Who Is Jesus to You?
Have you met Jesus?
Maybe you have heard others talk about Him. Maybe you know Him as a “good teacher” or a “nice person who did good things a long time ago.” Maybe you know Him as someone in history or believe Him to be the fictional imaginings of those who want something to cling to on their darkest days… a crutch.
I know Him a little differently than that. And you can, too. He is not dead & He is not a fictional imagining & He is not just a good person or teacher. He’s a lot more. A whole lot more.
Maybe you grew up hearing about Him at church or maybe through a friend you had growing up… maybe you only ever hear about Him at Christmas through Christmas songs or phrases such as “Jesus is the reason for the season.”
Maybe you think of Him as just another ‘god’ that some people choose to worship to feel good about themselves… their “god of choice.” Or maybe you consider Him to be another hokie “Christian-y” thing.
No matter what you believe or how you think of Jesus, I want to introduce you to Him today.
Jesus Is More
Jesus is so much more than we could ever wrap our minds around.
He is God, before time began… Who came down to earth as fully man, fully God, condescending Himself so that He could fulfill the law of God.
You see, before any of us were born, before the world even began, God was. And He made the world & everything in it… & in His PERFECT wisdom & knowledge, He intended for us to simply steward His creation as we walked with Him in loving harmony, trusting Him with the cares of the world & letting His peace define our lives… letting HIM be God. (Genesis 1-3)
We ALL Miss the Mark
But… sin (sin means ‘missing the mark,’ or basically anything that dishonors, displeases, disrespects, or disobeys God). Sin separates us from God because He is PERFECTLY HOLY & His holiness cannot intermingle with unholiness. We all sin & fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
Adam & Eve, as the first humans, decided that ‘just’ trusting God wasn’t enough. (I definitely act sometimes as if I think this way, too!) They were tempted & lied to by Satan (who continues to do this with us even to this day) & they made the CHOICE to disobey the very singular rule they were given—not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good & evil.
They were tempted to know for themselves, to make their own judgement call, to vet maybe anything God led or decided in their lives. They wanted to be equal to God in that way & have that control. That was the first sin. (I am definitely guilty of this! I get uncomfortable when I don’t know where God is leading & I want to know first before I follow.)
God Never Gives Up on Us
Because Adam & Eve sinned in that way, that sin passes down to every one of us. We are BORN sinners. We are BORN wanting OUR way over anyone else’s.
But God did not stop loving us. He did not ever give up on us.
So, God gave Moses the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17), that if we followed His law, now that we wanted to choose for ourselves & make our own judgement calls… then we would be okay.
But, He knew not one of us could ever keep it perfectly.
So, God gave the sacrificial instructions to the priests so that by killing an innocent animal, our sins could be forgiven (showing the severity of sin & God’s hatred of sin—because it always hurts us & others & He knows it & He wanted us to take sin that seriously). (Exodus 29)
But again, God knew our sins would always end up outweighing that of the sacrifice. More sins would come & we would never be fully covered, no matter how many animals we were willing to kill because of our continual sin.
But AGAIN, God did not stop loving us. He did not EVER give up on us.
From the Beginning, It Was Always JESUS
So, throughout all time, even from the beginning, God had a plan to express His great, unending, inexhaustive, unconditional love for us… JESUS.
Jesus.
God knew from before time that the ONLY way we could be redeemed would be JESUS. And guess what… even knowing that… He made us anyway. That’s how much we are loved by Him!
Jesus came to make peace between us & God… to pay OUR debts that we could never sufficiently pay through animal sacrifices or in TRYING to be perfect… to end the bloodshed of innocent animals to cover our wrongs before God—(you would think having to kill an animal every time you sinned because of how terrible a thing sin is, that it would be motivation enough to stop, but boy are we prone to wander, aren’t we? I can’t even judge them on that one, no matter how terrible it sounds in hindsight for us).
But God sent Jesus. Jesus came willingly, out of love for us… out of love for you.
We Deserve God’s WRATH, But Jesus Brings Hope in His GRACE
He saw our lowly state, our inability to save ourselves from our own deserved punishment, had compassion on us… & came to pay our debts by giving His own life on the cross.
The cross was not an easy, quick death. It was long, drawn out, humiliating, gut-wrenching agony. And He was so anguished leading up to it that He sweat BLOOD.
