Who is Jesus?

"Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem.

It was winter,

and Jesus was in the temple courts

walking in Solomon's Colonnade.

The Jews who were there gathered around him,

saying, 'How long will you keep us in suspense?

If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.'

Jesus answered, 'I did tell you, but you do not believe.

The works I do in my Father's name testify about me,

but you do not believe because you are not by sheep.

My sheep listen to my voice;

I know them, and they follow me.'"

John 10:22-27

"The wisest man who ever lived."

"A good, caring, compassionate human."

"A teacher whose lessons still apply even today."

"My friend in Puerto Rico."

"A white guy with a beard."

"A story made up by someone."

"A man with good morals and beliefs and possibly some special gifts."

"A kind of Ghandi-type guy."

"My Lord and Savior."

These are some of the responses of people walking the streets of New York City who were asked, "Who is Jesus?"  Most people agree there is something special about Him, but only those who follow Jesus Christ truly know His identity.  

Rightful Shepherd

In this age of technology, modern-day man has more access than ever before to information.  There are many voices calling out, claiming outrageous declarations of salvation, healing and fulfillment if only I would follow them.  I hear how I can have it all, reach the highest goal, and find true happiness; all by doing what they say.  The messages are alluring and appealing to my sin nature.  I'm easily enticed by their self-centered tilt.  Soon, I'm following someone I don't even know because I like what I hear and want to believe it to be true.

Jesus, however, is the only One who belongs at the head of my life, leading me through the labyrinth of trials I routinely encounter.  He is my rightful Shepherd. (John 10:1-6) While many may claim to have a better way, Jesus is the only Way for me to get to the Father and the sole source of a deep and meaningful life.  (John 14:6, John 10:10)

When Jesus leads me down the dark path of the unknown, then, I need not fear because He is with me.  Just as a shepherd brings his wayward animals back in line and defends them against harm with his rod, or calms his nervous sheep, drawing them close to himself with the touch of his staff, so Jesus protects and comforts me during these times. (Psalm 23:4)

During the desert times, when I cease to feel His comforting presence, I can go forward in faith as I recall and cling to the truth He has been faithful to teach to me.  When all seems lost and I don't know if I can carry on, I can listen to His still, quiet voice as He brings comfort to my heart.

Jesus Christ is my rightful Shepherd and His is the only Voice to which I need listen.

Gate

One of my favorite series of books as a child was the Laura Ingalls Wilder autobiographical Little House set.  In one of these classics, "Little House on the Prairie,"  Laura's father was building their new log cabin on the prairies of Oklahoma.  After the walls and the roof had been completed, they had the frightening experience of a nighttime visit by a pack of wolves who surrounded their house in the eerie moonlight.  While the walls were stout and strong, the only door was a flimsy quilt hanging in an opening in the wall.

Pa stood guard all night, keeping an eye on those predators through the window holes while their trusty dog Jack paced back and forth before the doorway.  Laura was able to sleep soundly because she knew her father and canine companion would keep those wolves at bay.

It is very similar with Jesus.  He is the One who saves me from the certain death my sins deserve as well as provides the only way for me to enter into His everlasting kingdom. (John 10:7-10) In the same way that Laura felt at peace when she knew her "Pa" was acting as the door, so I can rest in the knowledge that Jesus is the Gate for His kingdom sheep pen.  It is only through Him that I will find an eternally abundant life, beginning the moment I enter in.

Jesus Christ is the Gate and I can trust Him as both my Lord and Savior.

Good Shepherd

It is difficult to find someone to take care of my home and animals while I'm away on vacation.  While I can always hire a service or pay a neighbor youth to do the job, I never know if they will pay attention to my detailed instructions.  There is always the fear that they will only do the minimum and not care about the things that are important to me.  I do have a good friend, however, who I always know I can trust.  I know this because I've seen how much she truly cares about me.

It's the same with Jesus.  He loves me enough to lay down His life in order to save me. (John 10:11-18) He cares enough about me that He would leave all the other sheep in order to find me when I go astray. (Matthew 18:12-14)  He is concerned enough about my life that He never ceases His pursuit of me and desires nothing more than for me to find fulfillment within His fold. (John 17:20-26)

Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd who loves enough to give His life as a ransom and to never give up on His sheep.

