Who is Jesus? #151

Ten Things Jesus Knows About You

Random Opening Thoughts

I guess turnabout is fair play. I used the last ten posts in the discussion "Ten Things You Must Know About Jesus." So now I turn things around and discuss "Ten Things Jesus Knows About You." Uh oh! I guess this could be a little uncomfortable. Maybe that is what we need...a little discomfort. Maybe there are some things we would rather Jesus not know about us. In our hearts we know that is not possible, He knows it all! Maybe it will be treated as an assessment by some of us to see just how far along we are in our spiritual journey and where we need to make correction.

Jesus said in John 10:27, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." That resounds with much comfort if you happen to be one of His sheep. The metaphor of shepherd and sheep comes alive as we conjure up all of the good things that a shepherd does for His sheep; calls them by name, protects them, feeds them, leads them. When Jesus identifies me, knows me, as one of His sheep, there is a great upside to that.

But then, there is also the pointed side of Jesus' knowledge of us. In John 5:42 He says, "but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts." Now, how does that make us feel? Of course, He was saying this to a group of people intent on taking His life because He did stuff on the Sabbath and claimed God as His Father.

I lost count of how many times the words "I know" appear in the letters to the seven churches of Asia in the chapters two and three of Revelation. Perhaps the most significant image from Revelation is the picture of Jesus from chapter one where He is seen walking among the seven golden lampstands which represent those seven churches.

He could have been on the outside looking in. He could have been positioned high above and looking down on those churches. Where we see Him is right where He needs to be - among the churches. So, when Jesus says He knows, there is no guesswork. He has positioned Himself to be able to say "I Know."

We are talking about the here and now. Whatever He may know about the past or whatever He may know about the future does not come into play here. He knows me now; what I am now, what I think now, what I do now. Let's explore what He knows about us. However, I think I will number them in reverse order this time.

Who is Jesus? #150

Ten Things You Must Know About Jesus

His Accountability

Accountability seems to be an important concept and process these days. Employers hold their employees accountable to fulfill their tasks. We are supposed to hold our elected representatives accountable for representing us. It is not uncommon these days for an individual to find an accountability partner to monitor how he handles various areas of his or her life - finances, marriage vows, etc. Accountability is a good thing when it helps us to keep our lives in check.

I had never really thought about Jesus being held accountable. I would have thought He was one person who didn't need that. Actually, that is correct. He didn't need to be held accountable because He was accountable. God didn't have to look over the shoulder of Jesus to see if He was going to do what He was supposed to. Jesus knew what He would be doing before He arrived and was committed to doing it. God commissioned His son to come to the earth and get busy, and He did.

In the passage of scripture that is truly the Lord's Prayer (John 17), Jesus says, "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do, (v. 4)." In saying this Jesus was telling His Father that He had been accountable. Jesus was accountable to His Father. However, there was never a doubt that He would not complete the ministry delivered to Him by His Father. Is there some other way that Jesus was accountable?

Jesus accounted for the source of His teaching. “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me, (John 7:16)."

Jesus accounted for how He came to be here. "I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true, (John 7:28)."

Jesus accounted for who was with Him. "I stand with the Father, who sent me, (John 8:16)."

Jesus accounted for why He did what He did. "I always do what pleases him, (John 8:30).”

Jesus accounted for what his purpose on earth was. "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost, (Luke 19:10).”

Jesus accounted for His future absence from the earth. "I am going there to prepare a place for you, (John 14:2)

In these, and other occasions, He wasn’t being accountable to His Father. He was being accountable to you and me by telling us that He was doing what He doing, saying what He was saying, and going where He was going because of you and me. He gave us all the whys and wherefores and it all centered on us. In essence He felt Himself accountable to us and we can, therefore, count on Him. Isn't that what accountability is all about?

Who is Jesus? #149

Ten Things You Must Know About Jesus

His Reliability

Reliability is the quality we ascribe to someone or something that we can count on to function as we are accustomed. Our life depends on things and people being reliable, does it not? My car is reliable, as long as it is in good working order. My pen is reliable, as long as there is ink in it. My computer – uh, won’t go there. Now, my wife is very reliable…always. If I place my key in the lock of my office door, it will reliably unlock it – has to be the right key. There are many reliable people in my life as long as they are around when I need their reliability.

If we go back into the Old Testament we find a king who knew how reliable God was. David said it this way in Psalm 139:7-10

      Where can I go from your Spirit? Where
      can I flee from your presence? If I go up
      to the heavens, you are there; if I make my
      bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise
      on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the
      far side of the sea, even there your hand
      will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

David thinks the reliability of God is a good thing, but it could be a fearful thing knowing that God is always there. For the believer God’s continual presence is a reliable blessing that we count on.

There is no doubt as to the reliability of Scripture. Everything the prophets said concerning the one who was to come reliably happened.

