Thinking About Jesus

Today is pretty simple and straight forward. Next week is Easter and we are going to celebrate Jesus together, so this week I want to talk about Jesus. I want to THINK about Jesus. I want to PONDER and MEDITATE on Jesus. We are very blessed here in that we can sit and publicly talk about Jesus without worrying about it causing trouble or even danger. In other parts of the world, or even other parts of this country, mentioning Jesus’ name will stir up all sorts of controversy.

In fact, as strange as it sounds, in today’s culture you can even talk about much of Jesus’ teaching with very little controversy. Even though talking about Jesus is not allowed in many schools, they will have posters hanging on their walls proclaiming truths Jesus taught. “Love one another.” “Treat other’s the way you want to be treated.” Be kind and patient.

You can even talk about spirituality and God, but the moment you specifically talk about Jesus it becomes a problem. Almost no one debates His existence. It’s not because they think He is fake. Detractors acknowledge that He is real, and often love His teaching — Help the poor, love others, serve those around you, and forgive people. Why is that? I think it is because of the inclusive world in which we live.

In today’s world, people believe that all roads should lead to God. All beliefs should be treated equally and nobody should be left out. All world religions are basically the same. Jesus stands completely opposed to that mindset when He says that He is the only way. That’s what Jesus told Thomas when He said that He was going to prepare a place for them in His Father’s home.

Thomas said, “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

John 14:6 NLT

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

To a world of religious pluralism and inclusive belief systems, Jesus’ exclusive claim that He is the only way is very controversial. Many people want to believe that all roads lead to God, all religions are the same, or that what matters is actually just being a decent human being. It’s a kind of “feel good theology.” Think about how many times you have heard someone say something that “seems right” or “feels good” to them. Especially after someone dies. It doesn’t really matter how they were raised or what they believe. When someone dies we usually say something that feels good to us.

“So and so is in a better place now.” “Thankfully, she’s not suffering anymore.” “Now he’s an angel in heaven.” Usually we will say something that feels good. “Now Grandma is watching over us from heaven.” Have you ever just sat and thought about that? I don’t know about you, but, to be completely honest, there are a few times every day that I really don’t want Grandma watching me.

According to Jesus, it doesn’t matter how good we are, HE is the ONLY way to the Father. There may be some good things about other religions, but they aren’t another way to the Father. For example…

According to Buddhism, there is NO God. They don’t believe there is a type of final existence. A Buddhist believes in countless rebirths and eventually you hope to end the cycle.

Hinduism believes in a god. However, it is an impersonal god that is approached through deities, statues or idols. Neither of these two religions offer forgiveness of sins (which is not measuring up to a higher standard). They don’t believe in supernatural help, only karma. So if you cut someone off on the road, someone is going to cut you off because you deserve it! You had it comin’!

According to a Muslim, there is a personal God named Allah. A Muslim has no secondary gods. They won’t have idols. Your standing with God is based on your religious works and effort.

New Age religions don’t believe in a God. Instead, your goal is to be one with the universe.

Contrast all of these beliefs with Christianity. A follower of Christ believes in a personal God who loves His people so much that He became like them in the person of Jesus. Jesus, who lived without sin. He didn’t fail to meet God’s higher standards. Even so, He died for our sins, our failures. He died on a cross that was designed to torture someone to death. Then He rose again. People are NOT made right with God by going through deities, idols, or religious performers, but by faith in Jesus alone.

There may be some good things in other world religions, but they are not the same. The one true God is the only one who asks us to love others because He loved us first.

Today is Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy week leading up to Easter weekend. Palm Sunday is important because it marks Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Israel’s victorious kings were associated with riding into Jerusalem on donkeys and it was prophesied that Israel’s final king would ride to the capital on a donkey as well.

This was a huge moment for Israel. It was a royal occasion. It was about kingship. And Israel had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of their king. Not just any king, their final king! This was a big big moment. Today, we are celebrating that very same moment.

John 12:13 NLT

13 took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!”

To me, it is important because, in a similar way, Jesus made a triumphant entry into my life. He didn’t show up as a King covered in decorative royal robes covered in gold and jewels. He made His appearance into my life as a seemingly insignificant man on a donkey, but He revealed to me the most important thing in life that was missing from mine.

So, as Easter approaches and is filled with all sorts of distractions and strange traditions, I love reflecting on the true reason for the celebration. Jesus. So today, lets reflect on three aspects of Jesus’ life and meditate on them as we enter Easter this year. Not church. Not traditions. Not Christianity as a religion, Jesus didn’t come to start another religion. Not other Christians or the way that other Christians live, good or bad. Not even the life of someone you look up to the most. Other people will always let you down. This week, we want to reflect on Jesus. Just Jesus.

Today, let’s think about three aspects of Jesus. First...

1. THE MINISTRY OF JESUS.

Jesus ministered to people who were despised. Other people hated them, but Jesus loved them and accepted them. Other people wouldn’t touch them, but Jesus touched and healed them. In last weeks bible study before church, we looked at the story of the woman who was caught in the act of adultery. There was no defense against the accusation. Of course she was guilty, but Jesus stood up for her anyway telling the crowd of people that whoever was without sin should throw the first stone. This was Jesus’ ministry. These were the people He loved and ministered to.