Jesus is many things to many people, but to those who follow Him, His identity is clear.  He is the One Voice to whom I listen, the only Gate through which I enter, and the Good Shepherd who truly cares.  This is who Jesus is to me.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can remember the true identity of Jesus.

When do I forget He is the only One to whom I should listen?

How do I get sucked into false teachings because they say what I want to hear? 

Faithfulness of God

"For all of God's promises have been fulfilled in Christ

with a resounding 'Yes!'  

And through Christ,

our 'Amen' (which means 'Yes')

ascends to God for his glory.

It is God who enables us,

along with you,

to stand firm for Christ.

He has commissioned us,

and he was identified us as his own

by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts

as the first installment that guarantees

everything he has promised us."

2 Corinthians 1:20-22 NLT

Track Record.  I usually know whether or not I can depend on someone based upon their past behavior.  Some are dependable, others are flaky and forgetful.  Behavior betrays one's faithfulness.

I can always count on God as recorded in His Word.  "I will proclaim the name of the LORD.  Oh, praise the greatness of our God!  He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just.  A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he."  (Deuteronomy 32:3-4)

When all around me seems unstable and unsure, I can stand on the Solid Rock.  Even when I don't know the answers, God holds the blueprint for my life in the palm of his hand.  In the times when I feel I can't trust myself, let alone those around me, I can trust God.  

Why can I put all my eggs in God's basket?  It is because He possesses a flawless track record.

Abraham

The years past by and hope turned to dust; dry and lifeless like the rocky land in which he lived. I want to believe God, but how long must a wait for a child?  I'm an old man. . . maybe I was hallucinating.  Maybe God wants me to do something to make His promise happen.  Maybe I imagined the whole thing.  

Abraham and Sarah had to wait over 25 years before the promise God made in Genesis 12 was fulfilled; the promise that, ". . all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. . " and, "To your offspring I will give this land." (v3, 7)

Finally, when Abraham reached 100 years of age, Isaac was born; the promise had been fulfilled.  God has His own timetable and it has nothing to do with me.  If I'm going to trust Him I must not bind Him with the parameters of time.  

I often grow weary of waiting; for things to get better, for relationships to be healed, for hardened hearts to soften.  As one who follows a faithful God, I know that I can trust Him to do as He has said He will do.  He will finish what He has started, bind the brokenhearted and work a miracle in a heart.  He is able. . . if I am willing to wait on Him.

God is faithful to keep His promises. . . on His timetable.

Joseph

It all started with a dream.  He foolishly and arrogantly shared the dream with his brothers of all their sheaves of wheat bowing down to his.  Soon, he found himself the victim of his brother's cruel jealousy, sold into slavery and on his way to Egypt to become the slave of Pharaoh's captain of the guard.  

As if this wasn't bad enough, despite the position of trust he had risen to in the house of Potiphar, he soon found himself imprisoned due to a false charge by his master's wife.  Years later, God enabled him to interpret the Pharaoh's dream, landing him a position as second in command in all of Egypt.  After 13 years of unfair circumstances and undeserved treatment, Joseph had risen to an unimaginable level.  As he later said to his brothers when they were reunited, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."  (Genesis 50:20)

You see, Joseph's life seemed like one big tragedy, but because of the foresight revealed by Pharaoh's dream, the prophecy from a boy's long ago dream came true.  And through Joseph's position of power, God was able to use him to prepare a country for a famine that no one else knew was coming.  Soon, all would come to Egypt looking for grain.  Even his brothers would bow before him out of desperation.

I often feel like life has not been fair to me or those around me.  I work hard and try to do the best I can, but I can't seem to catch a break.  I lose my job.  I am falsely accused.  I am taken to court.  The car breaks down, the roof springs a leak and my knee goes out all in the same week.  When will things get better?

Even though life is harsh and circumstances seem unfair, God has a way of taking something bad and using it for the good.  He has a knack for utilizing weak and broken people for powerful and restorative acts.  The Lord can turn the tables in a heartbeat, leaving observers with a serious case of whiplash.

The Apostle Paul reassured us with the thought that, "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Joseph's purpose was ultimately to provide a way for the Israelites to enter into slavery in Egypt, thus opening a need for delivery in a way that would showcase God's great power and proclaim His name throughout all the earth. 

