An Unlikely PLace

An Unlikely Place
Luke’s gospel records this about the birth of Jesus.
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  
And everyone went to his own town to register. 
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  
He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,  and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:1-7.
Bethlehem at the time a very small backwater village in a backwater country of the mighty Roman empire. An unlikely place for the Messiah to be born. Certainly if one thinks of a Messiah a Saviour, a Redeemer, of a people being born, such a tiny village would not at least to man’s way of thinking be the ideal spot.
I’m certain to the Jewish people of the day, who were under the Roman boot were probably looking for a conquering Messiah, like Alexander the Great or Napoleon. Which Jesus was most certainly not.
Jesus was a suffering Messiah who would die for the sins of mankind. To offer life everlasting with God for those who would believe in him.
The apostle Paul wrote of Jesus,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8.
          The apostle John wrote
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.  
Jesus speaking of Himself said,
“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.” John 3:16,17.
Jesus would go on to conquer the hearts and minds of billions of people. More people today worship and serve Jesus than were ever in all the lands Rome had conquered. And how did He do it? Through Love.
Napoleon Bonaparte, the late Emperor of France said of Jesus,
"You speak of Caesar, of Alexander, of their conquests and of the enthusiasm which they enkindled in the hearts of their soldiers; but can you conceive of a dead man making conquests, with an army faithful and entirely devoted to his memory? My armies have forgotten me even while living, as the Carthaginian army forgot Hannibal. Such is our power.”
“I know men and I tell you, Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour, millions would die for him.” Napoleon Bonaparte.
Please think about it.

Praise

Praise
As I write this Christmas is just a week or so away. Most scholars agree that December twenty-fifth was not the actual birth day of Jesus. That however does not matter. What matters is that we celebrate the birth of Jesus. The most momentous day in history.
The day when God chose to enter His creation in order to point mankind to the eternal life He offers so freely to those who would believe in Him.
Luke’s gospel records Mary the mother of Jesus as praising God saying,
“And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. 
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. Luke1:46-50.
Think of this from Mary’s perspective. While Mary was as they say very human, she must have had deep faith in God for Him to trust her to care and bring up Jesus in the ways of God.
   Of all the women in Israel she was chosen. An incredible blessing for her. A tribute to her faith in God.
I think it must have taken sometime for her to understand the ramifications of the situation.
Even after her visit to her cousin Elizabeth she could not possible understand what the future for the child she would give birth to would be like.
Mary however it seemed lived in the moment. She praised God for what was happening to her at that moment. She was to give birth to the Messiah. And she praised God for the honour. She called out,
“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.”
As believers in Christ Jesus with Christmas approaching we should be glorifying God.
The Psalmist wrote,

“Praise the LORD. 

Praise God in his sanctuary;

 praise him in his mighty heavens. 

Praise him for his acts of power; 

praise him for his surpassing greatness. 

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, 

praise him with the harp and lyre, 

praise him with tambourine and dancing, 

praise him with the strings and flute, 

praise him with the clash of cymbals, 

praise him with resounding cymbals. 

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. 

Praise the LORD. 

                                                                  Psalm 150.

If you are a believer in Christ Jesus, why not take sometime right now to praise the Lord.
Please think about it.

Elizabeth bears witness

Elizabeth bears witness
Luke’s Gospel records Mary as going to her cousin Elizabeth’s home shortly after the annunciation by the angel Gabriel that she would bare Jesus.
Elizabeth was also pregnant with John the Baptist although unlike Mary Elizabeth’s pregnancy came by natural means.
Luke records,
“At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.  
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  
In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!  
But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  
As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  
Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” 
Luke 1:39-45
Here is another remarkable event noted by Luke. Elizabeth realized Mary was carrying the Saviour of mankind she notes,
“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  
In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!  
But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Luke 1:41-43
My argument for non-believers in Christ Jesus has always been why would someone like Luke, who said he wanted to make an accurate account of the life of Jesus included this event if it wasn’t true. To do such a thing would be to harm the fledgling Christian movement.
I believe sometimes you simply have to accept by faith that these things actually happened. Which is what God wants. The writer of Hebrews stating,

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” 

                                                                             Hebrews 11:6.

Faith defined as,  

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.”  

                                               Hebrews 11:1.

Please think about it.

Who is Jesus, "The Enunciation"