Mark 2:16–17 NLT

16 But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?” 17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Jesus opened blind eyes, healed deaf ears, caused the mute to speak. He touched lepers. He turned water into wine. He walked on water. He turned a small amount of bread and fish into enough to feed thousands and still have left-overs. He raised people who were dead back to life. Nobody questioned His miracles. No one thought that He wasn’t doing these things, they just wanted Him to stop!

Jesus is still performing these miracles today. J. P. Sears is a comedian that has grown in popularity over the last few years. In one of his recent videos he states that he has changed his mind about God. He says that he used to be a spiritualist, but over the last few years his beliefs have changed and now he believes in God. In that video he describes why his beliefs have changed. He describes how the rampant evil that has been going on over the last few years contributed to this change. But as I listened to him describe it, it was a clear description of Jesus opening blind eyes.

To me it is absolutely a miracle to see someone who was once afraid to even say “God” selling shirts in his online store that simply say, “got God?” He said that he used to avoid saying God. When he would talk about the possibility of a higher power he would say things like, “the universe”. Now it brings him great joy to talk about God. He even goes on to say that he believes there are 4 things that every person should do. 1. Have faith in God, 2. Listen (because God speaks in a subtle, quiet way, not with audible language), 3. Pray (especially for the people you think are the most evil), 4. Live a life of service.

Watching some of his comedy videos, you could see a change in him over the last couple of years, but I was still surprised to see him come out with a video like this. Especially in today’s world. That one video could cost him his livelihood, because making funny videos is what he does for a living.

Miracles still happen today. They happen every day. When Jesus opened my eyes, it was a miracle. It makes no sense to me why a few body builders jumping through ice could point me to Jesus. I don’t even enjoy that kind of stuff. None-the-less, God performed a miracle and opened my eyes. Now I am different. I am a new creation. Not a better version of the old me, a completely new creation.

Jesus ministered to the people who needed God’s love. Me. You. Your family. Your friends. Jesus’ ministry is an important aspect of who He is. Second, think about…

2. THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS.

Jesus loves us, but hates sin. So He gave everything so that sin would not separate us from God. He took our failures to the cross, prayed “Father forgive them,” declared “It is finished!”, and when He breathed His last He said, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” Then the earth shook. The curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Rocks split apart. Tombs opened. Even godly people who had died were raised from the dead and walked out of the cemetery.

The soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified and said, “This man truly was the Son of God!” Three days later, another tomb opened. The stone rolled away from Jesus’ tomb. Later, while preaching to a crowd of people, Peter said this…

Acts 3:15 NLT

15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses of this fact!

As crazy as Jesus’ resurrection might sound, to me the things people say in disbelief sound even more crazy! Some people say that the Roman soldiers must have stole the body. Really? Why? Jesus’ enemies would’ve loved to produce a dead body. They had no reason to hide it. Some would say, “Well the disciples took it! They had a great reason.” So, eleven small-town, uneducated, average men devised the most elaborate and deceptive plan the world had ever known, and then they pulled it off! They overpowered trained Roman guards, convinced them to lie in their testimonies, and then everyone involved kept this a secret.

Furthermore, they did all of this with zero personal motive and at extreme personal loss. All but one of the 11 died as a martyr. All but John, who was exiled to the Isle of Patmos and died in his old age alone. All for a lie? Why? To cheat and deceive the world into being a BETTER place?

Why did it take three days for Him to rise? Why not the next day? Or a week later? Or a month? The three days is further proof that God planned this and knew exactly what He was doing. You can thumb through scripture and see God’s three day pattern. One of the most clear examples can be found in Jonah. Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days, and then God gives him new life.

Using resurrection language, the prophet Hosea calls Israel to “return to Yahweh,” offering them hope through repentance…

Hosea 6:1–2 NIV

1 “Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. 2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence.

If you turn all the way to the first page of your bible you can see the third day pattern in the creation story. On the third day, God makes dry land to appear and causes vegetation to come up out of the earth. Plants that yield seeds and trees that bear fruit. Three days later, He does it again. This time He forms humans from the dust of the land. Humans that both bear seeds and fruit.

When Abraham climbed a mountain with his son, Isaac, to sacrifice him to God, God provided new life for Isaac on the third day and they sacrificed the ram in Isaac’s place. When God rescued Israel from Egypt, He made a new covenant with His people on the third day on Mount Sinai. A new covenant, and new life.

Jesus’ resurrection on the third day is nothing new to God. It is deeply meaningful and centered around His redemptive work. It is another reminder that God is in the business of resurrecting people to new life and bringing them into a covenant relationship with Him. A process that He initiated long ago.

This week we think about Jesus and who He is. His ministry, His resurrection, and third…

3. THE ETERNAL MESSAGE OF JESUS.

Jesus said that He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him. He is the way. The only way. Christ plus nothing. Nothing else you could do, nothing else you could say. No bargains, no negotiating, no effort. In Christ alone…

Romans 3:22 NLT

22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

Jesus didn’t come and bring a new religion. He came to create a relationship. Religion says that it’s all about ME. What am I doing right, what am I doing wrong? Relationship says that it’s all about JESUS. Religion tells me that if I obey, God will love me. Relationship tells me that BECAUSE God loves me, I want to obey. Religion looks at what I do, but Relationship looks at what Christ has already DONE. He already did it for you and me.

Jesus’ eternal message is that you are not made right with God by your own good works, but by the grace and the love of Jesus.

Today, I want to close with a video. Let’s pray first, then I want to share this Easter video for you to think about throughout the week.