Consider Him

Heb.3:1 - Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

The writer of Hebrews is, in this context, going to compare Jesus with Moses whom the Hebrews held in high esteem. But later in the chapter the Scriptures refer to Jesus as the Creator and Moses the creation. Quite a difference. But in this first verse we are exhorted to “consider” Jesus. That is a wonderful discipleship verse. In my own mind I believe the greatest and most comprehensive discipleship verse is “He must increase, but I must decrease”, but consider Jesus is another good one.
How would our lives change if in everything we did we considered Jesus. Not just a wristband that says WWJD, but a lifestyle that actually considered Jesus in everything and acted accordingly. Take an imaginary trip with me.

We are heaven, the throne room and dwelling place of God. In the very center is the Lamb who was slain, the Risen and Glorified Christ. He is beyond words and His brilliance lights the entire universe. His countenance is stunning and just one glance is so overwhelming no one can stand in His presence. We bow down and worship Him with exaltations that were unavailable to us on earth. His voice, His eyes, His robe, and everything about Him commands all attention, and the angels swirl around him saying,

“Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”

Our entire beings are consumed with the knowledge and presence of the glorified Son of God. We have found our eternal rest in Him. Time is no more, we live in the eternal moment.

Now Jesus calls us over and tells us that He is sending us to a world where sinners need His redemption. He tells us that the price has already been paid, and He extends His hands to prove it. He instructs us to go and be His witnesses, and we will be given earthly bodies. We will get married and have children and have to earn a living, but our mission is to share His gospel and live as salt and light in that dark place. But Jesus tells us He will allow us to remember everything about where we are coming from, including Himself.
So we arrive in this world and begin our missionary journey, as it were. Of course we cannot tell people we have just come from heaven, but the memory of being with Christ empowers us daily. I want to ask you this: Would anything on this earth allure us? Would we care about the politics and nationalistic wrangling? Would we worry about money and the cares of this world? After being in God’s eternal throne room, would the Taj Mahal amaze us? And having seen the scars in the hands of Jesus, would we, could we, ever compromise and say there are other religions just as valid? So why would our lives be so different? Think about what conclusion sinners drew about the apostles in Acts.

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”

Our lives would be demonstrably different because we could not get the knowledge of Jesus out of our minds. His vision and His presence would saturate our minds and hearts, and regardless of what circumstance we found ourselves in, the presence of the Risen Christ would make us soar above it all. Our bodies would be walking upon this earth, but our hearts and minds would always dwell with the Lord Jesus. And with that, our lives would be so very different and unencumbered by this world, that others around us would surely notice something very different about us. I mean what would people think about a person who was so free from the cares and pressures of this world that his existence manifested Christ continually?
We would be so loving and gracious, and in view of the Lord Jesus, humility would come naturally. And when we were castigated or mocked by anyone, we took it without retribution and with a grace that baffled those around us. Being very aware of where we came from and where we would return to, we sought the good of others at our own expense. And having experienced in person God’s love for sinners, we would not think of condemning and judging. Redemption would be our very breath.

Of course we have not yet been to heaven, but we are going there. So what is missing in our lives that would reshape us in a way that would mirror the imaginary narrative I just outlined? In one succinct phrase:

Consider Him.