So, if our reliable Heavenly Father through reliable Scripture makes known His Son, we can count on that Son manifesting that same reliability.

There seemed to be people in Jesus’ day who were counting on His reliability. There was a centurion who depended on Jesus’ reliability to the point He didn’t need Jesus to go to his house, just say the word (Matthew 8).

Even the apostles had their moments reflected in Peter saying to Jesus, "To whom shall we go, (John 6:68)." Here Peter acknowledges Jesus as the one and only reliable source.
So, when Jesus says He will be with us until the end of the age, we can rely on Him to do exactly that.

The King James Version of Scripture made reference to faithful sayings that were worthy of all acceptance. The NIV says it is "a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance." These were/are promises you and I can count on - reliable. One reliable promise is that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, (I Timothy 1:15)." You find some more reliability in what Paul says in I Timothy 4:8-9, "holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

What more do you need - life now, life then? Jesus tried to tell us that when He promised that He came, "that they might have life and have it to the full, (John 10:10)."

There are no contingencies or conditions attached to Jesus' reliability like there was with my car, my key, my pen, or my computer. Jesus is purely and totally reliable.

Come to Him. Go to Him. He's there. He's reliable.

Who is Jesus? #148

Ten Things You Must Know About Jesus

His Simplicity

From beginning to end Jesus was an example of simplicity rather than glamour and extravagance. Being born in a stable is pretty simple. Not having a place to lay your head at night – again, simple. Though He was killed in a very public way, He was buried very simply in a borrowed tomb.

Though people provided some difficulty for Him, His ministry was pretty straight forward. If they are sick, heal them. If they are dead, raise them. If they are possessed, free them. If they are ignorant, teach them.

When He commissioned the twelve to go preach (Matthew 10), He gave them simple instructions; don't take a lot of stuff, stay where you are welcome, perform miracles, preach the Kingdom.

Religion at the time had become pretty involved and somewhat complicated. According to traditions even the simple task of washing hands had become quite a ceremony. A Jew had better know all of the ins and outs of keeping the Sabbath or he might find himself in violation.

Well before the time of Jesus I recall the story of Naaman who thought there would be some sensational exhibition by Elisha the prophet that would result in his leprosy being healed when all he needed to do was simply dip himself seven times in the Jordan River.

I'm wondering if the traditions of man, somewhat involved traditions, are the very things that have turned people away from religion. It seems that a lot of high-church ceremony is exactly the thing that becomes a road block, if not a stumbling block, for many.

The religious leaders were trying to make some kind of complicated and contorted mess out of Jesus making a blind man receive his sight. It takes all of John 9 to tell the whole story. The now seeing man summed it all up very simply, "I was blind, and now I see."

Let’s not complicate what is so simple. We toss words into the mix like theology, ecclesiology, missional, eschatology, substitutionary, and people wonder what we are talking about.

Doesn’t it really all come done to this? You’re lost. Jesus saves. Let me tell you about it.

Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, just give me Jesus.

Who is Jesus? #147

Ten Things You Must Know About Jesus

His Suitability

When God created Adam, He soon revealed that His creation was incomplete. He decided to make a help meet for Adam. That somewhat archaic word “meet” in that context means suitable or appropriate. God made another person who met Adam right where he lived - a suitable helper

From the very beginning God has worked in an appropriate way for His creation. It makes sense that the Creator would do things suitable for His creation.

This appropriateness includes the person God chose to send to earth. He was and is a Suitable Savior. We had a sin problem and He was the suitable repair for the problem. Praise God! But there is more to it than that. Paul says in Galatians 3:26-27.

          "You are all sons of God through faith in
          Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized
          into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."

Clothed with Christ – how appropriate is that? I have some clothes that I prefer to wear over some others that I own. I just find some more suitable than others – warmer clothes are more suitable for the winter and cooler clothes for summer. I’m not sure what a suit and tie is suitable for but my wife loves it when I where them. A swim suit is suitable for the pool and a wet suit for deep sea diving.

When we are clothed with Jesus we have a perfect fit for life - suitable for wearing at all times. He is tailored to fit. It is one size fits all. Then the Hebrews writer points this out for us in 7:26.

         "Such a high priest meets our need—one who
          is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners,
         exalted above the heavens."

How much more suitable could He be? He meets our need. He is fully qualified. He has not been asked to do anything that He is not suited for. From the beginning until now and all the way through to the end, He is suited just for us.

Go ahead! Put Him on!

Who is Jesus? #146

Ten Things You Must Know About Jesus

His Accessibility

Sure, He had his moments when He needed to be by Himself to be recharged. He would spend private time in meditation and prayer. The New Testament tells of times when these moments were interrupted by people and He responded to them.

Typically, the only reason people couldn’t get close to Him was because there was already a crowd pressing in on Him.

