What Was Jesus’ Purpose

Don’t we all just want to know why? Have you ever met some one who never asks why? They are the ones whose parents always answered the question, “Why is the sky blue?” with a loud “BECAUSE!”

Poor folks.

Okay, I am being silly. Everyone wants to know why Jesus. Right? Still silly? Well here is why Jesus did not come to earth…

• To make people rich
• To heal everyone
• To get rid of all evil in the world
• To create political movements
• To develop a world religion that would spawn the crusades
• To teach love and kindness
• To be a great teacher
• To free the Jewish nation from Roman rule
• To be a great prophet
• To associate with the “right” crowd

Nope, none of that stuff. Jesus did not come to earth for any of the reasons men have made up.He came for His Father’s personal agenda not for any man’s agenda. Because He did not come to this earth to fulfill preconceived notions of his purpose, He made a lot of people mad.

He made some people very happy though. Not everyone hated Jesus. They loved him because of his purpose. He gave people something they did not have. He met needs. He came with a mission.

The mission from the mouth of Jesus himself as recorded by John an eye witness.

“Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.”Father, glorify Your name ” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” John 12:27-28

“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” But He was saying this (AW)to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die. John 12:32-33

“I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.” John 12:46

Jesus said many other things about why he came. These sum up his mission well. He came for the hour of his death on the cross to draw all men to himself that they might believe in Him and ultimately the one who sent him. He came first and foremost to save humankind.

John would later write in 1 John,

By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:9-11

Propitiation is just a big word that means Jesus’ death satisfied the need for our punishment for our sins.

Jesus attracted huge crouds and followers because he took care of their needs. Not just their physical needs but the most important ones. He took care of their sin.

You know what? He still takes care of our sins. Even today.

God bless

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God Must Love You

Would it be safe to say that all the world wants is to be loved? People remember fondly the love their mothers have or had for them. Does anyone love you? I know someone does.

Could God love you?

YES!

I know God loves you, He must love you. There is just no two ways about it. How do I know? Um, the bible tells me so.

Here is the deal. “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Most of the time love is conditional. I will love you if ____________. That is the way love works. We do not love people who do not treat us nice or do as we wish them to. Except, I do love my children when they disobey. There are times when they are ugly, angry, and selfish but at no point do I think, “Oh, my, I just don’t love you anymore.”

Not so with God. Paul wrote to the Romans explaining that while we were still ugly, Christ died for us. Not after we had gotten our selves all cleaned up instead while we were still dirty.

Consider this, do you stop loving your kids when they are bad? NO!

You cannot stop loving your kids. Even when they are bad. We have all read articles in the news where a son is captured robing a store and later the mom is interviewed. She never says, “Yep that’s my boy.” She says, “Not my son, why was he there?”

Moms and Dads are imperfect. They love imperfectly. The worlds love is not like God’s. I think that is what makes God seem so unreal. Why love someone at their worst? Why love an enemy? Why?

God made us to love. Love one another and Love Him. He loved us first, just as we love out children before they can return love. He loved us so we can learn to love. He showed us what love IS so we could understand His kind of love.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

God does love you. God bless.

The Power of Submission: Christlike Leadership

Just before Jesus was hung on the cross, John records a very important demonstration of the power of submission. He demonstrated that the kind of leadership he wants is one of submission. In John 13, the author records, “It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.”

People who are in leadership positions are in power. You can lead by force, by charisma, or by example. Most of the time when we think of leading we do not think about submission. However, Jesus turns things upside down. Jesus wanted the men who were to lead his people to do so from positions of service not power.

He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. John 13:4-17

I think we all know that those who are truly great the real heroes are people who have given of themselves with no thought of reward or the consequences. Real leaders are often unsung and annonymous. Jesus at the end of his ministry was trying to teach the apostles that the Son of God came to serve, so should they.

The kind of leaders he was trying to create were not the kind the world already had, those that lord over their subjects, instead he wanted servant leaders. Leaders in submission to God and willing to serve others.

