Jesus and ...: How God Works Through Ordinary PeopleSample

Jesus and You

Jesus Christ is self-sufficient. He is Truth. We mustn’t add our modern concerns, opinions, or controversies to His Name. He stands alone. Jesus doesn’t need an “and.” So why is this reading plan called “Jesus and …”? Because while God sent a Person to save the world, He also uses people to serve the world. God’s methodology is a Person and people.

Of course we know that God cannot be defined by, or limited to, a methodology. And we also know that God can and does act on His own. But throughout history, it is evident that He often uses people to fulfill His purpose.

The story of the early church is filled with extraordinary examples of God’s resolve to partner with ordinary people like you and me. Take for example the conversion of Saul, who later became Paul the apostle. We often assume he had a private encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus.

But there are many others involved in the story: his companions who witnessed the event, the man who prayed for him, and the owner of the house in Damascus where his sight was restored. Each of them had a part to play. But why were they necessary? Why didn’t God cut out the middlemen?

The same situation occurs in the story of Cornelius’s conversion in the following chapter. In this case, an angel appears to Cornelius in his home. Once again, Luke, the author of the book of Acts, records the people involved: the messengers, Peter, and Simon the tanner.

But why did God involve them in the story? Why didn’t the angel suffice? It seems that God wants to use people. Jesus and …

Jesus and people.

The story of Israel also illustrates our theme. For example, when God wanted to save Israel from exile, He looked for a person through whom He could carry out His plan. The unlikely person He chose was Cyrus, a Persian king.

In the New Testament, the gospel writers reveal some equally unlikely people through whom God fulfilled His purpose. Luke, for instance, records numerous stories of improbable men and women with whom Jesus chose to work. They included tax collectors and fishermen; centurions and servants; the wealthy and the poor; the named and the unnamed. These ordinary people’s stories contain valuable lessons for each one of us. Maybe God could use us as He did them? Jesus and …

Jesus and you.

Question to Ponder: In what area of your life right now is Jesus inviting you to partner with Him as a coworker?