And yet, He went through it with such grace & humility—being GOD, who could have swept in & just killed everyone in righteous WRATH for their disrespect & dishonor to the ALMIGHTY–HIM.
But instead, He went like a sheep to the slaughter, without a fight or resistance. He went willingly to suffer a humiliating, excruciating death… for you. Because His love for you demanded that He do something to save you.
Have You Met Jesus?
Have you met Jesus?
Jesus wasn’t just a good man. He was a perfect man… God in flesh. He condescended Himself from His heavenly, eternal throne to be rejected, despised, spat on, humiliated, whipped, stripped, beaten, & HUNG because He loves you.
People like to say, “Well, why would a good God send anyone to Hell? I don’t want to serve a God who would do that anyway!”
But let me ask you this, the real question is this: “Why would anyone CHOOSE Hell over a GOOD God Who condescended Himself as Almighty GOD to humble MAN to pay YOUR debts because HE loves you THAT MUCH?!”
And He offers that GIFT of GRACE to ANYONE willing to accept it.
Jesus ROSE
But Jesus didn’t stay dead, praise GOD! He ROSE AGAIN, victorious over death AND our sin! Hallelujah indeed!!! (Matthew 28:5-6)
“IT IS FINISHED.” (John 19:30)
People say He was just a good teacher, but He is the All-Wise, All-Knowing GOD Who created all life! When the Bible says “FEAR GOD” (Proverbs 9:10) it is a reminder that HE is GOD & YOU ARE NOT.
Jesus was not just a good Man. He was our perfect, sinless, spotless Lamb Who put Himself on the alter as our once-and-for-all sacrificial offering for our sins.
Jesus–A Gift for All Who Will Receive Him
And guess what? He doesn’t ask for anything to earn it or be good enough for it.
Just. Faith. In. His. Payment. That is ALL.
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:9-13)
To come face to face with your sin, admit it to God as SIN… that you wronged Him & hurt Him with your disobedience to Him. And say, “God, forgive me. Please forgive me. I cannot save myself. I need You. I need Jesus. Take my sin. Help me to turn from my way of life to Yours. Teach me Your way… in the way everlasting. Take my sin & heal me… forgive me… make me whole again. Jesus, please be LORD of my life from now on. I need You. AMEN.”
Confess your sins to Him. Admit your wrongs against Him. Accept that you will make mistakes but allow God to prune your life to ever be more pleasing & honoring to Him. Accept Jesus as your LORD… as your REDEEMER before God.
Thank You, Jesus
Have you met Jesus? I would like to introduce Him to you… because He has loved you with an everlasting, unconditional love before you were even thought of… & He made a way for you to be right with God once & for all, through His blood, sacrifice, & LOVE.
Shine HOPE by sharing our only true source of HOPE with EVERYONE you know.
Life is short. You are not promised tomorrow.
But Jesus is waiting today… for you.
Will you meet Him?
Coming Next Week
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As God grows me, may it encourage you to seek Him & know Him & love Him more every day.
A Note from Michelle:
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Fashion as a Force for GOOD:
Each week, I feature an item that is changing lives for women around the world. These hand-crafted pieces are offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations all around the world! Consider these pieces when shopping for friends, family, or yourself. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!
Emery Saddle Bag (India)
Discover beautiful Artisanal style inside this smooth palomino genuine leather bag from India with screen-printed, peach poppy flower designs throughout its tan 100% woven cotton lining. This ethically made Emery Saddle Bag is handcrafted in India with a unique round bottom and stylish front flap that’s finished with a decorative tassel and a magnetic snap closure. Keep your valuables organized and safe in the zippered interior pocket and interior slip pocket. The removable strap allows you to choose how you wear this must-have bag – as a shoulder bag or as a clutch! You can even wear this Emery Saddle Bag as a crossbody with the Emery Crossbody Strap (sold separately). Every purchase creates safe jobs with fair wages in areas of extreme poverty in India.
How You Can Help the Artisans & Support My Website:
SHOP Here, OR, Email me at michellehyde.tradesofhope@gmail.com with any questions, & I will message you personally with more information!! Thank you for inspiring HOPE around the world, Lovely!
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Love ya lots! Have a wonderful week!