Who is Jesus
The Enunciation
As I write this Christmas is about two weeks away. One of the holiest days on the Christian calendar. A time when Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of their Lord and Saviour.
The question however for non-Christians is just who is Jesus. Perhaps one of the best accounts as to who Jesus is comes from the Gospel of Luke.
The gospel of Luke opens with,
“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.  
Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,  so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” Luke 1:1-4.
Luke is believed to be a well educated gentile believer, writing to another gentile believer we only know as Theophilus.
He states,
“I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus” Luke 1:3.
He makes it clear that he spoke to eyewitnesses of the events. Thus the way I see it when we read the gospel of Luke we can either believe him or don’t believe him. We either believe the witnesses Luke talked with or we do not. The choice is up to the reader.
Luke’s first mention of Jesus come in Luke 1: 26-38, where Luke records,
“In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,  to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.  
The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  
You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,  and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” 
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.  
Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.  
For nothing is impossible with God.” 
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.” Luke 1:26-38.
What Luke records here is quite remarkable if you think about it. While he is writing to believers. He is also presenting the story of Jesus to the world at large.
Luke does not hid the miraculous visitation of the angel Gabriel to Mary. He makes it clear that Mary is a Virgin. He does not hide what was obviously told to him by Mary. The angel Gabriel telling her,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35.
Luke lays everything out for his readers. Luke truly believed what he wrote. That Jesus was born of a virgin, that the child she bore was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was called the Son of God.
Luke asks all who reads his gospel be they in the first century or in the twenty-first century to believe it. He leaves no room for any middle ground.
Question, who do you believe Jesus is?
Please think about it.

Incredible but True

Incredible but True
John’s gospel records this account of the resurrection of Jesus.
“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.  
So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” 
So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb.  
Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.  
He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in.  
Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.  
Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 
Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 
They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”  
At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 
“Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” 
Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.” John 20:1-18.
Death could not hold Jesus. Jesus rose from the dead. This is something all Christians believe. As incredible as it may seem to non-believers, Christians truly believe that Jesus rose from the dead. That he walked on the earth was seen and interacted with numerous people before ascending to heaven. This is a corner stone of Christian belief.
The Apostles Creed while not written by and apostle of Jesus presents the other foundation beliefs that all Christians believe it states,
1.I believe in God the Father the almighty maker of heaven and earth
2. I believe in Jesus Christ God’s on and only Son, our Lord and Saviour.
3. I believe Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary
4. I believe Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate; That He was Crucified, died, was buried. That he descended in hell.
5. I believe He rose again on the third day from the dead.
6. I believe that he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
7. I believe Jesus will one day Judge the living and the dead.
8. I believe in the Holy Ghost
9. I believe in the Church which is the communion of the saints,
10. I believe in the forgiveness of sin.
11. I believe in the resurrection of the body.
12. I believe in life everlasting.
The choice to believe in these things is entirely up to you the individual. When God created mankind he gave each individual a free will to do and believe as they wished.
What I would ask you the reader is to consider what believers in Christ believe. Read the New Testament and decide for yourself. For as C. S. Lewis said,
"Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important." C. S. Lewis.
Please think about it.

The Trial of Jesus

The trial of Jesus
John’s gospel records this about the trial of Jesus before the Roman governor Pilate. John notes,
“Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.  
The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they struck him in the face. 
Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.”  
When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” 
As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!” But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.” 
The Jews insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.” 
When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer.  
“Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” 
Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” 
From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.” 
When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha).  
It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. 
But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. 
Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.” John 19:1-16.
Pilate had found Jesus not guilty of braking any Roman law that would deserve the death penalty. To placate the religious leaders and the crowd that day however he had Jesus flogged. Still however they were not satisfied. They demanded his death.
Pilate possibly fearing a riot played politics and gave Jesus to them to crucify. But note the conversation between Jesus and Pilot here. John records,
“Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” 
Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.” 
Jesus was telling Pilate that the power he, Pilate, had came from God. Not only that he pointed out that those, meaning the religious leaders, had the greater sin because they should have recognized the Messiah.
John notes that upon hearing that Pilate tried to release Jesus, but the crowds whipped up by the religious leaders who feared Jesus at least in a political sense yelled “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”
Finally Pilate yielded to the crowd and Jesus was put to death.
The choice Pilate, the religious leaders and the crowd had that day is the same choice we in the twenty-first century face. Who is Jesus?
True believers in Christ Jesus believe him to be the Son of God, The Saviour of Mankind. God incarnate who was and is The Creator of the world.
John’s gospel records,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  
He was with God in the beginning. 
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  
In him was life, and that life was the light of men....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”John 1:1-4,14
  John records Jesus speaking of himself saying,
“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.
Thus the choice is up to you the reader. Who do you think Jesus is?
Please think about it.

A Prayer for Believers

A Prayer for Believers
The apostle John in his gospel records Jesus as praying for believers who would believe because of the work of the apostles. That includes believers here in the twenty-first century. John records,
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  
I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:  
I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 
“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.  
I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” John 17:20-26
Jesus prays for the unity of believers so that those around them in the world will believe that God has indeed sent them. He prays,
“I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:23 
Earlier in his gospel John records Jesus as saying,
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34,35. 
Love, unity of spirit and doctrine show the world the reality of Christ Jesus to the world.
Jesus goes on to pray,
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” John 17:23.
It is the desire of Jesus that believers see His glory a glory that was His before the creation of the world.
This should be the desire for all believers in Jesus. They should desire that all who believe in Jesus because of their witness see the glory of Christ.
Jesus concludes,
“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.  
I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” John 17:25,26.
The world does not know Jesus. Some say he was just a man, or a good teacher. Some even deny his existence.
True believer in Christ Jesus however know the truth about Jesus, that He is the Son of God, God incarnate, the Saviour of mankind.
This is the message all believers in Jesus are taking to the world. It is a belief however that takes an act of faith. The writer of Hebrews telling us,
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
Faith defined as,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

 and certain of what we do not see.”  

