The Jesus I Know

I hope and pray that your day is exceeding expectations, and if it’s not, I hope to bring you some encouragement! I am writing this to you from a little coffee shop. The smell of coffee and fresh baking inspires me! A few moments ago, a little boy walked up to me and asked, “Who are you?” His mother hurried him away (I guess he hasn’t learned that you aren’t supposed to talk to strangers yet😊) before I could answer. His random question took my thoughts to a moment when Jesus asked a question:

“Who do you say I am?” (Mathew 16:15, NIV)

When Jesus asked this question, the disciples were stopped short by its profound simplicity. Jesus stares at them and asks, "Who do people say I am?” You could cut the silence with a knife. The stammers start, “Ummm....some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and still others say Jeremiah or a prophet.” A small sigh of relief is heard but Jesus is not finished, he sets his crosshairs on Peter. “Peter, who do you say that I am?” Peter’s answer is found in Matthew 16:16 and it is worth reading! (see Mathew 16:15)

That’s a very personal question, isn’t it? Who is Jesus to you?

I suffer from allergies, and at certain times of the year, I am miserable with their effects. To combat this lousy ailment, I went through a regimen of immunotherapy shots at a local allergy clinic. For two years, twice a week, I would go in and get a needle in each arm. The protocol for allergy shots requires that you must remain in the waiting room for 30 minutes after the injections, to make sure that you don’t have a reaction or become ill. Thirty minutes is a LONG time when you are waiting. In my doctor’s office, there was a selection of magazines for people to read as they waited. I read EVERY magazine, from cover to cover in that office! I hit upon three major magazines in a sequence that exposed the historical Jesus. I compiled some of the statements from these magazines:

Jesus was a beatnik poet whose ramblings were simply at the right place and at the right time.

Jesus was an emotionally troubled soul whose inner battles touched those who were struggling with the same issues.

Jesus was one of a long list of political activists, whose plans went awry and he met his end as so many did.

Jesus was a great teacher.

After reading the statements in the magazines, I reacted quietly and privately with one simple statement: THAT’S NOT HIM!

You see, that’s not the Jesus I know. He wasn’t a beatnik poet, because His teachings have comprised the moral teaching of the world for two thousand years. He had no political ambitions, instead, He was consumed with the mission of reuniting lost people with a God who loved them. Was He a predominantly troubled soul? He was troubled all right. Not by His own issues but by the tension of watching hurting people looking for answers in all the wrong places. His name was Jesus, the Son of God. My Jesus is very different from these statements. The Jesus of the Bible is very different from that. The Jesus of life and the Jesus of Christ the King are far different from that.

This week, we are going to focus on the miracle of Jesus. He is MORE than enough and we are going to give Him our full and undivided attention.

I really want to share with you the Jesus I know!

Never forget, you are a miracle!

Your friend,

Grant

P.S. The texts of this reading come from the daily email A Miracle Every Day. If you would like to receive a daily encouragement,, I invite you to subscribe to A Miracle Every Day.