Ben Southall is one lucky man. He's been chosen to receive the world's best job - working on the Great Barrier Reef. His job description includes feeding the fish, collecting the mail and cleaning the pool all from the tough surrounds of the numerous islands of the reef. Tough gig eh?
Jesus too had a job description. He says...
"It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners" 2:17
It'd be tempting to think that Jesus' job description was for people like...Damir Dokic...Matty Johns...Marcus Einfeld or the two Ascham girls caught cyberbullying. That it was for sickos like these Jesus came to make well. However Jesus' interactions with three people show that he came to make all of us well.
To the leper Jesus says "I am willing be clean" 1:41
To the paralytic Jesus declares "Son your sins are forgiven..." 2:5
To Levi the despised tax collector Jesus says "Follow me..." 2:14
So what is Jesus' job description? Was to enable us to be spiritually in tune? To help us in our journey? No. It was to make the unclean clean. All your sins - past, present and future - forgiven and forgotten by putting your faith and trust in Jesus.
And this is very good news. If you type "forgiveness" into google you receive 13 million hits. Amazon.com has over 181, 000 books on the subject. It seems that the world is crying out to be made clean. The good news is that in Jesus the unclean can be made clean.
So if you are a follower of Jesus your sins have been forgiven and forgotten. Remember that always. And be willing to share this good news. Remember Levi who invited other sinners over to his place to have dinner with Jesus. This was in an era before Twitter and SMS and email and blogs like this...it was just word of mouth. He simply got talking about who Jesus was and what he had done. And that was to make the unclean clean.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Who do you say I am? Mark 1:1-39
Who do you say...Paris Hilton is? How about Shane Warne? Nelson Mandela? Madonna? Who do you say they are; what words would you use to describe them?
With your words still ringing in your ears...have you actually met any of these people? Do you really know them? If not how is that you believe that you know them that you have a handle on who they are? My guess is that you've made a judgment call based on what they've done.
The same applies to Jesus. Everyone seems to have an opinion of who he is. We've never physically met the man but everyone believes they know who he is...largely based on what he has done.
So who do you think Jesus is?
Well let's answer that question according to those who were there, who knew him personally.
Jesus' cousin John declared...
"After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Mark 1:7, 8
God declares...
"And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." Mark 1:11
Even the demons have a view of who Jesus is...
"Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-the Holy One of God!" Mark 1:23, 24
So the Baptist, God and the demons declare that Jesus is God's Spirit Giver, the Son the Holy One of God.
Surprisingly, not one of these said that Jesus was just a prophet. God didn't say that Jesus was spiritually in tune and he could help you to be spiritually in tune. And the demons didn't say that Jesus was just a good guy either.
So how did your answer to the question "Who do you think Jesus is?" match up with theirs? If it was askew then Jesus has some good news for you. He says...
"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" Mark 1:15
Today's the day to stop thinking Jesus is some new age guru or a mere prophet. He's God's Son Saviour and Spirit Giver. Believe and follow the real Jesus and he'll welcome you into his kingdom.
With your words still ringing in your ears...have you actually met any of these people? Do you really know them? If not how is that you believe that you know them that you have a handle on who they are? My guess is that you've made a judgment call based on what they've done.
The same applies to Jesus. Everyone seems to have an opinion of who he is. We've never physically met the man but everyone believes they know who he is...largely based on what he has done.
So who do you think Jesus is?
Well let's answer that question according to those who were there, who knew him personally.
Jesus' cousin John declared...
"After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Mark 1:7, 8
God declares...
"And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." Mark 1:11
Even the demons have a view of who Jesus is...
"Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-the Holy One of God!" Mark 1:23, 24
So the Baptist, God and the demons declare that Jesus is God's Spirit Giver, the Son the Holy One of God.
Surprisingly, not one of these said that Jesus was just a prophet. God didn't say that Jesus was spiritually in tune and he could help you to be spiritually in tune. And the demons didn't say that Jesus was just a good guy either.
So how did your answer to the question "Who do you think Jesus is?" match up with theirs? If it was askew then Jesus has some good news for you. He says...
"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" Mark 1:15
Today's the day to stop thinking Jesus is some new age guru or a mere prophet. He's God's Son Saviour and Spirit Giver. Believe and follow the real Jesus and he'll welcome you into his kingdom.
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