God bless.

Who Can You Believe?

Well there is no doubt the political winds are blowing. Now that super Tuesday has passed there is no end of news, commentary, and pontification. Across the board amongst all the candidates there is an overwhelming need to convince the general populous each is more believable than their opponent. In both political parties there is a lot of doubt about who their candidate will be or if the party will be happy with the final choices.

Who can you believe? Well I assure you not too many who walk this planet are believable. Jesus knew this and refused to accept man’s praise or acclaim.

 36“I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. 37And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

41“I do not accept praise from men, 42but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? John 5:36-44

The Jews would not accept who Jesus was. They wanted to kill him. (John 5:16-18) To their credit, they were having a hard time trying to decide who to believe. They listened to the religious leaders of their day. They read the scriptures and had preconceived ideas about how things should be. Jesus did not fit. Jesus still does not fit.

I am amazed at how far the world has gone from Jesus. Even religious leaders refused to believe who he was. They want to hold to his teaching, study the bible, and explain away the hard things.  It’s like they really do not believe that God is real. They work real hard to get the praise of men forgetting that the whole point is to know God and be known by him.

Does Jesus know you? Do you have the love of God in your heart?

God bless.

Time Flies

Time flies by. That is why I have not posted in a while. Busy. I often wonder how busy Jesus was. No TV, no video games, no huge book selection, no cell phone, no Internet, no email, no phone, no car, no house, really none of the things I have.

But was he busy?

I believe he was tremendously busy. Doing his Father’s business. John wrote in his gospel, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” John 21:25

The thing is though Jesus never seemed too busy for the little things in life. For people. The best example of this is in Matthew’s gospel. Where Matthew records an encounter with Jesus and children.

Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:13-14

Apparently the disciples thought Jesus too busy. Surprise. He was not. Was not and is not. He is always there sitting at the right hand of God, interceding for you and me. Not too busy to listen to our prayers.

God bless.

Flashlight Fetish

I have a deep personal love affair with flashlights. Not sure when it really took hold, probably when all the different LED flashlights came available. I really think they are neat. Everyone should have 3 or 4 around the house. I actually carry one with me all the time.

It may be genetic. My Grandfather, Papa, always carried a flashlight too. This Christmas I gave a Craftsman LED equipped Ball Cap away in our family free for all. I put a little card in the package that said, “In loving memory of “Papa” who’s light still shines in all of us.” I have so many fond memories of us giving him a hard time about having a flashlight all the time.

In another way, because he was a good Christian man, his Christian light shines through us too. His dedication to Christ has lead many to know Jesus, especially his Grandchildren. Papa never mentioned a spiritual connection to his love of lights so I will.

“Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”- Luke 2:28-32

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness. John 3:19 says the world loved darkness instead of the light. I hate sitting in the dark at work when the power goes out. I hate sitting in the dark of my sin lost spiritually too. We do not have to be in the dark.

God bless. Turn on the light.

The Sighted Blind

You know the “Living Dead?” How about the “Sighted Blind”?

Might not be that original or creative. I was trying to come up with the opposite of blind. I want make a word that means people who see but don’t.

Jesus came across people like this all the time. Pharisees were the worst. They typify people who still exist today. Those who cannot see their own sin, aknoledge their need for salvation, or refuse to let go of their strong opinions. People who do not need Jesus.

When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.”

“You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!”

“Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.

Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”

Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?”

“If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see. John 9:35-41

I would like to purge myself of this type of attitude and lack of faith. To hold onto something so tightly that you cannot let go is deadly. I hope I can run out of the burning house instead of refusing to leave what I am comfortable with.

Guilty because I claim to see. That should hurt. It does me. Make me pause and ask myself important questions about what I believe I see. You should to.  WARNING, never stop searching, looking, and seeing. You’ve got to keep moving. Watch out for pride and self righteousness.

God bless. Be Sighted.