The Jesus Who Can Restore....Anything!

My prayer for us today is that we meet Jesus. Can we pray to that end?

Jesus, we are so honored to be welcomed by You. We want to see YOU and know You. Amen.

Earlier this week, a friend approached me to ask for forgiveness. I was humbled by their approach, their honesty, and their candor. My friend had taken credit for some shared work, and they were circling back to make it right. Forgiveness is easy when the person is owning a wrong and doing everything in their power to make it right.

In the same week, I was on the other end of forgiveness. I had reacted wrongly in a situation with a co-worker and needed to own the fact that I had allowed my frustration to overtake an otherwise productive moment. I sat down with my co-worker and asked them to forgive me for my tone, my lack of understanding and my side-tracking of a creative moment.

Looking back at both moments, I can see Jesus taking center stage. Jesus was the inspiration for both moments of forgiveness, both giving and receiving. It was HIM in both situations!

The truth is, forgiveness is a powerful moment that can only come from Jesus. We have all been forgiven much by Jesus and every time I see this amazing act of grace overtake a moment, I never cease to be amazed at how Jesus shows up!

That’s the Jesus I know. The Jesus who knows me and all that I have done and yet chooses to forgive, over and over again. You see I have given Jesus every reason to hate me. I have done things I never should have done, I have thought things I never should have thought, I have told God that He has no right to tell me what to do…and yet for some strange unexplainable reason, He still loves me and forgives me.

That’s the Jesus I know. Is that the Jesus you know?

When our college ministry took a mission trip to Los Angeles, we spent an evening on Hollywood Boulevard. The later you stay out on Hollywood Boulevard the more interesting people you meet. Some of the team met a man named “Bandana Jimmy”. They spent some time talking to him, bought him some food and genuinely cared for him. Bandana Jimmy came with some thick walls, built by years of hurt and mistrust. Our students began to chip away at those walls with love and concern. One of them gave James permission to cry over the loss of his mom. I will never forget that picture of Emilee holding that man as he poured out years of pain.

That’s Him. That’s the Jesus I know. The Jesus that comes and takes our pain and holds it close while we pour out the tears. The God who loves unconditionally and chips away at our feeble defenses.

The world has tried desperately to change our understanding of Jesus. They have tried to strip away His godliness or attack His humanity because it is easier to dismiss Him than encounter Him.

Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19

The Jesus I know, wrote those miraculous words with you in mind! He has a year of favor waiting for you, right now. He is good news! He is a liberator and an emancipator! He is freedom and He is YOUR miracle.

I am praying for you and never forget, you are a miracle!

Your friend,

Grant