Who knows what plan God has for my life. . . or for your life?  Future generations could be affected by circumstances that I am going through right now.  My ancestors might benefit from the fruit that is produced from my heartache.  A seed that is planted right now in the midst of my trouble could sprout and grow for many to see in years yet to come.

Putting my trust in a faithful God means leaving the outcome up to Him, no matter how unfair circumstances now may seem.

Messiah

"He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."  (Isaiah 53:5)

"You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay."  (Psalm 16:10)

"The LORD ways to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.' (Psalm 110:1)

Generations of Jews studied these, along with many other prophecies, as they awaited the coming of their Messiah; their promised deliverer.  When would He come?  How will He vanquish our enemies?  How long must we wait?  They must have quivered with excitement of the prospect of their liberation.  

God did fulfill these prophecies in the Person of Jesus Christ.  He died on the cross, taking the punishment for my sins and giving me a peace with God through faith in Him.  He rose again on the third day, illustrating His victory over death.  He is now seated at the right hand of God as the conqueror of the power and consequences of sin in my life.  All mankind is liberated from the death sentence our sin deserves.  

From the moment when Adam first sinned and the state of mankind fell from it's original design, we have been estranged from God.  In that one instant on the cross, the relationship was restored and the impossible once again became possible.  The imperfect is reunited with the Perfect One.  The unholy can abide with the Holy One.  The estranged is brought back together with the Beloved.

If God can accomplish the impossible task of redeeming my hopeless, sinful soul, then I can certainly trust God with everything in my life.

It is not easy to trust those who let us down, but because of God's faithfulness to keep His promises, I can stand firm on His strong foundation.  The constricts of time, harsh circumstances or impossible tasks do not get in His way.  His will prevails. . . of this I can be certain.   

This is the God on Whom I will stake my life.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can remember all that God has done to help me believe in all that He will do.

How do I get bogged down in the difficulties and forget that His plan can use those troubles?

When would it benefit me to remember the impossible task of redemption that Jesus accomplished on the cross?

This is the Day

"The stone the builders rejected
   has become the capstone;
the LORD has done this,
   and it is marvelous in our eyes.

This is the day the LORD has made;
   let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Psalm 118:24



There is a lot of rejoicing going on at Christmastime.  The angels brought good news of great joy to the shepherds culminating in a concert performed by a choir of angels singing praises to God.  Rejoicing in this news, the shepherds joyfully visited the baby lying in a manger and left glorifying and praising God for what they had seen and heard.  Simeon, a man at the temple who was filled with the Holy Spirit, praised God when He held the Christ child eight days later,  as did the prophetess Anna when she recognized the Messiah and told everyone about the redemption that was coming through Jesus.  Magi from the East were overjoyed when they saw the star which heralded the birth of our Savior, and they followed it until they came to the place where He lay in order that they could worship Him.

Many of us are joyful at this time of year, but most of the reasons we use to celebrate have nothing to do with that first Christmas, over 2000 years ago!  The best motivation for a party lies hidden in filthy borrowed stable, visible only to those who are watching and paying attention. 

A capstone is the final piece laid in the making of a stone wall or structure.  It is formed to certain specifications in order that it can be placed exactly according to the blueprint, thus completing the masonry project.  There is surely great rejoicing as the final stone in slid into place, bringing to an end months of planning and labor. 

In Luke 20:9-17, Jesus revealed himself as the capstone referred to in Psalm 118.  After years of prophecies telling of the coming of a Messiah, and of countless deaths of those who came to tell, the time had finally come to complete God's plan by sending His own Son to take the punishment for the sin of all mankind; a reason to rejoice, indeed!

Rejected  Not everyone rejoices at the fulfillment of so many prophecies in the birth of a baby born to a young girl.  But, as Paul taught in I Corinthians 1:18, ". . . the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."  Jesus is rejected by many as the rightful King of all Kings.

God's Handiwork  Only a Master Planner could formulate a blueprint in which the final piece would fit perfectly.  This is what God has done in sending Jesus to take our punishment so that I might live forever with Him.   It is completely a work of God's mighty Hand.  We cannot even recognize our need for Jesus without God's work in our lives.  Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." (John 6:44)   Additionally, salvation is offered freely to us by God.  "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8)  The Lord has done this!

