Through the gospels, we come to know a personal Jesus. We see Him not only as God, but as man. And He was a man who had to deal with the same temptations that we do. When He was tempted in the desert by Satan, He had to rely on God the Father for strength to resist what was before Him.....just as we are to resist temptation.
In the recounting of the experiences through the men who best knew Jesus, we see a son. Not only was He son to His Heavenly Father, He was son to His earthly parents. Jesus always honored His parents. But as evidenced in the story of the twelve-year old Jesus teaching in the temple, Jesus always placed His Heavenly Father's wishes above those of His earthly father.
We see Jesus as a Healer. No only did He heal the sick, he healed those with mental illness, and demon possession. He healed anyone who came to Him in faith, and it mattered not their financial status, their religion, their sex.
We see Jesus as a Teacher...one whose teaching were profound and said in very little words. His teachings were often told in parables, so as to make the people think. And he taught with stories with which the people could easily relate.
We see Jesus as a Rebel, in that He challenged the religiosity of those who believed keeping the letter of the law was the way to God. He showed that keeping the law must come from a desire that springs from a heart of love, not from a heart that is cold just going through the motions.
Jesus challenged the idea that a king must sit on an earthly throne. Jesus was born in a humble stable, and He died as a criminal. In rode in on a donkey rather than a chariot when He entered Jerusalem. The gospels showed us that Jesus was a miracle worker. And His first miracle, performed at the wedding in Cana when He turned water into wine, showed us a Jesus who enjoyed celebration and having a good time.
We see a Jesus who had compassion for the least and the lost. His mercy knew no end. He did not only see a person's actions. He saw the heart behind the action. He saw the life of the person and the challenges he faced.
We see a Jesus who took time out for Himself. He knew He needed time alone to rest, reflect, and pray. This was evidenced by Him as He left a crowd waiting because He needed time alone.
We see a Jesus who was not ashamed to cry and show emotion on any level. Whether anger over the selling in the temple on the Sabbath, or weeping bitter tears in the Garden of Gethsemane before His arrest, He was a man of emotion.
We see a man who did not place Himself above anyone. He mingled with those nobody else wanted anything to do with. He ate with sinners. His dear friend was an ex-prostitute. And Jesus bowed to no one but His Father in Heaven.
In Jesus, we see a fulfillment of prophecy foretold years before He was born. We see that fulfillment in both His birth as well as His death and resurrection.
In the Gospels, we see a Jesus who was the perfect example of the way we should live our lives. From His birth to His resurrection, He was Love Incarnate. He experienced what we experience, but did not let those experiences lead Him away from the will of His Father.
The Gospels show us a Jesus who revealed Himself differently to each of the disciples. Through the same events, the disciples were able to write about their experiences in a unique way. Jesus touched each one differently, just as He touches each one of us differently, based upon our need.
All that Jesus was, is, and will be remains the same...just as the Father remains the same. In this we can take heart that in Jesus we have a Brother, a Friend, a Healer, a Teacher, a Preacher, a Miracle Worker, a Forgiver, Someone to laugh with, Someone to cry with, Someone to fight our battles with, and Someone who will always understand and have mercy on us.
This is the Jesus the Gospels reveal to us, and this is the Jesus who is alive
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Comments: 19
Myke
I hate to quibble, but feel this statement calls for some caution;
"He challenged the religiosity of those who believed keeping the letter of the law was the way to God."
I believe that "keeping to the letter of the Law", is the way of God, by definition. While that is not to say one could actually achieve that, I do feel some responsibility to question the assertion, and remind those who may forget; The Law is God's way, whether we can follow that way or not.
Think not that I come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
John...I did not say the law is not important. I said that the law without love is empty. The Pharisees were masters at keeping the law, but their hearts were empty and there was no love there. "He showed that keeping the law must come from a desire that springs from a heart of love, not from a heart that is cold just going through the motions."
"I did not say the law is not important."
And I did not say you did. The Pharisees were obviously not "masters at keeping the law", for they accused an innocent man . . . the very Son of God.
Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias [Isaiah] prophesy of you, saying,
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honourer me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men
Please recall the first Law;
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul , and with all thy mind.
This is the first and greatest commandment.
Please be careful, for there is a great potential to omit that last part, about the mind. While I agree that the heart is needed in approaching rightly the Law of the God of Abraham, I caution that this is not the same as;
". . . a desire that springs from a heart . . . "
That word 'desire' simply does not belong in a discussion about doing the will of God. Our desire is of us, I say, and not a "short-cut" way, of obeying His instructions or Will. It is becoming quite common for folks to actually believe that God "speaks" to them through their emotions, but no such thing is spoken of in the Book. Indeed such a thing is very strongly rebuked, more than once;
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it. (Jeremiah)
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication, murders. ... All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. (Jesus)
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. (Paul)
It is surely true that one must involve one's heart in this matter, but not at all true that one ought obey it's desires. I am not saying you meant to advocate such a thing, but merely felt it would be prudent to add what I feel is a needed caution, in these times of much distorting and diluting of the Word.
In the Gospels, do we see a Jesus that dies to save sinners?
-Mark
(Although it's nice to have people that care about Him keep us on our toes :):)