Can you describe Jesus in such a way that it would make your listener want to meet Him? For me, this is both incredibly difficult and unquestionably simple. And yes, it can be both. I can always use an unending list of adjectives to describe Jesus… but that really doesn’t get to the essence. Part of the reason, I believe, is that Jesus is an experience as well as a person. By this I mean – we can describe who He was as shown in scripture. We can share our experiences with Him as He has touched our lives. But… are we sharing by our words and life the Jesus we know?
Quite honestly, I think we all crave a bit of a solid foundation. So this is one of the first points in the Jesus I know. We can speak of His unchangingness (yes, this should be a word) in our overly change based world. Jesus is who He says He is and if He says it – it is an ‘is’ [Hebrews 13:8]. We can trust in what He says. But the only real way to KNOW is to find Him in the Word and this starts in Genesis and ends in Revelation.
And speaking of scripture, the next point in the Jesus I know is that He understands! Being understood is a great and wonderful attribute. Do you feel you are understood? The scripture that confirms Jesus is understanding is:
“…we [believers] have a great High Priest who has [already ascended and] passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession [of faith and cling tenaciously to our absolute trust in Him as Savior]. For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin.” [Hebrews 4:14b-15, AMP]
Understood. You did see this? Jesus “… (who) understands our weaknesses and temptations.. ” He didn’t sin. We tend to give in to the temptation but Jesus will strength us and stand with us in these times so that WE can stand. There’s another verse that even seems to go a step beyond…
“No temptation [regardless of its source] has overtaken or enticed you that is not common to human experience [nor is any temptation unusual or beyond human resistance]; but God is faithful [to His word—He is compassionate and trustworthy], and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability [to resist], but along with the temptation He [has in the past and is now and] will [always] provide the way out as well, so that you will be able to endure it [without yielding, and will overcome temptation with joy].” [1 Corinthians 10:13, AMP]
I’m NOT alone in this world. I DO have someone who understands (the Father and the Son) and is ALWAYS with me [Hebrews 13:5]. And the Lord promises a way out of the mess I got myself into or the attack that the devil has aimed at me. Personally, I have experienced this many times. I may not have completely understood at the moment, but later I did see the hand of the Lord helping me.
The Jesus I know also provided an exchange. I was born into sin – we all are. But we don’t have to stay there. And, even better, those sins that tripped us up, we can conquer. And Jesus’ exchange is the reason. Turn to 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 and see the provision that has been made for those of us who accept the Lordship of Jesus.
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]” [v, 17]
New creature. That’s who we become and then we can act on who we are, the call on our lives. This new reality is expanded upon in v. 21
“He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God “
We ARE the righteousness because Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the world – all the world for all time. All the sins we have and do commit are not only forgiven when we come to Him and repent [1 John 1:9] but we are cleansed from them and restored – we come into right standing. In my world, this ‘and’ is huge.
Those were the beginnings of my discovery of who the Jesus is I know. But it doesn’t stop… then again, in a relationship it neve should. We should always grow in our understanding and appreciation. Though your journey, the development of your relationship. will vary from others, I am confident they will include these same discoveries I’ve made. I do believe… that once we begin developing our relationship with the Lord that it never ends – it simply grows, line upon line.
The only real question is… do you share the Jesus you know?
