Day 6: How do we bring up Jesus?

It may surprise you, but many people in America today don’t know who Jesus is to understand or receive a gospel presentation immediately. We can no longer assume people know Jesus is a historical figure who died on the cross, let alone why He died. Many people don’t even know Easter is when Jesus rose from the dead. This is because we now live in a post-Christian society. People may have false preconceived ideas about who Jesus is. We must discover and discuss these notions first.

You can begin by asking more questions, this time about the person of Jesus.

• How familiar are you with the person of Jesus?
• What do you think about Him?
• Do you know His purpose or what He did with His life?
• Have you ever heard His message or teachings?
• What do you think attracts people to follow Jesus in every culture and generation?

One summer, a friend and I met a young man in Santa Monica, California, while walking through a park. He was open to discussing spiritual things until I mentioned Jesus. When I said Jesus’ name, his eyes flickered, and I could tell he was uncomfortable. Instead of forcing the conversation, I paused and said, “When I mentioned Jesus, it seemed to make you uncomfortable. I realize we might have different understandings of who Jesus is. When you hear the name of Jesus, who do you understand Him to be or what He stood for?”

He shared how Jesus was just a man, and he didn’t understand why people worshipped Him. Instead of agreeing or disagreeing directly, I asked, “May I share what I’ve learned He says about Himself?” This gave me an inlet to talk again about Jesus and how He was both God and man, by Jesus’ own admission.

After you ask the questions to learn about their views of Jesus, you can ask to share your own opinion. For example, I might say, “My personal opinion is that Christianity should not be seen as a religion but as people who claim they believe in and want to follow Jesus. The irony is that I’ve met many people who say they are ‘Christian’ but don’t know much about Jesus or want to follow Him. As I’ve read the account of Jesus in the Bible, I’ve become fascinated by how He lived and what He taught.”

Do you see how I am trying to increase their curiosity? I am not sharing with them like I’ve been a believer all my life. I am sharing what I’ve currently been intrigued with. I am inviting them on the journey with me. Then I ask, “May I share with you what has fascinated me the most about Jesus?” After you share something about Jesus that means so much to you, you can ask, “May I share with you how I came to have a deep connection and relationship with Jesus?”

Here’s a possible answer you can format into your own words, “I truly believe people’s greatest desires are to be fully known, loved, and to have a purpose in life. Apart from knowing Jesus, there is no way anyone can feel fulfilled in these three things. Only Jesus can know us fully, our good and bad, love us perfectly, and still have an amazing plan for our broken lives. Only He can bring hope, love, and peace in life. May I share with you how Jesus does this?” If they say “yes,” you can lead into the gospel. (Which we will focus on in a few days.)

Reflect on these questions:

• How would you answer the above questions about Jesus?
• What about Jesus most attracted you to Him?
• What is something you are fascinated by about Jesus?

Pray that the Holy Spirit will show you how to go from a spiritual conversation to a conversation about Jesus. Ask Him to give you wisdom on what questions to ask and how to ask permission to share your understanding of who Jesus is.