Introduction

I was sitting across the table from her recently, listening to her wax poetic about who he walked into school with, what he wore that day, when he bumped into her in the hallway (after she “accidentally” stepped into his path!), where he sat while eating his peanut butter and jelly sandwich with the crusts cut off at lunch, and why oh why he and his family don’t attend our church or live in a neighborhood closer to ours. I couldn’t help smiling over the sweet innocence of her preoccupation, but I also found myself musing, “Goodness gracious, I want to be at least as preoccupied with Jesus as my girl is with that skinny little dude.”

I want to know who’s on Jesus’s mind, what He likes to talk about, when His voice gets animated, where He’s prone to linger and have long conversations, and why He didn’t turn James and John into pillars of salt when those oblivious goofballs brazenly asked if they could flank either side of His future throne (Mark 10:35–45)! I want to know who makes His divine eyes twinkle, what causes the corners of His mouth to curve into a smile, when He doubles over with laughter, where His heart sings for joy, and why He cried outside Lazarus’s tomb—was it over His dear friend’s death or Mary and Martha’s lack of faith that He would ultimately raise him from the dead (John 11:35)? I want to know who else made Him sad, what else prompted tears to roll down His incarnate cheeks, where He went when He needed to grieve alone, and since He’s perfectly God why Jesus chose to “learn” obedience through suffering (Heb. 5:8). I want to know what He would describe as the highest mountains and the lowest valleys of His earthly ministry. I want to sample my Savior’s favorite foods, listen to His favorite music, and take in His favorite views with my own eyes. I want to know everything I possibly can about our Redeemer because He is the Love of my life—my forever crush!

I’ve been a Christ-follower for fifty-plus years. I’ve been in vocational ministry for thirty-plus years. I’ve spent over a decade studying God and His Word in seminary at both the master’s and doctoral level. I’ve filled in more Bible study blanks than there are stripes on a huge herd of zebras. But I still feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of knowing Jesus. He is infinitely more interesting than we can wrap our finite minds around; and no matter what new season we enter, it seems like His attributes are always better—more compassionate, more accessible, more righteous, more empathetic—than the first, second, third, or thousandth time we encounter them!

No matter where you are in your walk of faith (some of you have known Jesus longer and enjoy a more intimate relationship with Him than I do, while some of you aren’t sure that He’s anything more than an existential construct and you’re not yet convinced He’s actually knowable), my hope is that while traveling with me on this sixty-day adventure, you’ll find yourself leaning more fully into the outstretched arms of our Messiah . . . maybe for the very first time.

And so, as you go on that journey, here are a few things to expect in the terrain along the way:

1. For every day’s devotional experience (there are sixty days total), you’ll enjoy a passage of Scripture to consider, usually a little humor (because who doesn’t need to laugh every now and then in the crazy times we’re in?), and some theological nuggets (because I just can’t help myself when it comes to sharing tidbits of transformational information I’ve learned along the path of walking with Jesus for half a century!).
2. Another thing to note is that each day of this devotional centers on either something Jesus is for us, or something Jesus does in the Scriptures (and in our lives!). Which basically just means I’m purposefully trying to focus our attention on either the person of Jesus or the work of Jesus—because when you come into contact with those two elements of who He is, you’ll never be the same!
3. And last, expect a lot of stories with my daughter, Missy, as a major character. She’s been the apple of my eye ever since I started the process of adopting her from Haiti shortly after her first mother’s death in 2012, and God continues to teach me through her every single day.

All that being said, let’s dive into Jesus. Because He’s not only central to the Bible’s story—He’s central to the world’s story and to your story, as I prayerfully hope you’ll see by the end of your journey through this book. And it’s a good thing to have Him smack dab in the center of your life; because when Jesus is at the center, everything else falls into place.

Love,

Lisa