Jesus' birth in a local family home and His being found in a manger by shepherds previewed His availability to all people, even those whom many of His day would exclude.

Just how accessible was He? He was willing to talk to Nicodemus at night. Really, how many of us are willing to take time for people in the middle of the night? Violating two traditions, He had time for the Samaritan woman at the well. “Don’t you dare keep those children from approaching me,” was his rebuke to the disciples. Jesus didn’t rebuff those friends who broke a hole in the roof to get their friend to Him.

In contrast to the high and mighty religious elite of the time, Jesus could be found by those who wanted to get close to Him. He even invites us to come. “Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.”

His didn't go and hide in a synagogue somewhere. He didn't retire to the top of some mountain inaccessible to most people. He didn't find a cave that would offer Him seclusion and privacy. He was and remains accessible.

    For we do not have a high priest who is unable
    to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we
    have one who has been tempted in every way,
    just as we are —yet was without sin.
    Let us then approach the throne of grace with
    confidence, so that we may receive mercy and
    find grace to help us in our time of need.

I guess it is not uncommon these days for children to complain because one of their parents, usually dad, is never around. He works all the time or is on the computer or out on the golf course.

The accessibility of Jesus simply highlights how much God wants to be with us. Jesus is so accessible that He “stands at the door and knocks.” He wants us to come to Him, not just for salvation, but for every good gift that He has in store for us, in good times and bad, with every question on our heart.

“Come!”

Who is Jesus? #145

Ten Things You Must Know About Jesus

His Capability

I get out there on the links from time to time and try to play golf. Even though I have one hole-in-one to my name (planets must have been properly aligned) I do not play very well. It’s a good thing I do not have to make my living playing golf. My capabilities are just not up to par (A little golf humor there).

Sometimes in life we have to recognize what we are capable of and what we are incapable of. Life can become very frustrating if we continually try to excel in things that are beyond our capabilities. So, I have found enjoyment and fellowship in golf that offset my lack of ability.

Jesus came on the scene very capable - very capable of very many things.

There is an instance (Mark 9) where Jesus’ abilities were questioned and He reacted by repeating what was just said, “If you can!” I have often wondered the tone and body language of Jesus when He said this. The boy’s daddy has just asked Jesus to help with his demon-possessed son and indicated the slight possibility that Jesus may not have the ability to do this. Jesus continued by saying, “Everything is possible for him who believes.”

Before healing a couple of blind men (Matthew 9), Jesus queried their faith in His capabilities.”Do you believe that I am able to do this?” The question was not whether His abilities measured up but did their faith measure up?

In Mark 8 some of the religious leaders came looking for a demonstration of His abilities. Their improper motivation for the request brought a refusal to perform by Jesus. Other similar passages indicate that the sign that they needed would be seen on resurrection Sunday.

Some, maybe most of us, question Jesus’ capabilities. You will hear full grown Christians question whether they are really saved. While we are questioning our salvation, I wonder if Jesus is questioning our faith in His capabilities. Wouldn’t it be a tragedy if the only limit to a demonstration of Jesus capabilities was our lack of faith? Too many of us may “try the water” with an “if you can” attitude before we jump in.  Perhaps the "if you can" father had an excuse, what is ours?

We could mention all of the things Jesus was capable of: healing, multiplying, quieting, etc. But, His most important/urgent capability is mentioned in Hebrews 7:25.

     Therefore he is able to save completely
     those who come to God through him,
     because he always lives to intercede for them.

Jesus lacks nothing when it comes to salvation. When He saves it is not halfway, it is complete! Not only does He have the ability to save you, but He has the ability to present you to the Father as a saved person.

Either you believe Jesus saves or you do not. Either you have been saved or you have not. Either you believe you are saved or you do not. Do you doubt Jesus' ability to save? Do you doubt His capacity for loving you? Have confidence in the capabilities of the Savior!

Who is Jesus? #144

 Ten Things You Must Know About Jesus

His Audacity

At first blush, we might consider this trait of Jesus in stark contrast to the one in the previous blog – His Humility.

According to Mr. Webster to be audacious is to be daring and bold. Others would define audacity as taking a bold initiative or having a disregard for social convention.

Most of us probably view audacity in a negative light. During the streaking era in our country, I would classify those doing the streaking (as one did across my college campus) as being pretty audacious. If someone opened your front door and sat themselves down in your house and lit up a cigar, you would consider them audacious (as well as under arrest).

Jesus was one who broke many a social norm. Instead of hobnobbing with the religious leaders, as was expected, he came to the sick (sinners) who needed a physician (savior). He healed on the sabbath - a major no-no. He allowed a prostitute to anoint him for his burial. He chastised one of Israel’s teachers (Nicodemus) for not understanding Kingdom stuff.

