The People God Pursues
The People God Pursues
“As for Me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to Myself.” (John 12:32)
All Kinds of Excuses
Jesus came for every kind of person. He crossed every barrier—religious, moral, tribal, and racial—and died for every demographic group. Unfortunately the culture He was born into had narrowed the way to God. The Jews restricted salvation to Jews—or to those who behaved like Jews. Within Judaism some tribes felt superior to other tribes (see Phil. 3:5), and all the tribes felt superior to Gentiles who weren’t part of God’s chosen people.
This superiority led the religious faithful to separate from the unclean masses. Jesus shattered these taboos when He visited with a Samaritan woman (see John 4:3–42) and healed a Samaritan leper (see Luke 17:17–18). Every follower of Christ needs to share the Master’s passion to pursue all people.
Every Kind of Person
God wrote four kinds of people into the story of the Savior’s birth. (1) The high. The wise men represent those who are educated, connected, and rich. (2) The low. The shepherds represent society’s blue-collar workers, the lower rungs of the social ladder. (3) The resistant. King Herod stands for anyone who sees himself as too powerful or self-sufficient for God. (4) The receptive. Mary, Joseph, and Simeon represent hearts open and ready for God’s grace. Jesus stretched His hands as wide as the world and purchased salvation for everyone who wants it. Heaven will be a diverse place.
Bottom Line
No one falls beyond the reach of God’s redeeming love. There are no special qualifications. There is no earning. It’s pure grace.