What? Jesus?
by Ryan Duncan
After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." – Matthew 3:16-17
It was Sunday morning, and I was making my way to my seat at church when I happened to glance at the program. The title of the sermon was short and to the point: “Jesus." What happened next embarrassed me more than I can say. I looked at the title again and said to myself,
“Jesus? Why are we talking about that?”
C.S. Lewis once cautioned readers about how easy it is to start using Christianity as a convenience. The center of our faith can easily slip from Jesus' sacrifice to preserving marriage, social justice, tithing, or a hundred other good things Satan can use to distract us from God. The truth is that everything written down in the Bible, everything we believe as Christians, can be summed up in John 14.
"If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father '? "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves." Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. – John 14:7-13
Jesus wasn't just a great teacher; He wasn't some vague Jewish mystic; He was God. Through His life and death, we are finally reconciled with our Creator. Nothing else, no politics or policy, is more important than that. As long as we remember that, we will remember Jesus.
Intersecting Faith and Life: Have you allowed something comparatively minor to take your attention away from Christ? Take a moment to examine where the priorities of your faith lay.
Further Reading
Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com!
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