The very audacity, He went into the temple area and drive those thieves out of there. Maybe the best encounter that shows both His audacity and His humility is found in John 8 – that adulterous woman.

The encounter begins with, “…the law says stone her” and ends with, “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Surely everyone present at that scene, and the Pharisees made sure it was a very public place, was waiting for Jesus to follow the law - should have been open and shut. Wait, what was that He said? “If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Of all the nerve - the expectation was to follow the law. How could He?

Well, He didn’t dismiss her sin, but His audacity did dismiss the crowd. Of course, His audacity was right.

Isn't it time, if not past time, to be an audacious follower of Jesus? Do we need to "boldly go where no one has gone before?" Are there some social norms that we need to violate in order to bring the message of the physician to the sick? Or, are we going to continue to come to church or have church rather than be the church?

Oh, there is one other thing.

Of all the audacity, Jesus - to call me a sinner. Aren’t you afraid of injuring my self-esteem? Don’t you know I need some positive strokes – gotta save face?

Of all the humility, Jesus - to take my place on the cross. You took care of my problem. I was the problem and you were/are the solution.

Who is Jesus? #143

Ten Things You Must Know About Jesus

His Humility

If Jesus wanted to ride the wave of prestige and preeminence to sit on the throne of a king in Jerusalem, He sure could have done it. That was what was in the minds of most of the people at that time. Herod thought Jesus was going to usurp his little throne which is why he attempted murder. Imagine that. If Jesus was interested in a large following of people who would be subservient to Him, it was there for the taking.

We do need to remember that He left a position that was on an equality with God and came to this earth, so I am not sure how a throne on earth could compare to what He left and what He had waiting for Him (sitting at the right hand of God) when He returned to the Father.

Ephesians 2:6-8

         Who, being in very nature God, did not consider
         equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but
         made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a
         servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being
         found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself
         and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!

Peter has the opportunity to drive home to Cornelius and his family who Jesus is. He doesn’t talk about all of the crowds that He attracted. He doesn’t list all of the miracles that Jesus performed. Here is Peter’s first description of Jesus in Acts 10:38.

         ...how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy
        Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good
        and healing all who were under the power of the devil,
        because God was with him.

I am not sure how many heads of state have taken the time to roll up their sleeves and get down and dirty where people are. There have been a few. Perhaps Jesus’ own statement about His purpose brings the message home in Mark 10:45.

        ...even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but
        to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Don’t even think about equating humility with weakness. A demonstration of humility is the sign of greatest strength. Jesus’ humility was an expression of who He was.

The same is true for us. In order to advance the Kingdom, I do not need to advance myself. There is an item in my spiritual closet that I need to be sure and put on every day. It‘s hanging there with a lot of other good stuff. Paul says it this way in Colossians 3:12.

        Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved,
        clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility,
        gentleness and patience.

Who is Jesus? #142

Ten Things You Must Know About Jesus
His Humanity

Now don’t tell me He was half man and half God – it was all or nothing! You and I may have a hard time framing that thought, be He was both. How do we sort this out?

I guess we could dwell on all of the standard stuff: He was born, He grew, He had flesh and bones, His bled, He got hungry, He got thirsty, He slept when He was weary, and He died. I am not sure that differentiates Him much from every other animal.

We could even take note of all of his human emotions; He rejoiced, He was angered, He suffered great mental anguish. Perhaps this is getting closer to His human nature; but, is there something else? Maybe the reasons for His rejoicing, getting angry, etc. would help us out here. I can get angry when I am violated. I can rejoice when things go right in my life. What about me getting angry when you are violated? What about me rejoicing when things go right for you? We are talking here about a conscious awareness of other people, what they are dealing with, reacting to their situation, followed up with an offer and effort to help and serve.

How about Hebrews 4:15.

                  For we do not have a high priest who is unable
                  to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have
                  one who has been tempted in every way, just as
                  we are — yet was without sin.

That word "sympathize" means to be touched. There are scores of powerful people in this old world, but I am not sure just how many of them can relate to me much less sympathize with or be touched by me. Have you ever tried to minister to someone dealing with some sort of tragedy? Many times the response is, "you just don't what I am going through." The comfort and encouragement they seek comes from someone who has been there and gone through what they are experiencing.

Jesus had His own struggles.

Hebrews 5:2

                  7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up
                  prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the
                 one who could save him from death, and he was heard
                 because of his reverent submission.

He experienced pain, so He feels your pain and offers relief. He experienced joy and is therefore able to rejoice with you in your victory. He was disappointed and is able to reach into your life and lift you up with encouragement. He was rejected by those closest to Him and is able, therefore, to bring you into fellowship with Him in the Holy Spirit. You haven't been where He has not gone - there and back.

The humanity of Jesus is what makes His sacrifice so genuine - "taking the appearance of a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8)."