Meet Jesus - Day 30 of 40 - Son of God

Read Luke 8:26-39.

"What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" (Luke 8:28 NLT). Yep, even demons knew who Jesus was.

On day 27, we met Jesus: God. This is true. And He is also the Son of God. This may seem like a confusing concept. The Christian Church believes in the Holy Trinity--Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One God, but three in one. On the simpler side of things you can think of the different hats in life you may wear. For me, I'm Craig: Husband. Craig: Dad. Craig: Son. But I'm still simply...Craig. 

You won't find the specific word "Trinity" in the Bible but you will find the teachings of the Trinity in God's Word. Just one example is Matthew 28:19 (NLT), "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

Below is a creed accepted by all Christian churches, all denominations (Lutheran, Catholic, Methodist, Assembly of God, etc.) that explain what we believe of God, which includes Jesus: Son of God:

Nicene Creed

I
 believe 
in 
one
 God,
 the 
Father
 Almighty,
 maker 
of 
heaven
 and
 earth
 and
 of 
all 
things
 visible
 and 
invisible.

And
 in 
one 
Lord
 Jesus
 Christ, 
the
 only‐begotten
 Son
 of 
God,
 begotten
 of
 His 
Father
 before
all
 worlds, 
God
 of 
God, 
Light 
of 
Light,
 very
 God
 of 
very
 God,
 begotten, 
not 
made,
 being
 of
one
 substance 
with
 the
 Father, 
by
 whom
 all 
things
 were 
made; 
who
 for 
us 
men
 and
 for our salvation
 came
 down
 from 
heaven 
and 
was 
incarnate
 by
 the 
Holy 
Spirit 
of 
the
 virgin
 Mary
 and
 was 
made 
man; 
and
 was
 crucified
 also
 for 
us 
under
 Pontius 
Pilate. 
He 
suffered and 
was
 buried. 
And 
the
 third
 day 
He 
rose 
again 
according
 to
 the 
Scriptures 
and
 ascended into
 heaven
 and 
sits 
at
 the
 right 
hand
 of
 the 
Father. 
And 
He
 will
 come 
again
 with
 glory
 to
judge
 both 
the
 living 
and 
the 
dead, 
whose 
kingdom
 will 
have 
no 
end. 

And
 I 
believe
 in
 the
Holy 
Spirit,
 the
 Lord 
and 
giver 
of 
life,
 who 
proceeds
 from
 the
 Father 
and
the
 Son,
 who 
with
the
 Father
 and
 the 
Son 
together 
is 
worshiped
 and 
glorified, 
who 
spoke
 by
the 
prophets.
 And 
I 
believe
 in 
one 
holy 
Christian
 and 
apostolic 
Church 
I
 acknowledge
 one
Baptism 
for
 the remission 
of
 sins, 
and 
I 
look
 for 
the 
resurrection
 of
 the 
dead
 and
 the 
life
 of
the
 world
 to 
come. 
Amen.

Now, back to the account in Luke 8:26-39. What do we see of Jesus: Son of God?

• He has power over demons and can cast them out.
• People feared Jesus.
• Even though most wanted Jesus to leave from them, one man didn't. "The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 'Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.' And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him." (Luke 8:38-39 NLT)

Regardless of the source (when the man was demon-possessed), it is still a good question we can ask of Jesus: Son of God. "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" What could it mean to ask Jesus of this each day of your life? What would be the impact...on you...on the lives of the people around you?


In what specific ways may we return to our homes, declare how much Jesus has done for us, and proclaim this throughout the community we live in?

Meet Jesus - Day 29 of 40 - Victor

"For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:56-57 NLT)

What else does God's Word say on Jesus: Victor? 

• "If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?" (Romans 8:31b-32 NLT)

• [Jesus said] "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NLT)

• "The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT)

• "Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18 NLT)

What does Jesus: Victor mean for those who follow Him?

