Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Why Should We Admire Jesus
Ask anyone off the street, "What do you know or think about Jesus?" More than likely, most would say, that he was a good man, who taught people to love one another. That he taught people to give to the poor or that he attended to the sick and the needy. Many would say that they admire him and even go as far as to follow some of his teachings.
If we dare to look a little deeper into his life, I believe most people would be surprised to find out that what they truly admire was his relationship to his Father.
Jesus was often asked, by what authority did he say and do the things he did. His response was quite unexpected and alarming to those who questioned him.
He said, " I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." John 5:19
In essence, Jesus never took credit for his ministry or anything he did, but rather he pointed to his Father as the source of his life and activity.
His disciple Philip once asked, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." Jesus replied, "Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work." John 14:10
What people truly admire about Jesus and his ministry was in fact his intimate relationship with his Father. This being the case, there should be no need to fear the kind of relationship God invites everyone to enter through the life of his Son. If we can admire Jesus and his ministry then we must also admire his relationship to his Father.
And what was that relationship like? Philippians 2:5 (tells us) Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.
(1) He did not consider himself equal to his Father but rather, he chose to be Submissive. He wanted only to please his Father in everything he did.
(2) He made himself into the very nature of a Servant. By serving his Father, it was Jesus' desire to be a servant to all men.
(3) He humbled himself. Jesus never lorded his authority as the Son over anyone, instead he chose to identify himself with the common everyday person.
(4) He became obedient. Jesus trusted his Father with his very life, and he freely gave his life to us because it was his Father's will to do so.
There you have it. If you are one of those who admires Jesus the man and the ministry. Then know that you are a hairs breath away from truly knowing God the Father, through the life of the Son.
Just something to think about...
If we dare to look a little deeper into his life, I believe most people would be surprised to find out that what they truly admire was his relationship to his Father.
Jesus was often asked, by what authority did he say and do the things he did. His response was quite unexpected and alarming to those who questioned him.
He said, " I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." John 5:19
In essence, Jesus never took credit for his ministry or anything he did, but rather he pointed to his Father as the source of his life and activity.
His disciple Philip once asked, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." Jesus replied, "Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work." John 14:10
What people truly admire about Jesus and his ministry was in fact his intimate relationship with his Father. This being the case, there should be no need to fear the kind of relationship God invites everyone to enter through the life of his Son. If we can admire Jesus and his ministry then we must also admire his relationship to his Father.
And what was that relationship like? Philippians 2:5 (tells us) Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.
(1) He did not consider himself equal to his Father but rather, he chose to be Submissive. He wanted only to please his Father in everything he did.
(2) He made himself into the very nature of a Servant. By serving his Father, it was Jesus' desire to be a servant to all men.
(3) He humbled himself. Jesus never lorded his authority as the Son over anyone, instead he chose to identify himself with the common everyday person.
(4) He became obedient. Jesus trusted his Father with his very life, and he freely gave his life to us because it was his Father's will to do so.
There you have it. If you are one of those who admires Jesus the man and the ministry. Then know that you are a hairs breath away from truly knowing God the Father, through the life of the Son.
Just something to think about...
Monday, November 9, 2009
Jesus A True Friend Of Mine John 4:4-29
We often want to over spiritualize Jesus and forget that he was every bit a regular person like you or I before his three years of ministry. He came from very humble beginnings much like you and I. He could have easily worked on a factory line or in an auto part's store. "Common" would be a great word to describe him and it was common people that he was most comfortable being with. You could say, "Jesus would be more comfortable in our house than in the White House. "
Unfortunately, most Christians in their desire to "lift Jesus higher," lift him so high that he is beyond the reach of common people.
John 4:4-19 Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well, is just one of many examples, of his desire to reach out to people just like you and I.
Jesus was labeled a "glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners," not by the average Joe, but by the so called "spiritual elite" of the day. Jesus was a friend not to dunkards or tax collectors or even sinners, but rather he friends with people who had names like Zacheus, Mary Magdaline, Peter, James, and John (to name a few).
Jesus' friendships were not based who measured up, and who didn't, but rather with people who needed and wanted the kind of friendship only Jesus could offer. When Jesus looks upon a person, what he sees, is value. Unlike you and I who will often judge people on looks and first impressions, Jesus looks past all of that and sees a person's heart. A person he wants to know better, a person he wants to truly call his Friend.
