About Jesus
Luke’s Gospel records the parents of Jesus, Mary and Joseph taking Jesus to the temple to be dedicated to the Lord as required by the law.
There Simeon a man who had been told by God he would not see death until he has seen the Messiah’s coming, sees the infant Jesus and realizes Jesus is the Messiah. Luke records Simeon as saying,
“For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” Luke 30-32
Luke then notes,
“Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Luke 2:34,35.
At the time Mary and Joseph I am sure could not imagine what lay ahead for Jesus. Simeon predicted several things here.
He said Jesus would be a revelation to the Gentiles. Gentiles, non-Jews would have a part in God’s salvation in the blessing of God. Simeon noted that Jesus would glorify Israel.
Then he continues on to say,
“this child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel and a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.”
Jesus in his day, and even today is a controversial person. In his lifetime the religious leaders spoke against him. The very people that should have known he was the Messiah rejected him.
They would not even acknowledge at times the miraculous things he did were of God. They seen him as a political threat rather than the Son of God, the Saviour of mankind.
I believe how one views Jesus will determine where they will spend eternity. Anyone who hears about Jesus must decide for themselves who he truly is.
The writers of the New Testament quote Jesus as saying several very important things about himself.
1/“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. John 3:16-18.
2/ “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”John 14:6.
3/ “I and the Father are one.” John 10:30.
All very controversial statements in their day and I would argue equally controversial in our day.
Still Christians believe those statements and what the apostle Paul wrote about Jesus. Writing to believers in Christ he states,
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11.
Note here that Paul while telling believers in Christ to be humble and obedient to God he makes a very definite statement about Jesus.
Paul states,
“God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
This is what Christians believe. We believe that Jesus while offering salvation and eternal life to the world. To all who would believe in Him. Will also one day Judge the world.
All who hear about Jesus must make their decision as to who Jesus is in this life. That decision will I believe determine our eternal resting place.
Please think about it
Luke’s Gospel records the parents of Jesus, Mary and Joseph taking Jesus to the temple to be dedicated to the Lord as required by the law.
There Simeon a man who had been told by God he would not see death until he has seen the Messiah’s coming, sees the infant Jesus and realizes Jesus is the Messiah. Luke records Simeon as saying,
“For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” Luke 30-32
Luke then notes,
“Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Luke 2:34,35.
At the time Mary and Joseph I am sure could not imagine what lay ahead for Jesus. Simeon predicted several things here.
He said Jesus would be a revelation to the Gentiles. Gentiles, non-Jews would have a part in God’s salvation in the blessing of God. Simeon noted that Jesus would glorify Israel.
Then he continues on to say,
“this child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel and a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.”
Jesus in his day, and even today is a controversial person. In his lifetime the religious leaders spoke against him. The very people that should have known he was the Messiah rejected him.
They would not even acknowledge at times the miraculous things he did were of God. They seen him as a political threat rather than the Son of God, the Saviour of mankind.
I believe how one views Jesus will determine where they will spend eternity. Anyone who hears about Jesus must decide for themselves who he truly is.
The writers of the New Testament quote Jesus as saying several very important things about himself.
1/“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. John 3:16-18.
2/ “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”John 14:6.
3/ “I and the Father are one.” John 10:30.
All very controversial statements in their day and I would argue equally controversial in our day.
Still Christians believe those statements and what the apostle Paul wrote about Jesus. Writing to believers in Christ he states,
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11.
Note here that Paul while telling believers in Christ to be humble and obedient to God he makes a very definite statement about Jesus.
Paul states,
“God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
This is what Christians believe. We believe that Jesus while offering salvation and eternal life to the world. To all who would believe in Him. Will also one day Judge the world.
All who hear about Jesus must make their decision as to who Jesus is in this life. That decision will I believe determine our eternal resting place.
Please think about it
No comments:
Post a Comment