• "A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." (Ephesians 6:10 NLT)

• "For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith." (1 John 5:4 NLT)

What other verses speak of the victory we have in Jesus? 

How have you experienced Jesus: Victor in your life? 

Who in your life is being trampled upon by sin, addiction, trouble [if responding to this in a small group, it is not necessary to share names.]? How may you encourage this person by introducing them to Jesus: Victor?

If you hadn't already watched it, go to yesterday's post to see Yolanda Adams sing about Jesus: Victor. 

a MEET JESUS musical testimony!

Talk about introducing people to Jesus! And on the stage of The Tonight Show--watched by millions of people who need to know Jesus.

To me the words Yolanda sings include teaching the good news of Jesus ("He died, but He rose on the 3rd day") AND personal testimony on the impact of Jesus' in her life...VICTORY!

ENJOY!

Meet Jesus - Day 28 of 40 - Storm-calmer

Read Luke 8:22-25. 

"But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, 'Master, Master, we’re going to drown!' When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm." (Luke 8:23b-24 NLT)

What storms in life have you faced? How have you reacted to them?

If the disciples had already seen incredible miracles of Jesus, why would they worry of a storm when Jesus was with them? 



Like the disciples, maybe we all need the reminder. The disciples forgot the powerful force that was with them in the boat. We who follow Jesus today, who have Jesus living in us, forget the fact.

Paul needed to remind the early church of this as well. 

He reminded the Corinthians, "Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you." (2 Corinthians 2:5 NLT)

He reminded the Galatians, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." (Galatians 2:20 NLT)

He reminded the Colossians, "And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory." (Colossians 1:27 NLT)

The good news in this reality. When Jesus said to His disciples, "Where is your faith?”, he said this after He calmed the storm. He didn't wait for them to get their "act together." He heard their desperate plea, "Master, Master...", answered it, and did so immediately.

Looking back over those storms you've experienced, how did you see Jesus: Storm-calmer in action? 

In your words how would you explain storms, faith, fear and trust in Jesus to another, especially one going through their own storm of life?

Meet Jesus - Day 27 of 40 - God

"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1 NLT)

The "Word" John was referring to is Jesus. So John 1:1 could also be said, "In the beginning Jesus already existed. Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God."

Many religions and religious leaders look at Jesus positively. This can be said of Gandhi (Hinduism), Muhammad (Islam), the Dalai Lama (Buddhism) to name a few. But considering Jesus as God is another thing. And Jesus: God is exactly what separates those who follow Jesus from all other world religions. 

As mentioned in previous daily devotions, in all world religions, man needs to do something on his/her own part to obtain salvation, eternal life with God. Those who follow Jesus know from God's Word that there is nothing man can do to earn salvation. As Paul wrote, "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard." (Romans 3:23 NLT) Because of us always falling short, we needed an external source to save us; eternal life with God is something we could never achieve by good works. And if we are truly honest with ourselves and did the counting, how could we ever really count more good works done by us in a lifespan over our evil actions and thoughts? So this is what God did...He sent Himself to earth to save us by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This act of Jesus: God is the epitome of the word grace. 

Other religions use the word grace, but when you look deeply enough there are always strings attached, whereby negating what grace is supposed to mean (love with no strings). 

How do you find what God did in sending His Son (Himself) as true grace ("undeserved love", "love without strings attached")? How has God's grace impacted your life? How may we introduce God's grace as known in Jesus: God to another?

Meet Jesus - Day 26 of 40 - Messiah

Read Luke 7:18-50. 

"John’s two disciples found Jesus and said to him, 'John the Baptist sent us to ask, "Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?" At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind. Then he told John’s disciples, 'Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. And tell him, ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.’”

In this account Jesus gave the long answer. He responded to the question of John's disciples with the evidence of his actions. In John 4:25-26, Jesus was more succinct, "The woman said to him, 'I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.' Jesus said to her, 'I who speak to you am he.'”

