The Son of God should be invoked in all lectio and in all celebrations.

  - The Rule of Ailbe, Irish, 8th century[1]

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”

  - John 5.39

And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

  - Ephesians 1.22, 23

Jesus is the heart and core, the beginning and end, and the sum and substance of Christian faith.

Jesus – not your church, or your fellowship group, or your pastor, or you and your experience. Jesus.

Jesus is the centerpiece and focusing light of all Scripture, as He Himself insisted. When we read the Word of God we must look to discover what Jesus is revealing about Himself. He is the fulfillment of the Law (Matt. 5.17). He is the hope of the patriarchs, Moses, and the prophets (Jn. 8.56; Jn. 5.46; Jn. 1.45). He is the culmination of all the promises of God (2 Cor. 1.20). He is the hope Who lives in us (Col. 1.27), and the One we will meet face-to-face on the last day (1 Jn. 3.1-3).

All our daily needs, all we might hope for from the Lord, all that we may expect to receive from His gracious hand – all are realized in Jesus (Phil. 4.19). He is reflected in every fact, facet, and force of creation, which He upholds by His powerful Word (Heb. 1.3).

Jesus is the end we seek as we pursue the Kingdom of God. He is the very embodiment of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit, which is the Kingdom of God (Rom. 14.17). The Church is His body and must strive to express the unity of faith and life, and maturity of Spirit and service which Jesus Himself ever demonstrated.

Jesus is life itself – all life (Jn. 14.6). Eternal life is knowing God and Jesus Christ (Jn. 17.3). It’s literally all about Jesus.

Thus, the worship of our churches must rehearse, in each service, the glory of all the Person and work of our Lord Jesus, and hold Him central in all our celebrations. If Jesus is not the center of your faith, and of the life of your church, then your worship services will not be about Him either. They’ll be more about you and keeping you comfortable and happy and coming back for more of the same.

But you won’t meet Jesus there. And, most likely, you won’t find Jesus going with you from there into your daily life throughout the week.

We can never get enough of Jesus – of meditating on Him, communing with Him, sharing our experiences of Him with one another, bearing witness to Him, growing in Him, knowing Him with us always, being seated with Him in heavenly places, and exalting Him as Savior, Lord, King, Friend, and Redeemer.

Jesus intends to fill the world with Himself (Eph. 1.22, 23), and His method of doing so involves filling us and overflowing us into all things (Jn. 7.37-39; Eph. 4.10).

Do we seek Jesus above all else? Do we love Him as He loves us? Do we think with His mind, serve with His hands, go with His feet, speak with His mouth, and trust with His faith?

The writer of Hebrews calls us to “look” to Jesus (Heb. 12.1, 2). Paul tells us to set our minds on Him (Col. 3.1-3). Peter says that even though we cannot see Him with our eyes, yet we must learn to love Him supremely (1 Pet. 1.8, 9).

You will never know real life – eternal life – until seeking Jesus, looking constantly for Him, becomes the defining motif of your life.

For Reflection
1. How would you explain to a new believer what it means to seek Jesus?

2. What can you do to improve the consistency and clarity of your seeking Jesus?

Psalm 2.11, 12 (Agincourt: O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High!)
Rejoice with fear in Jesus’ grace, and worship before His exalted face!
Beware His anger and judgment grim: How blest are all who rest in Him!

Draw me to Yourself, O Lord, and teach me to look for You in all thing. Then I will…

Take time to meditate!
Download the free PDF, Glorious Vision: 28 Days in the Throne Room of the Lord, and let Psalm 45 lead you into deeper contemplation of the Lord. Two other resources to help you focus on the beauty and greatness of the Lord are our books, What in Heaven Is Jesus Doing on Earth? (click here), and To Know Him (click here).

Thank You
We pray that, if Crosfigell ministers to you, you’ll consider sharing with us in the financial support of our ministry. If the Lord moves you to give, you can use the Contribute button at the website to give with a credit card or through PayPal, or you can send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 360 Zephyr Road, Williston, VT 05495.

T. M. Moore
Principal

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All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[1] Ó Maidín, p. 22.