Marvelous  George Gershwin penned a song called "s' Wonderful" whose chorus goes like this:

'S wonderful ! 'S marvelous !
(That) You should care for me !
'S awful nice ! 'S paradise !
'S what I love to see !

As you listen to the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald sing this classic, think of how marvelous it is that God should care enough for you that He sent His Son!

This is the day when I can celebrate that the One who was rejected by many has been sent by God to save us.  How marvelous: that gives me something to rejoice about!

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I will remember to rejoice in all that God has done.

How often do I forget the miracle of Jesus?

When do I find myself replacing the humble manger with other things at Christmastime?

Unspeakable Joy

". . . the star, which they saw in the east,

went before them,

till it came and stood over where the young child was.

 When they saw the star,

they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."

Matthew 2:9b-10 (KJV)

"And the angel said unto them,

'Fear not: for, behold,

I bring you good tidings of great joy,

which shall be to all people.

 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,

which is Christ the Lord.' " 

Luke 2:10-11 (KJV)

With a presidential election coming up next year, I am seeing more and more about the candidates who will be running.  Their campaigns are usually strategically planned with the hope of giving themselves the best face among the people in order to garner the nomination of their party, and ultimately the amount of votes needed to win the election in 2012.  Speeches are made, hands are shaken and babies are kissed, all with that goal in mind.  Every activity is purposefully chosen in order to influence the people who have a vote to give. 

Revelation  The birth of Jesus is not like a presidential campaign.  God chose to reveal the coming of the Messiah to two distinctly different groups: one being obscure wise men from the East, the other being lowly sheep herders from the local area.  His focus was not to elevate Jesus as a King, but to show those who were paying attention that His time had finally come.

Wise Men  These men had been watching the night sky and knew something about the prophecies of the Messiah.  Even though they were not of the Jewish heritage, they were paying attention to this important prophecy and to the formation of the stars.  When they saw a special star appear, they followed "His star" in order to come and worship the One of whom they had read.  I don't have to be born into the "right" family or live in a certain country in order to worship Jesus.  I need only to seek the Truth found in God's Word and pay attention to the signs that point to Him. 

Shepherds  In Bible times, the people who took care of the flocks were the lowest in that society.  Yet the most important birth to ever take place was first announced to these "low lifes".  This reveals the heart of God.  He does not pay attention to my position in society or the amount of money in my bank account.  Later, when Jesus entered into His time of ministry, He revealed His purpose by reciting the prophecy found in Isaiah 61:1-2.  “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  The poor, prisoners, the blind, the oppressed.  These are the ones He came to save!  I do not need to work to impress God and win His favor in order to be found worthy to save.  Jesus came to set me free from the bondage of this belief.

Candle in the Window Am I paying attention to where Jesus is revealing Himself? Is my heart humble enough to hear the Good News as proclaimed by the angels?  There is a beautiful children's book written by Grace Johnson about a lonely man who, on Christmas Eve, waits for a visit from the Christ Child.  As he receives three unexpected and needy visitors drawn by the candle placed in his window, he meets their needs, all the while watching for the One whom he expected to visit.  But the Christ Child never arrived, or so He thought.  In reality, by receiving those who were hungry, thirsty and homeless, the old man received Jesus.  

Children's Message Maybe I'm looking for something more "important" to do for Jesus.  If I am not willing to help whoever God puts in my path, I am going to miss out on the joy the shepherds experienced in receiving the news the angels proclaimed.  When Jesus sent 72 of his followers ahead of Him to tell them the Kingdom of God is near, they came back with joy as to how the message was received.  "Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, 'I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.'" (Luke 10:21)  I need to be humble as a little child in order to hear and receive the Good News of Jesus. 

Jesus did not come to impress those who have something to give Him in return, as the presidential candidates do.  He came to save those of us who are lost.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I will be wise enough to recognize Jesus in the needs of those around me and humble enough to accept His calling.

Where am I showing that I know the Gospel, but do not live the Gospel? 

How do I carry the attitude that I have it all under control and don't really need a Savior?