Messiah means "anointed one" as in oil poured on one. Another snapshot of Jesus: Messiah found in Luke 7:46-50:

[Jesus speaking to Simon the Pharisee] "'You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.' Then Jesus said to the woman, 'Your sins are forgiven.' The men at the table said among themselves, 'Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?' And Jesus said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'”

Christian Cyclopedia reports, "The OT [Old Testament] offers hope of a messiah-king after the image of David (e.g., Ps 2; 18; 20; 21; 45). It also refers to Messiah in such terms as the coming Judge (e.g., Is 42:1–4), Ruler of Israel (e.g., 2 Sm 7:13; Zch 9:9; Ps 2:6; Dn 9:25), Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Is 9:6; cf. Ju 13:18)." Jesus filled the hope of all of these. 

Most importantly for us..."who is this man, that goes around forgiving sins?" Answer: Jesus: Messiah.

Many movies include a messiah theme (all ripped off from the Bible). In these movies, the characters look to the One who would come to save, redeem, put things right again. One could look at Star Wars Episodes I-III as Old Testament. And Episodes IV-VI as New Testament. In Episodes I-II, the Jedi were looking to the One who would provide order to the universe. Ultimately, in Episodes VI (with a rocky road of destruction in the middle) that One was Anikan Skywalker (aka Darth Vader) who defeated the evil emperor.

How is Jesus the One to you? How has he saved, redeemed, put things right in your life? How may you express this to another?

Meet Jesus - Day 25 of 40 - Deliverer

[Paul wrote, quoting the prophet Isaiah] "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written:

'The deliverer will come from Zion;

    he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.

And this is my covenant with them

    when I take away their sins.'” (Romans 11:25-27 NIV)

The deliver who would come, who came, is Jesus. 

On Day 17, we met Jesus: Savior. Savior and Deliverer are similar descriptions for who Jesus is. We looked at Jesus: Savior with a fairly broad stroke. Today, we will look at Jesus: Deliverer in a more intimate way as expressed in Psalm 40. Here is a personal testimony as to what Deliverer means from Jesus' great, great, great, great (on and on) grandfather David:

I waited patiently for the Lord;

    he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,

    out of the mud and mire;

he set my feet on a rock

    and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,

    a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear the Lord

    and put their trust in him.

I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;

    I do not seal my lips, Lord,

    as you know.

I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;

    I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.

I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness

    from the great assembly.

But may all who seek you

    rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who long for your saving help always say,

    “The Lord is great!”

But as for me, I am poor and needy;

    may the Lord think of me.

You are my help and my deliverer;

    you are my God 

(Psalm 40:1-3, 9-10, 16-17a NIV)

What words would you choose to explain what Jesus: Deliverer means to you? As a witness, with whom may you share your testimony?

In closing, enjoy U2's singing of Psalm 40 (a favorite of mine):

Meet Jesus - Day 24 of 40 - Prophet

Read Luke 7:11-17.

"Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, 'A mighty prophet has risen among us,' and 'God has visited his people today.'” (Luke 7:16 NLT)

Christian Cyclopedia defines the word prophet, "in Scripture a prophet is a divinely inspired forth-teller (1 Sm 10:6; Jer 1:2; Eze 1:1; Hos 1:1; 1 Ptr 1:11; 2 Ptr 1:21) who rebukes sin (2 Sm 12; Is 58:1; Eze 3:17; Mi 3:8), shows God's mercy (Is 40; 53), and in gen., proclaims messages of God (Ex 4:14–15; 7:1–2: Eze 11; Heb 1:1–2)."

We see all of these prophetic qualities in Jesus' life.

• Rebuking sin (John 8:11)
• Showing God's mercy (Matthew 5:3-12)
• Proclaims messages of God (The Sermon on the Mount - Matthew 5:13-7:29)

Throughout the Old Testament, God's prophets forth-told of the coming Messiah, the one who would come and save God's people.

Jesus forth-told of this as well.

"Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem started to ask each other, 'Could our leaders possibly believe that he is the Messiah? But how could he be? For we know where this man comes from. When the Messiah comes, he will simply appear; no one will know where he comes from.' While Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he called out, 'Yes, you know me, and you know where I come from. But I’m not here on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don’t know him. But I know him because I come from him, and he sent me to you.'" (John 7:25a, 26b-29 NLT)

What separates Jesus from all the other prophets is that Jesus came to the world and forth-told the Good News of Himself. 

"For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17 NLT)

Where else in the God's Word do we find Jesus: Prophet? What were people's reaction to the prophecy He shared? Who were offended? Who were afraid? Whose lives were forever changed, saved by God, not to perish but to have eternal life with our Loving God?

"And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding countryside." (Luke 7:17 NLT)

How may we spread the news and introduce Jesus: Prophet to others? How may we reveal from God's Word that Jesus wasn't just a man who taught great wisdom and did kind things, but that He was (is) God Himself, who came to us (not us to Him) to save us from sin and death?

Meet Jesus - Day 23 of 40 - Mediator

me·di·a·tor (mēdēˌādər) / noun - a go-between; one who gets in the middle of two parties for the purpose of reconciliation. 

Another word for go-between is bridge. If there is a great divide between point A and point B, we need a bridge to reconcile that gap. That is what Jesus is...our bridge to God, our mediator with God the Father.

"For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5 NLT)

Review the bridge analogy. Become familiar with it. Practice it with another follower of Jesus. Learn to share it verbally. Learn to share it by actually drawing it out. Take turns and try this during a small group meeting. 

Here is one way to introduce Jesus: Mediator to another. As you practice it, you become that much more equipped, prepared and ready when given the opportunity to share with one who is far from God. 

Meet Jesus - Day 22 of 40 - Authority

Read Luke 7:1-10.

“So Jesus went with them. But just before they arrived at the house, the officer [of the sick slave whom Jesus was asked to heal) sent some friends to say, ‘Lord, don’t trouble yourself by coming to my home, for I am not worthy of such an honor. I am not worthy to come and meet you. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” (Luke 7:6-8 NLT)

This Roman officer knew of Jesus’ authority. The rumors were true.

In this 40-day devotional, every other day, we’ve been reading through the Book of Luke. We are only in Luke 7 and already have seen these examples of Jesus’ authority distinguished:

• Resisted the devil’s temptations. Luke 4:1-13.
• Filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Luke 4:14a.
• Reports of His power flooding the region. Luke 4:14b. 
• Praised for His teaching in the synagogues. Luke 4:15.
• Everyone spoke well of Him and were amazed by Him. Luke 4:22.
• Casting a demon from a young man. Including the people’s exclamation “What authority and power this man’s words possess!” Luke 4:35-36. 
• Healing many. Luke 4:39, 5:13, 5:24, 6:10, 6:19.
• Immediate response from His disciples to follow Him. Luke 5:10-11, 5:27-28, 6:12-16.
• Authority over the Sabbath. Luke 6:5.

Jesus has the same authority today. And the above list only scratches the surface. These accounts of Jesus’ authority come from less than 1/3 of the entire Book of Luke. 

What authority of Jesus do you point to in your life, in the world around us? How is Jesus’ authority good news to all? Along with the Word (like what we are reading in Luke), how may we introduce Jesus: Authority to those around us? 



The rest of the above story from Luke 7...

"When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, 'I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!' And when the officer’s friends returned to his house, they found the slave completely healed." (Luke 7:9-10 NLT)

Meet Jesus - Day 21 of 40 - Vine

Read John 15:1-8.

[Jesus said] "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches." (John 15:5a NLT)

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you." (John 15:4a NLT)



What are 3 ways you'd describe a vine to someone?



What are 3 ways you'd describe a branch to someone?



When you think of Jesus as the vine and His followers as the branches, what 3 images or thoughts come to mind? 



