Knowing Jesus

TITLE: Knowing Jesus
DATE: February 15, 2019
TEXT: Mark 10:25-27 - It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?”  Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God.  For all things are possible with God.” 

So, do you know Jesus?

That’s a proper way to begin a Daily Devo. Do you know Jesus?

There’s a lot of people who think they do… but far too many of them are mistaken. Now that’s not a judgment on my part; that’s a plain and simple fact. For example, when I ask people to give me an adjective which describes the Savior, they often use words like, kind, gentle, caring, loving, compassionate and accepting.

Most certainly, Jesus was all of those things… but Jesus was a great deal more than that short list.

There is another side to Jesus which isn’t touched upon in a list like that. Was Jesus always gentle? If you believe that, then watch out, because He could and did wield a whip to clean the crooks out of God’s house.
I’ve run into a lot of so-called believers who maintain Jesus was never judgmental and always accepting. If you think that’s true, then you need to read the 12th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. There, Jesus speaks words of condemnation toward the Pharisees. Here’s just a small sample of what He said:
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.”
I’ve heard a lot of preachers over the years, and some of them were real fire-and-brimstone, but none of them used that kind of tone when they were talking to their congregations.
So, I ask again, “Do you know Jesus?”
More and more young folks have formed their opinion of the Savior through the way He is shown in movies and denigrating sound bites generated by His critics. When they’re asked to describe the Lord of life they can sum up their attitude toward the Savior of the world in one word: boring. If that’s really how they see Him, they’ve never really looked at Holy Scripture.

There Jesus is described as being a Devil, a Liar, a Party-goer, a Friend of sinners and an Insurrectionist. His church, His government and the pillars of the community all thought He was too dangerous to let live.

So, how did Jesus go from being a Firebrand-Rabble-rouser to being a dull and dreary Push-over? I don’t know, but that’s the way it is for many who think they’ve got Jesus pegged.

Do you want to know Jesus… then I suggest looking at Him with this thought in mind: Jesus always gave to those around Him that which they needed the most.”

That means He may have healed them in body, soul. or both He may have fed them with a meal designed to nourish body or soul or both Those who were troubled found peace in Him; those who were proud, were given a dose of humility.
Jesus gave people what they needed most… and that means He gave Himself as Savior to all of us. It is what we needed most.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, grant that I may see my Savior and the love which He showed to all the world. May He always give me what I need the most. In His Name I pray. Amen.

The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann, one of my long-ago confirmands. He is singing with three brothers. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html