Tag Archives: Jesus

The Difference Jesus Makes in God

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This is a follow-up to The Difference Jesus Makes, posted April 13th. That post was really about the difference Jesus makes in us.

What is God like to you? At the mention of God, all of us conjure up some image in the mind’s eye. Some imagine God to be like Zeus on Mount Olympus, tossing thunderbolts at the earth. Others have a misty, ethereal, floaty idea of a disembodied God on a cloud somewhere. Perhaps God is an old man, sitting like a grandfather in a rocking chair, just watching over everything. Deism is the concept that God is like a clockmaker, who put the universe in motion eons ago and is not actually involved in its working. Jesus is the incarnation of God, and should shape our view of who/what God is. Continue reading →

The Difference Jesus Makes

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We could list many things Jesus makes a difference in: finances, vocation, plans for the future, etc. I want to point out the difference Jesus makes in us.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are passed away, behold the new has come.” (ESV) When a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ, he or she is just not the same person anymore. I don’t often use the term conversion, but that’s what happens. Saving knowledge of Christ changes our mind, heart and spirit from what they were into something… new. Look up the third chapter of Colossians. Verses 1-17 are about this new self. Verse 2 says to “set your mind on things that are above…” When we change from old self to new self, other people will be able to see a difference. It might not be Christian people, either. It could be that old friends notice the difference in attitude, action and speech. Continue reading →

Jesus’s Example; preaching the Gospel

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“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the gospel.” Mark 1:14-15 (ESV)

All through the Gospels, Jesus gives us examples of how we are to be his followers, treat our neighbors, who our neighbors are, and how to minister to the world around us. Mark 1:14 is about the very beginning of Jesus’s public ministry. The first thing he does is tell his audience of Jews the time is fulfilled. Without going into an Old Testament history lecture, Jesus’s listeners would have known he was talking about the prophesies of the Messiah. Saying the “kingdom of God is at hand” probably got them thinking the wrong thing, namely that we was the military leader type Messiah that would throw out the Roman Empire and sit as king on the throne in Jerusalem. Yes, he was beginning to build the kingdom of God if that’s what you’re thinking; I also think he’s announcing the kingdom of God is close to them, close at hand, as in himself. Jesus is the way into the kingdom of God, so in a sense, the kingdom of God was within arm’s reach of the people listening. Then it gets really good. Continue reading →

Jesus’s Example: Washing Feet

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“For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.”

The above scripture is John 13:15. I am going to start a new category of blog posts called Jesus’s Example. The first one is going to be Jesus washing the disciples feet, as recorded in John 13. It’s one of those Holy Week events that I just didn’t have time to squeeze in. All scriptures are taken from the English Standard Version (ESV).

This particular lesson took place before the Passover was observed. Jesus and his disciples were gathered together, and had eaten supper. Jesus then takes off his outer robe, ties a towel around his waist, and begins washing the disciples feet. Washing feet was a normal part of first century culture. If you’ve ever worn sandals on the beach, or even just around your house in the summer, you know that feet get dirty quickly. Not just dirty, but ground into the skin, hard to scrub off dirt. Ordinarily it was the servants who washed the feet of your guest if you were hosting an event. There were people who washed feet, that part of the story shouldn’t be surprising. Keep the culture of the time period in mind. But Jesus was the disciples master, their rabbi. It was not his place to wash feet. Beginning in verse 12, he begins to teach his lesson. “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also would do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

Jesus had already humbled himself by leaving Heaven and taking on the likeness of man. Philippians tells us that he did not think equality with God a thing to be grasped, and was obedient even to the point of death on a cross. Washing their feet, though, was a solid, concrete, tangible illustration that the disciples could see and feel. He was their leader, and also humble servant. If we follow Christ’s example, their isn’t much that we are too good to do. I’ve mentioned this briefly before. It’s hard to make excuses with Jesus standing there saying “You know, I washed feet.” The Apostle Paul testified before heads of state, and after being imprisoned was an ambassador in chains. Any one of us would accept an invitation to the governor’s mansion, but would we accept as quickly the invitation to a trailer park? Are there people you don’t invite to church because you’re afraid they would actually come? We are instructed in scripture not to think too highly of ourselves, and given an example by Jesus that’s hard to ignore. Jesus talked to Samarian women, whores, lepers, tax collectors, and even one of the thieves hanging by him on the cross. By his own admission, he was a criminal that deserved his punishment. But Jesus told him he would spend that day with him in paradise. Is there a job in the church we’re too good to take, or a person in need of Christ that we’re better than? Not if we follow Jesus’s example.