What are 3 ways you've experienced Jesus being your vine?  



If you've completed the above, you are ready to introduce Jesus: Vine to another. :)

Meet Jesus - Day 20 of 40 - Foundation

Read Luke 6:46-49. 

[Jesus said] "I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock." (Luke 6:47-48a NLT)

Jesus is that sure, steady ground. It is on Him and His Word we find stability and peace no matter what is swirling around us. 

"When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built." (Luke 6:48b NLT)

What do those who not follow Jesus attempt to stand on? What do they count on for safety? How have those attempts been tested successfully and proved long lasting?



Or is this what they find? 

"But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” (Luke 6:49 NLT)

How may you introduce Jesus: Foundation to those in need of an actual firm ground to stand on? You may start with sharing how Jesus has been your foundation. 

Meet Jesus - Day 19 of 40 - Wisdom

"But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God." (1 Corinthians 1:24 NLT)

A number of years ago the Christian craze was "WWJD" - What Would Jesus Do. WWJD was printed on everything. Wristbands. Bumper stickers. Pens and pencils. You name it!

Whether you thought it was over-marketed or not, I definitely understand the crux behind the slogan. Jesus was the wisest man who ever walked the earth. Of course, there was King Solomon, but Solomon was only a man. Jesus was God Himself.

Thanks to some fellas named, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John (not to forget the source of their inspiration--the Holy Spirit), we are able to look at how Jesus lived. In their gospel accounts, we can see what Jesus did and said. So, want to know the wisdom of Jesus? Need wisdom in your life? Read the gospels.

Carl Medearis in Speaking of Jesus, wrote, "Now I tell people that if you want to get to know Jesus, the actual person, then read the four Gospels. Read them until they become part of you. Eat and breathe them."

Throughout this 40-day devotional, we've been talking a lot about introducing people to Jesus. What better way to introduce people to Jesus than when we get to know Him better each day, regularly reading the accounts of His life on earth.

What is your next step in being either introduced or re-introduced to Jesus through the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke or John? Read a chapter a day? Read one gospel account a month? What is a doable plan for you? 

Meet Jesus - Day 18 of 40 - Enemy-Lover

Read Luke 6:27-36. 

[Jesus said,] “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you." (Luke 6:27-28 NLT)

Jesus: Enemy-lover. Sounds quite jarring. I could have referred to Him as Jesus: Lover of Enemies, but maybe Jesus: Enemy-lover pushes the point further. 

Paul wrote, "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." (Romans 5:8 NLT) "While we were still sinners" As sinners we go against and rebel against God, basically behaving as His enemy. But God sent Jesus to save us anyway. It wasn't because we did good works. It was simply because He loved us. 

As we look at God's Word, the God of the Old Testament is the same as the God of the New. Recall the story of Jonah. It begins, "The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: "Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” (Jonah 1:1-2 NLT) If you are familiar with the story, Jonah didn't want to go. And he had good reason for feeling that way. It could be argued that the Ninevehites were the worst of the worst of the worst of God's enemies.

Here is a writing from one their cruelest kings. This will give you a sense of Nineveh, of how bad they were and what Jonah would have known about them. WARNING: THIS IS GRAPHIC!

The following was written by King Ashurnasirpal II (883-859 BC).  He wrote, “I flayed (the skin from) as many nobles as had rebelled against me (and) draped their skins over the pile (of corpses)…I cut off the heads of their fighters (and) built (with them) a tower before their city.  I burnt their adolescent boys (and) girls…I captured many troops alive: I cut off their arms (and) hands; I cut off of others their noses, ears, and extremities.  I gouged out the eyes of many troops.  I made one pile of the living (and) one of the heads.  I hung their heads on trees around the city.” (from James K. Bruckner, Jonah,Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah : The Niv Application Commentary from Biblical Text– to Contemporary Life, Niv Application Commentary(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2004), 29.)

What familiarity do you find in our world today?

Does Jesus still love those who are against Him?

