My alarm sings, and I swipe to shut it off. CNN flashes a list of alerts again this morning, and I groan. But I cannot look away. I both want to know, and I don’t.

There’s been another earthquake while we slept; this time, Greece.

The Russian jet that crashed over Egypt two weeks back? It was definitely a bomb, an act of terror, of which ISIS claims responsibility.

They’re recapping the details of the Paris attacks, and if we listen to the warnings, the terrorists say they’re coming for Washington, D.C. next.

I fell asleep, thinking about these things, wondering what’s coming next.

But every time I start thinking about these things, I end up at Jesus.

There is nowhere else to end up, at least for someone like me, because He is the only hope we have when people go dark, when whole cities go dark.

Jesus is the only hope we have. He’s not a last resort, or an insufficient hope.

Jesus is our only hope, our only real hope.

Our terror trial might become “contained” by governments, but it’s not going to be fixed by anyone other than God Himself. In this world we were promised troubles. We have an enemy, and he’s on the prowl. We’re in a battle, whether we’re aware of it or not.

In a world where it’s easy to get lost in the details, the difficulties, and the drama–what’s needed is to fix our thoughts on Jesus.

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. Hebrews 3:1

We’ve been making our way through the book of Hebrews on Tuesdays, and it’s fitting today to begin chapter 3. To begin with, Fix your thoughts on Jesus.

It’s what I need on all the days, but especially days like these.

The writer of Hebrews speaks to Holy Brothers & Sisters, who share in the heavenly calling. In other words, believers, people who fear God and believe in Jesus who He sent.

In my post, Brothers & Sisters, Jesus proudly calls us His siblings. His Holy Siblings. And now, people who share in the heavenly calling. Do you see yourself in that light today?

We have to start believing we are who He says we are.

The word “Therefore” points us backward, to the previous chapter, where we see Jesus as Son of God, who became lower than the angels for a while, fully human in order to break the power of death over us and atone for our sins. Because of all that–all He’s done for us–we should fix our thoughts on Jesus, who is both our apostle and High Priest. As apostle, meaning “one who is sent,” Jesus was sent into the world by the Father, as He often claimed.

To understand Jesus as our High Priest, it’s important to know that in Israel, only the supreme priest, the High Priest, could enter into the presence of God, the Most Holy Place in the temple, to make atonement for the sins of the people.

But now, Jesus is our High Priest, who ushers us into the Presence of God, inviting us into the heavenly calling, so that now, we enjoy the presence of God, at all times, in every place.

May we fix our thoughts on Jesus, the One who makes us holy, who makes us family, who calls us heavenward, who invites us in.

“My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.”

(My Hope Is Built, by Edward Mote, hymnsite.com)

Jesus, You’re my hope and stay.    

 

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