Focus on Jesus – Origins
Zhiming Yuan
From Simplicity to Confusion
I was originally an atheist while I was a pursuing a doctorate in philosophy at Renmin University of China.
In 1991, while working as a visiting scholar at Princeton University in the United States, I was drawn by the love of Christians, shaken by the life of Jesus, called by the Holy Spirit, and baptized into the faith.
In 1992, I attended Reformed Theological Seminary in the United States for further studies.
Since graduating in 1995, I have been immersed in ministry to the Chinese community: editing magazines, producing films, preaching, organizing "Heavenly Songs" events, and conducting online missions.
My initial encounter with Jesus felt like the experience of Mr. Lin Yutang, the famous Chinese writer who searched all his life for a spiritual home and finally found Jesus: “The sun has risen, so blow out the candles!” The immense grace, truth, power, sacrifice, and divine vision of Jesus left me momentarily stunned and filled with exceeding joy.
At the same time, I began to encounter Christian culture, where various theologies, denominations, and legalisms, accompanied by strife, judgment, and internal friction, overwhelmed me wave after wave. Jesus remained, yet His living, flesh-and-blood presence no longer seemed to be the focus of attention; Christ had been diluted, and even submerged, by the religious structures of Christianity.
Refocusing on Jesus
Long before believing in the Lord, I noticed that Christianity was gradually declining. Eventually, Jesus revealed the reason to me, for He says: "Apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." (John 15:5-6)
Later, I discovered that the Holy Spirit had long ago enabled many people to see this crucial point. For example, the theologian John Stott stated in his book Focus on Jesus: “What I want to say is that true Christian faith and authentic Christian living must be Christ-centered.”
The preacher Charles Spurgeon said: “Christianity once separated from Christ is like a day without the sun, a night without the stars, an ocean without seawater, a river without a current, a year without a harvest, a body without a soul, salt without savor, and a throne without a Lord.”
In fact, the Scriptures had already stated it quite clearly, as Jesus said:
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)
"No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known." (John 1:18)
"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form." (Colossians 2:9)
"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 3:11)
I saw Jesus looking down upon me from above the surging and clamorous sea.
A Vision from Heaven
Once while on a flight, I dreamt that a pillar of water descending from heaven. I stood in the midst of that pillar, with the water pouring over me. Later, the water pillar transformed into a long loaf of bread, extending into the heavens, suspended in midair. I was holding the bread with both hands. Then suddenly, a knife appeared in my right hand, and I began to slice the bread from the bottom, bit by bit, and the slices fell one by one to the ground.
When I awoke, two phrases immediately surfaced in my mind: “Heavenly Bread” and the “Distribution of Bread.”
What is the Heavenly Bread? Jesus said: "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." (John 6:32-35)
What is the Distribution of Bread? To distribute bread is to explain and reveal Jesus from the Scriptures for everyone to see and for everyone to consume. (Luke 24:27; Acts 8:30-31)
This vision became an inescapable inward mission for me. In 2008, I wrote in my journal: “Before the Second Coming of Jesus, I have been commissioned to do this work. Since I have already made a covenant with Him to write plainly according to His will, I am determined to consecrate myself so that my days may be worthy of this task. I also know that those who join me in this work are blessed, for Jesus will tightly embrace both them and me.”
Writing about Jesus is not Easy
When I first entered seminary, an instructor told me that Jesus is like primary school, whereas Paul is like university. He said the Gospels are like basic arithmetic, whereas the book of Romans is like calculus. Hearing these words made me very uncomfortable, yet I was unable to refute them.
Regardless of how simple the words and deeds of Jesus may appear, the words of Paul deeply resonate with me: “The mystery of God is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ”(Colossians 2:2-3)
Since it is a mystery, how could it be written down? Every time I begin to write, I feel my insufficiency, sensing that the Jesus that I attempt to describe is a far cry from the Jesus in my spirit. I once wrote: “Jesus is a heavenly song. I cannot help but open my mouth to sing, yet I must also stop, because this song is too magnificent and too profound; I lack the ability to chant it, and the world cannot contain it.”
The Framework of Focus on Jesus
For many years, I have paid close attention to books about Jesus. I found those writing about the life of Jesus, those writing about the deeds and words of Jesus, those writing about the doctrines of Jesus, and even those writing about the influence of Jesus, yet I could not find a book that writes about the life-essence of Jesus, nor one that breaks open the life of Jesus piece by piece.
I know that Jesus has called me to do this task. I also know that I am unworthy to do this task. What I can do is dive deeply into the details of the life of Jesus together with everyone, appreciate the grace of His life together, and savor the fragrance of His life together.
This video series has a total of 120 sermons, approaching the multi-dimensional life of Jesus from seven perspectives.
- The first is the section on Great Love, exploring layer by layer His nature of loving-kindness (8 sermons).
- The second is the section on Great Grace, exploring bit by bit His vast grace (25 sermons).
- The third is the section on Great Truth, exploring point by point His pure truth (22 sermons).
- The fourth is the section on Great Power, exploring case by case His astonishing miracles (20 sermons).
- The fifth is the section on Great Suffering, exploring step by step His painful sacrifice (9 sermons).
- The sixth is the section on Great Righteousness, exploring deed by deed at what He accomplished for mankind (17 sermons).
- The seventh is the section on Great Faith, exploring link by link at what He requires of mankind (19 sermons).
Led by the Hand of God
After completing the documentary Missionaries in 2017, I began writing Focus on Jesus.
In the autumn of 2018 and the spring of 2019, God called and chose over a dozen doctoral students from two seminaries at home and abroad to establish the Focus on Jesus curriculum. I lectured through it once and recorded the audio and video.
In 2020, when the pandemic was severe and during the quarantine, the Chinese house churches would release one audio lecture every day, falling like a timely rain of the Lord’s love.
In 2021, our team began editing the Focus on Jesus videos. On Easter of 2022, one sermon per week (later one every two weeks) began to be released on websites such as YouTube. By Easter of 2025, all 120 sermons (the Chinese version) had been released.
In 2025, a set of seven books was published in Chinese based on the final released videos.
Starting Easter 2026, the English version of Focus on Jesus sermon series will be released to the English-speaking world on YouTube and other social media platforms. We trust hungry hearts from all over the world will be fed through the life bread of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Easter 2026
California
Reverend Zhiming Yuan is an evangelist, author, and film and television producer. He
was one of the principal writers for the influential television documentary River Elegy (He
Shang) and a Ph.D. candidate in Philosophy at Renmin University of China. He left China in 1989
and was baptized as a Christian at Princeton University in the United States in 1991. He
graduated from Reformed Theological Seminary in Mississippi. He currently serves as Chief
Director of the China Soul for Christ Foundation. His published many books including Lost the
Earth, Gained the Sky; Dialogues on Faith; Laozi and the Bible; Essays on Faith; China’s
Confessions; Far Away; and Reflections on the End Times. He has written, directed, and
produced television documentaries such as China’s Confession, The Cross: Jesus in China, The
Gospel, Beyond, and Missionary. He travels extensively to lead evangelistic and spiritual
renewal gatherings; his preaching series—including Why I Believe in Jesus, Come to Jesus, Jesus
Alone, Reflections on the End Times, and Focus on Jesus—comprise hundreds of sermons that
have been widely circulated throughout China and overseas.
Focus on Jesus English version
Focus on Jesus Chinese version