How does God call us to do as He did/does? How does Jesus call us to love our enemies, introducing them to His incredible love and grace?

Meet Jesus - Day 17 of 40 - Savior

"I am writing to Titus, my true son in the faith that we share. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior give you grace and peace." (Titus 1:4 NLT)

Pop culture definitely grasps the idea of "savior." It is not a foreign, "churchy" word in our media. This is especially seen in comics and super-hero movies. Now there are the assemble heros (i.e The Avengers), but these teams are typically first built up by the lone hero stories. Interestingly enough, I watched the first 5 minutes of the cartoon movie Planet Hulk. As Hulk is blasted out of Earth's atmosphere in a spacecraft (expelled by the Avengers), an alien from a distant planet is praying (to whomever) for a savior to save his people. And boom, crashland...here comes the Hulk!

Unlike pop culture, Jesus is the real deal. He is the Savior of the world. For our sins, which kept us separated from our Holy God, Jesus came in to our world (sent by God the Father) to take our punishment, to pay our penalty, to die for our sins...so that we may live, not perish, and have eternal life. 

What does Jesus: Savior mean to you? Where else in our culture do people look to saviors? Sports? Politics? Give some specific examples. 


Not to diminish or downcast such individuals' accomplishments and possibly selfless service, but how do such folks pale in comparison to Jesus: Savior? 


What are other ways, examples, we can introduce Jesus: Savior, the real deal, to our communities, to our friends, to our neighbors?

Meet Jesus - Day 16 of 40 - Blesser

Read Luke 6:20-23. 

Need blessing in your life? Jesus blesses.

He shared with His disciples and the crowd which followed Him, 

“God blesses you who are poor,

    for the Kingdom of God is yours.

21 

God blesses you who are hungry now,

    for you will be satisfied.

God blesses you who weep now,

    for in due time you will laugh."

Are you feeling poor--whether financially, spiritually, physically? Jesus blesses you. 

Are you hungry--whether your stomach is actually groaning or you longing for relationship? Jesus blesses you.

Are you mourning--whether over the loss of a loved one or a trial a friend is experiencing? Jesus blesses you (and your friend).

Like the milk ad, "got blessing?" No matter what we are going through, Jesus' blessing is there. It is given freely to us. This is who He is. This is what He does. 

Now when one is blessed, the trial, the hardship, the mourning may not necessarily evaporate. Yet one blessed receives a new or renewed countenance. Jeremiah provided a snapshot of one on the receiving end of God's blessing:

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,

whose confidence is in him.

They will be like a tree planted by the water

that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NIV)

Above ground the heat may come. On ground level the drought may continue. But deep down, the roots are connect to a wellspring that never dries up. These roots are continually fed with confidence in the One providing blessing, protection, community, nourishment, all that we truly need. 

As we look to Jesus: Blesser, we can direct others to Him. In the letters (epistles) found in the New Testament, we see blessings given by writers to their recipients (us). 

Paul ended his letter to the Philippians simply, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen." (Philippians 4:23 NIV)

In what ways may God use us (use you) to be extenders of Jesus' blessings to others--to the poor, to the hungry, to the sad?

Meet Jesus - Day 15 of 40 - Rock

"I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ."

Been through some shaking ground in life? Loss of a loved one? Diagnosed with cancer? Laid off from work? Depressed? Worried? Some of these experiences feel shaky because they carry with them pain, uncertainty of the future, lack of protection. It is in these times we need to cling onto some one we can count on. We need someone strong in our lives when we are weak. We need provision instead of always being the provider (for others or for ourselves).

Thankfully, we have Jesus: Rock. He is the One to whom we can count on through all of life's difficult moments.

Psalm 18:2 captures this beautifully, 

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
    my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
    and my place of safety."

Describe a time in your life where you drank from Jesus: Rock for your provision, health and protection? What did it mean to you? To whom may your share your story? To whom may you introduce Jesus: Rock?

