The Real Jesus

Sometimes I have a difficult time imaging the life that Jesus lived.  I am a very logical thinker, its a gift that my husband is quite fond of but there are moments when that thinking needs to be pushed out of the way in order for my love and passion for Christ to reign in my being.  I honestly love having my own personal pastor, because he gave me this reminder: to find that love and passion it takes study and devotion in the word for it to become true in your heart.  How else can I respond to that but by diving into scripture to re-read the words I know well in my mind to make them true in my heart.

I'll start with defining who Jesus is through the gospel of John in chapter 1 verses 1-5:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Yes I realize the words "Jesus Christ" are not physically found in this passage but Christ is referred to as the "Word". "The Word was with God, and the Word was God." Jesus Christ is fully God in human form. It is astonishing, I know quite well how conception works and God made his Son through his Spirit in the womb of a virgin girl. Jesus Christ was at the beginning of time when he created this earth and the creatures of it, as verse 3 states, "all things were made through him." Nothing that was made lacked the hand of the Son of God. He is our life and light in the darkness and evil of this world as stated in verse 5.

The gospel of John teaches us that Jesus Christ is our light in the darkness or evil, but how does that work? I'll go to 1 John 2:1-6 to define this:

1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Jesus Christ is righteous and he is our advocate to the Father.  "He is the propitiation for our sins," the word propitiation means "a sacrifice that bears God's wrath and turns it to favor" (ESV Study Bible).  Christ lived the perfect life but then was betrayed, beaten and crucified on a cross. He died the death that we deserve for the debt of our sin.  Christ's death is what finds our favor in the eyes of the Father.  We can do nothing to earn that favor.  All we can do is turn to the cross.

We must be careful when we read "for the sins of the whole world".  As John continues into verses 3-6 that we must keep God's word and his commandments.  We are called to repent of our sinful ways as Luke 13:3 states "but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish".  We are to follow the ways of the Lord as verse 6 states "whoever abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."  As humans we will constantly fail to live the life that Jesus did but I like how the ESV Study Bible expresses how we can follow in Christ's ways: we "can mirror his faith, love, piety, obedience and self sacrifice".  We are to be a shadow of Christ as marriage is a shadow of Christ's love for his bride the church.

It is so easy to get caught up in the self pity of our daily lives, I know I've been there for the past week.  I can make all the excuses I want but nothing gives me a better perspective than turning to the cross.   Where Christ breathed his last painful breath in order to bring God glory and to give us non-deserving humans favor in the eyes of the Father.  I thank you Jesus for your life, for your teaching, for your example, and for your death!