Jesus.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Jesus. His Name is so simple, yet so profound and complex. To some, He was just a good teacher. To others, just a prophet among prophets. Still others believe Him to just be a good man that walked the earth once. There are some who believe He was simply one of many that claimed to be the Messiah. But to those whose lives have been changed by this Name, there’s so very much more to be found in Him.
Ask the woman at the well. To say that she had lived an imperfect life was an understatement. She had been married 4 times, and the guy she was currently living with wasn’t even her husband. Her life was a monument to broken dreams, flimsy commitments, and shattered futures. Yet here she is – talking to God Himself. And He’s looking her right in the eyes – something a Jew wasn’t supposed to do. And when she left the well that day – she left clean, whole, forgiven, and new.
Ask the children. So many thought they were a waste of time for Him to see. He was the long awaited King, so why would He be so concerned about talking to children? Yet there He is – sitting with them all around Him, laughing, and showing them they mattered. He would go on to say that we all needed to be like them – idealistic and simple – in order to grasp the gospel He had come to preach and proclaim. Humility and pure trust are attributes children can teach us a lot about it seems.
Ask Lazarus. He had been sick for days, and his sister had sent for Jesus when he first fell ill. I can imagine that as he continued to feel worse and worse, he wondered where his cousin was. He waited day after day, until finally he felt the breath leaving his lungs. I can imagine he looked around the room as he felt his life slipping away, checking one more time to see if his cousin Jesus had arrived. But the next time he heard His voice it would be speaking the famous words, “Lazarus, come forth!” Death would be stepping aside and he would be taking up this body yet again as he miraculously rose from the grave, thanks to Jesus.
Ask me. I was told and taught about Him all my life, both at church and home. I’m thankful for that. But the truth is that God doesn’t have any grandkids. There had to be a time when I, personally, made the choice to give my life to Him, and accept His gift of salvation for myself. The night I took that step, my sin was forever dealt with. He washed me clean and forgave me, just like the woman at the well. He showed me I was important to Him, just like the children. And He brought life back to a dead body cursed by sin, just like Lazarus.
And that’s why today, no matter how dark the valley, no matter how bright the mountaintop, no matter how loud the world’s distractions, and no matter how confusing the heart's chaotic rants – just speaking that Name brings unmatchable peace and calm. When the storm rages around me, or when the victory is so real I can taste it – just saying that Name, Jesus, makes it all worth it.
Teacher, prophet, good man, Messiah – yes, all of these are true. But once you accept this Name as the Savior and Lord of your life – He becomes oh so much more.
(If you’d like more info on what it means to ask Christ to forgive your sin and be the Lord of your life, please take a moment and shoot me an email at pastorblakeman@yahoo.com so we can talk about this some more.)
PS: I’d like to thank Bro. Ben Leonard, my pastor, for starting my mind down this train of thought with one of his messages this past Sunday. I’m thankful for you, and I’m thankful that you continue to allow God to use you so mightily every day.


That’s just a thought, and I welcome yours.
Until next time,
blake

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