Meet Jesus - Day 14 of 40 - Delegator

Read Luke 6:12-16. 

The meaning of the word "delegator" has a few variations. It can be used as a noun and as a verb. As a noun it can means one who acts on behalf of another (like a representative). As a verb, it can means one who extends powers, functions, responsibilities, etc. out to others (so that these others may serve as agents of the one extending the power). 

So here we have Jesus, the Son of God, Creator, choosing men (and not even those most of us would put on our "A"-list) to walk alongside Him, to follow Him, to do as He does, to share with the world the Good News, to change the world. Jesus didn't need to do this. He has all of the power at His finger tips to changes peoples lives on His own. 

Regardless, and it is a complete mystery, He chose us to help Him with His mission. It is still Jesus ultimately changing people's lives through the power of the Word and the Holy Spirit, but He uses us to share the Good News of Him to others.

What thoughts run through your mind of Jesus: Delegator? As agents, how do we represent Him--in effect, introducing who He is and what He is about--to others?

Meet Jesus - Day 13 of 40 - Light of the World

"Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, 'I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.'” (John 8:12 NLT)

Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians, "...they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity." (Ephesians 4:17b-19 NLT) How did Paul describe those who walk in darkness? How do you see this in the world around you? How do you see this in the lives of people you know and love?

In Ephesians 4:22-5:7 Paul also described a life living in the light, a life following Jesus: Light of the World. Going through each verse from Ephesians 4:22-5:7, write down one word or phrase on what it means to live in the light.

Seem overwhelming at all to live in such a way? Why is that?

Paul went on to say, "For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true." (Ephesians 4:8-9 NLT) What good news do you find in these verses? How are you equipped to actually live as a person of light? 

While Jesus called Himself the Light of the World, He also said of those who follow Him, "You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:14-16 NLT)

Taking all of the above into account, how is it that we introduce Jesus: Light of the World to those in walking in darkness?

Meet Jesus - Day 12 of 40 - Friend of the Marginalized

Read Luke 5:27-32.

"Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. 'Follow me and be my disciple,' Jesus said to him. So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him." (Luke 5:27-28 NLT)

There is Jesus. There is Matthew. There is Jesus--looked upon (by his "fans") as healer, rabbi, man of God, miracle maker. There is Matthew--tax collector (whether true or not about him) looked upon by the community as crook, cheat, liar. Polar opposites.

And one day, here is Jesus, crossing the societal lines, "sacrilegious" as ever, approaching the hated, despised tax collector. Imagine Matthew's surprise. 

"Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, 'Why do you eat and drink with such scum?'” (Luke 5:29- 30 NLT)

There Jesus goes again. What is He doing? How can He be meeting with such people! But this is who Jesus is. Whether the contagious leper or can't-trust-him tax collector, Jesus reaches out. Jesus is the friend of the marginalized. 

"I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.” (Luke 5:32 NLT)

So how are we to introduce Jesus: Friend of the Marginalized to others? Maybe one way is to live as Jesus lived and show the Jesus who lives in us to our community, to those who are marginalized. 

James called the early church out on this, "My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?" (James 2:1 NLT)

What about you? Where do you have the most room to grow in the area of marginalizing others? What do you have to confess? With Jesus' help, with Him living in you, how may you extend His love to those who are sick, those in need of healing/repenting physically, emotionally and spiritually?

Meet Jesus - Day 11 of 40 - Hope

"This letter is from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, appointed by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus, who gives us hope." (1 Timothy 1:1 NLT)

Need hope in your life? Jesus is hope--for eternal life with God, through sickness, through suffering, through the obstacles to overcome.

In Jesus..."being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:7 ESV)

In Jesus..."we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV)

In Jesus..."we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5:2-5 ESV)

In Jesus..."I can do all things through him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13 ESV)

How else do you find hope in Jesus? How have you rested on Jesus: Hope in your life? in what ways can Jesus use us to extend His hope to others?