"THE GREATEST" Week 2
INTRODUCTION
Have you ever been totally confused or in awe of how something works?
Maybe the first time you heard about a 3D printer, you couldn’t believe it was actually a real thing—that there is a machine that can print out actual organs that are operated on in surgeries. It’s insane! Or maybe you felt that sense of awe last year when there was all of that hype about the solar eclipse. And you thought, It sounds interesting, but how cool could it really be? But then you saw as the moon inched its way over the sun…maybe it’s something else?
There’s just something that makes certain things feel mystical, magical, and beyond understanding.
And maybe you’ve felt that way about God. Maybe you observe how the world works and think, I don’t get God at all. He’s like one big invisible magic trick. Other people seem like they have some insight about what He’s like. But not me.
I think there are a couple of things that contribute to this feeling about God, like . . .
We know nothing about Him. We hear things about Him, maybe from church or from other people, but we don’t really have an idea of what He’s like based on our own experiences.
We feel nothing. We go to church and read the Bible, but we have no emotions in the experience. We watch people get emotional when they talk about God, but that just isn’t the case for us. He feels “out there” and distant.
We see messed up people and messed up churches. Maybe you’ve experienced this personally. Someone in the church hurt you. Something they said or did really bothered you. And if they’re supposed to be the representations of God, then you aren’t really interested. Or maybe the church or another Christian has hurt someone you love or your family. And you just have a hard time wanting to know more about God when the people who represent Him don’t make Him look so good. I’m Sorry! The Church should be ‘leading the way”!
People have always had a hard time understanding what God is like.
…The truth is, if you’ve ever felt this way, you aren’t alone. People have always had a hard time understanding what God is like.
Through prophets, priests, and kings (in the Old Testament): God was trying to get people’s attention!
…then Jesus showed up. He told people He was God’s Son. But it was confusing to some because He was different than the prophets, priests, and kings.
Speaking of confusion, that brings us to the scene we’re looking at today. Jesus and His 12 disciples were in the upper room of a home celebrating the Feast of Passover.
It was a celebration, but Jesus was acting strange. Instead of behaving like a leader, Jesus acted like a servant to His’ diciples.
More than anything, the disciples wanted clarity. “Just give it to us straight, Jesus. What is God like? Show God to us, tell us what God is like!!”
The basic question: What is God like? (we all can relate to this, we all want to know)