on the finish line. “Unto” means to turn fully toward Him, connecting with the Christ who sits at the right hand of God’s throne.
Reason	1. The Hebrew believers faced persecution and the temptation to return to Judaism; they needed to turn from earthly religion and focus on the heavenly Christ (Hebrews 1:3; 12:2). 2. Earthly things, traditions, or natural strength cannot carry us through the race of faith; only Christ, the Author and Perfecter of faith, can (Hebrews 12:2). 3. He has been crowned with glory and honor (Hebrews 2:9), becoming the greatest attraction in the universe.
Method	1. Turn the eyes: Look away from traditions, earthly things, and self (Colossians 3:2; Hebrews 13:13). 2. Fix the gaze: Focus on Jesus as our goal and supply (2 Corinthians 3:18). 3. By the Spirit: Turn inwardly to the indwelling Christ (Romans 8:10; 2 Timothy 4:22). 4. Run with endurance: Follow Jesus’ example of enduring opposition (Hebrews 12:1-3).
Examples	1. Paul: Counted all things loss for Christ, pressed toward the goal (Philippians 3:8, 13-14). 2. Moses: Refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing to suffer with God’s people (Hebrews 11:24-26). 3. Hebrew believers: Endured persecution by looking away from Judaism and toward Christ (Hebrews 10:32-34).
Application	1. Believers today should not be distracted by the world, religion, or earthly things, but focus on the enthroned Christ. 2. In trials and oppositions, do not lose heart; instead, look away unto Him who infuses us with life and strength. 3. In daily life and church life, turn to the Spirit of Christ to receive His supply, to run the heavenly race, and reach glory.
Key Scriptures (expanded)	- Hebrews 1:3: “Who being the effulgence of His glory and the impress of His substance, and upholding all things by the word of His power, having made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” - Hebrews 2:9: “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels because of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor.” - Hebrews 12:3: “For compare Him who has endured such contradiction by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary, fainting in your souls.” - 2 Corinthians 3:18: “But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit.” - Philippians 3:8, 13-14: “But moreover I also count all things to be loss on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord… Forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, I pursue toward the goal for the prize to which God in Christ Jesus has called me upward.”

  

Conclusion: 

To look away unto Jesus is to turn from all distractions, fix our eyes on the enthroned Christ, and draw supply from Him. He is the Author and Perfecter of our faith, the greatest attraction in the universe, and the One who carries us to glory.

  

*Please refer to the June 2025 Summer Training, General Topic: Experiencing, Enjoying, and Manifesting Christ (Part 3), Chapter 8: Looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of Our Faith