July 1, 2021 | Jesus

JESUS

He began His ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life.

Jesus ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water.

Jesus was weary, yet He is our rest.

Jesus paid tribute, yet He is the King.

Jesus was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons.

Jesus wept, yet He wipes away our tears.

Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world.

Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd.

Jesus died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death.

Gregory of Nazianzus, A.D. 381

 

How does one describe the man Jesus? Can it be done apart from His divinity? Can you separate Him from His Godliness? Is the man Jesus also the Way, the Truth and the Life? Somehow, any description without noting His heavenly qualities seems incredibly deficient.

 

Scripture helps us put the puzzle pieces together. 1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ.” It is impossible to describe Jesus without also noting His relationship with His Father in heaven. They are interwoven, Jesus being the mediator between Himself and the people He so dearly loves. When we see Jesus, we see the Father. When Jesus speaks, it is also the Father speaking to us. When He approaches His Father on our behalf, its as if the Father is also fighting for us.

 

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” The man Jesus was and is the very Son of God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. This same Jesus was given to mankind even though He was the only Son, so that, in believing in Him, we would not have to put our hope in the things of this world, but in things everlasting.

 

John 1:1,14, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jesus was not created and has been at His Father’s side from the very beginning of time. By the power of His Word all things came into being and he continues to stand at God’s right hand. He came to us in flesh to live as we do, to suffer, to die and finally to rise again as we shall all do when our time has come.

 

Hebrews 12:2 describes Jesus as, “The Pioneer and Perfector of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand if the throne of God.” It is Jesus we place our faith in. It is Jesus who rewarded that faith by dying on a cross so that we might be saved. In the process He pleaded with His Father for His life yet followed His will, endured great agony, suffered the wrath of the people He loved and bore the greatest suffering so that we might be free from it.

 

“If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God” (1 John 4:15). Jesus came to earth in human form so that He might die in order that we may live. If you acknowledge this, then God lives in you. If you don’t, then I invite you to discover something greater than yourself.

 

Yes, Jesus was 100% man just like you and me, but He can’t be described unless we acknowledge that He is also 100% God. The sacrifice of a mere mortal could never have been good enough to save mankind from the wrath of sin, only the perfect sacrifice would do. Only a sacrifice that could not be tarnished by sin. Only the death of Jesus who was 100% man but also 100% God.

 

Jesus is so much more then could ever be described on a couple of pages, so find out for yourself who this man was and still is. He is the Word made flesh so if you find the Word, you will find Jesus. In your Scriptures you will come to find the man so many have surrendered their life to. Start today to get to know Him more. Please pray with me:

 

Heavenly Father, thank you for Your Son, born in the flesh to save your people in the flesh. Forgive us for our misunderstandings and our lack of curiosity. Instill in us a passion to know more about just who Jesus is. Amen.