The Problem with Religion

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The problem with religion is that it’s easier than following Jesus. I know the title is a little misleading, and perhaps a few disappointed atheists are hitting the back button right now. And to keep this essay manageable, let’s deal only with the religion of Christianity being easier than Jesus, not all of the religions, although I think the same premise is still true.

How can I say that Christianity is not the same as following Jesus? Because there are huge churches and many very popular pastors and leaders in this country promoting the Christian religion while almost totally ignoring Christ. When sermons are preached on even Palm Sunday and Easter that do not mention sin, the cross, the blood, or even the fact that Jesus died, then we are not teaching the Gospel that Paul instructed us not to leave. His goal was to know Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2) and nothing else was that important. The shed blood of Jesus Christ is the most important thing we have to share with the world we live in, and for the most part the church in the United States is not teaching Christ and His crucifixion.

A good sermon series on marriage is beneficial from time to time to help couples understand the Biblical precepts of marriage. A youth group that meets on a regular basis, attends concerts, and makes trips together gives kids and teen-aged youth healthy alternatives to being on the street, roving the mall, or cruising. But if thousands of members are involved in hundreds of activities, and they never hear about how Christ died to save sinners we have failed to do God’s work. A million activities offered to the community only make the Church a social gathering. A long list of rules to follow, or principles for living will only create legalism. Legalists are very religious; just look at the Pharisees in Jesus’s day. But Jesus reprimanded them for keeping the letter of the law while missing the spirit of the law.

I’ll probably make enemies quick if I start naming names, but let me throw out just 2 that illustrate the point I’m making. John Piper is known for being radically God-centered. He teaches that the very existence of the universe points towards a God that deserves honor and glory. Piper’s ministry is so God-centered that I am challenged to live up to its standards. Now consider the ministry of Joel Osteen. I’m not making a personal attack on his character; he seems like a great guy. But in his church, his interviews on television and in print, his televised program, and his books (best sellers on the New York Times list) there is little glory and honor directed toward Jesus. It’s motivational. It makes you feel great about yourself. But what each individual is meant to do is reflect God’s glory, and there is less and less of that teaching in our world.

John the Baptist, after Jesus began his public ministry, said that “He must increase and I must decrease.” The problem with religion is that it’s often about what we can do for ourselves, not about what Christ can do in us or through us. When the rich young ruler told Jesus he had kept all the commandments from his youth, Jesus said he must sell all that he had and follow. When it came time to deny self and rely totally on Jesus Christ, he left very sad. You see he came to Christ with religion – Here’s what I did. What he needed was Christ. The bad news for “religious” people, is that it doesn’t matter what you’ve done; it will NEVER be enough. The good news is (the Gospel message) is that Christ has already done it. We can’t do it, but we don’t have to. Jesus Christ did enough on Calvary to satisfy God, which is good for us because we never could anyway.

Jesus said some things in His ministry that even he described as hard. Jesus I think was testing the rich young ruler to give up depending on what he had made and depend entirely on Him. Jesus said on one occasion that one must hate even father and mother to be his followers. Rather than explain to a congregation example by hyperbole, it is easier to teach 5 principles for better finances or 10 steps to a happier you. It is easier to be religious, to attend church service, to follow a long list of rules, than to follow Jesus and be conformed to His image. To tell someone they must take up their cross, or die daily, those things are hard. It is easier to teach tithing 10% than honoring God with all you have. Religion is easier than Jesus.