This was the kind of woman Jesus met at the well. We are not told her name only that she was a Samaritan woman. Its another way of saying that any decent person would rather go thirsty than stoop so low as to ask her for a drink. I suppose Jesus couldn't be considered a "decent" person, because he did ask her for a drink of water. She was stunned and replied, "How could you ask me for a drink of water?"
Don't let anyone tell you that you can't offer something to Jesus. The fact of the matter is, any healthy friendship is a two way street. What can we offer God that has real meaning? All God asks of anybody, is a genuine love and respect. That is why he created us, so that we could love him with our whole heart and live in respect to his ways.
She couldn't believe that anyone would ask her for water, much less Jesus. Here is a fact; we all have things in our lives that we are not proud of, and there will always be those who make it their self-appointed job to remind us everyday. So much so, that we may believe that any "normal" person wouldn't ever want anything to do with us. Yet Jesus isn't just any normal person. Jesus has the love and grace to receive everybody, no matter what others have led us to believe or our own actions might otherwise tells us.
Jesus told the woman, "Go and get your husband." She replied, "I have no husband." Jesus said, "Your right," "You have had five husbands and the man you have now is not your husband." Here is a great truth and even greater relief, Jesus already knows everything about us. Therefore, there is no need to fear him, nor be embarrased about our lives, or even attempt to clean them up. Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves, and still he holds out his hand in friendship to anyone willing to recieve it.
This woman was a nobody, infact she was considered the lowest of the low, and knowing all of this, Jesus looked past all of the junk, and saw a person just like you and I. She was exactly the kind of person he wanted to spend an eternity getting to know.
Do you know Jesus as your personal friend? Wouldn't you want a true friend like Jesus, one who has the love and grace to look past all the junk in our lives and says to us, "If your willing, I'm willing."
Unfortunately, most Christians in their desire to "lift Jesus higher," lift him so high that he is beyond the reach of common people.
John 4:4-19 Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well, is just one of many examples, of his desire to reach out to people just like you and I.
Jesus was labeled a "glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners," not by the average Joe, but by the so called "spiritual elite" of the day. Jesus was a friend not to dunkards or tax collectors or even sinners, but rather he friends with people who had names like Zacheus, Mary Magdaline, Peter, James, and John (to name a few).
Jesus' friendships were not based who measured up, and who didn't, but rather with people who needed and wanted the kind of friendship only Jesus could offer. When Jesus looks upon a person, what he sees, is value. Unlike you and I who will often judge people on looks and first impressions, Jesus looks past all of that and sees a person's heart. A person he wants to know better, a person he wants to truly call his Friend.
This was the kind of woman Jesus met at the well. We are not told her name only that she was a Samaritan woman. Its another way of saying that any decent person would rather go thirsty than stoop so low as to ask her for a drink. I suppose Jesus couldn't be considered a "decent" person, because he did ask her for a drink of water. She was stunned and replied, "How could you ask me for a drink of water?"
Don't let anyone tell you that you can't offer something to Jesus. The fact of the matter is, any healthy friendship is a two way street. What can we offer God that has real meaning? All God asks of anybody, is a genuine love and respect. That is why he created us, so that we could love him with our whole heart and live in respect to his ways.
She couldn't believe that anyone would ask her for water, much less Jesus. Here is a fact; we all have things in our lives that we are not proud of, and there will always be those who make it their self-appointed job to remind us everyday. So much so, that we may believe that any "normal" person wouldn't ever want anything to do with us. Yet Jesus isn't just any normal person. Jesus has the love and grace to receive everybody, no matter what others have led us to believe or our own actions might otherwise tells us.
Jesus told the woman, "Go and get your husband." She replied, "I have no husband." Jesus said, "Your right," "You have had five husbands and the man you have now is not your husband." Here is a great truth and even greater relief, Jesus already knows everything about us. Therefore, there is no need to fear him, nor be embarrased about our lives, or even attempt to clean them up. Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves, and still he holds out his hand in friendship to anyone willing to recieve it.
This woman was a nobody, infact she was considered the lowest of the low, and knowing all of this, Jesus looked past all of the junk, and saw a person just like you and I. She was exactly the kind of person he wanted to spend an eternity getting to know.
Do you know Jesus as your personal friend? Wouldn't you want a true friend like Jesus, one who has the love and grace to look past all the junk in our lives and says to us, "If your willing, I'm willing."
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