                                                       Hebrews 11:1.

Please think about it.

Chosen by Jesus

Chosen by Jesus
The gospel of John records Jesus speaking to his disciples as saying,
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  
If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.  
Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.  
They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.”  John 15:18-21.
Christianity to my knowledge is the only faith that claims its founder Jesus, is God incarnate. Not only that but it claims that Jesus said,
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.
“Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.”  John 14:11.
The writer of Hebrews makes it clear that believers in Jesus, believe that Jesus and God are one in the same. Hebrews states,
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:3. 
Christianity is an all or nothing faith. You either believe Jesus is who He says He is or you do not.
For the most part, especially here in the west, those who disagree with what Christians believe, leave believers in Jesus alone.
That being said Christians are among the most persecuted groups in the world.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is on record as saying Christianity is "the most persecuted religion in the world." 
In December of 2013 the United Kingdom parliament heard that one Christian is killed every eleven minutes for their faith.
“MP Jim Shannon said the persecution of Christians is “the biggest story in the world that has never been told”
He said that although the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, there are many countries in which these rights are not given.
Shannon alleged that 200 million Christians will be persecuted for their faith this year, while he said 500 million live in dangerous neighbourhoods.”
Still however the message of Jesus Christ continues to go forth into the world with the assurance that what Jesus said was true when he said,
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, 

persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  

Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, 

for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

                                                                                   Matthew 5:10-12.

The reason Christians believe it is important to take the message of Jesus Christ to the world is because God loves the world and wants to have fellowship with each individual.
Christianity is above all a faith of Love. God’s love in reaching down to mankind through His one an only Son Jesus Christ.
Jesus himself saying,
“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.” John 3:16,17.
Jesus when asked,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment. 
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40.
Persecution of believers in Christ will not stop that love from being taken to the world. For we who believe in Christ Jesus are told by Jesus,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” 
                                                                                       Matthew 5:43,44
Napoleon Bonaparte, said of Jesus,
“I know men and I tell you, Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force.
 Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour, millions would die for him.” Napoleon Bonaparte.
What Napoleon said is true. Believers in Jesus are willing to die for him. For the message He has told believers to deliver to the world is the most important message ever given to man. A message that has eternal consequences for all who would hear it.
Please think about it.

True Friends

True Friends
John’s gospel records this incident between Jesus and His disciples. He records,
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.  
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  
You are my friends if you do what I command.  
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:12-14.
Here Jesus notes several things. First he tells his disciples to love each other as he has loved them. He states,
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”John 15:13.
This statement I am certain come to have even greater meaning when they see Jesus actually giving his life for those who would believe in them.
Jesus then states,
“You are my friends if you do what I command.” John 15:14.
Intimacy with Jesus is doing what Jesus asks us to do. True friends will be loyal to one another and do what is right for one another.
This statement marks a distinct change in the relationship of the disciples to Jesus. They are no longer his servants but his friend. Jesus states,
“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15.
A servant does only what he is told to do. He does not necessarily know why his master is doing a particular thing.
A true friend on the other hand has intimate knowledge on the reason why his friend is doing a particular thing.
Jesus had at this point imparted to his disciples why he came to earth.
In John 3:16,17 he states,
“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.” John 3:16,17.
This is the message Jesus wants his friends to take to the world.
True friends of Jesus. True believers in Jesus will take this message to the world.
Please think about it.

A Remarkable Statement

A Remarkable statement
John’s gospel records this conversation between Jesus and His disciples. John records,
“Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  
If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 
Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 
Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?  
Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.  
Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.”  John 14:5-11.
There are two very remarkable statement that John records here. They are statements all who hear about Jesus must decide whether or not they are true or false.
First Jesus states,
"Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.
What Jesus is saying here is that he is the only way to heaven period. If untrue the statement means nothing.
If true then all who hear about Jesus and reject him cannot get to heaven.
John goes on to quote Jesus as saying,
“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?  
Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.  
Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.”  John 14:9b-11.
Here Jesus is saying plainly that He and God the Father are one. This is what believers in Christ truly believe. The writer of Hebrews stating,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3.
The way I see it when it comes to Jesus I agree with C. S. Lewis who wrote,
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Please think about it.

Love

Love
The Gospel of John records Jesus talking to his disciples and saying,
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”John 13:34,35.
Love in an all pervasive theme in the teachings of Jesus. Love is indeed the corner stone of the Christian faith.
John records,
“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”John 3:16,17.
Matthew’s gospel records Jesus as saying,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment. 
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40.
Just prior to saying this Matthew records Jesus as saying,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,... Matthew 5:43,44
The apostle John himself states,

“This is the message you heard from the beginning:

 We should love one another.”

                                   1John3:11

“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue 

but with actions and in truth.”  

                                     1John 3:18

The Apostle Paul writing,

“But the fruit of the Spirit is 

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  

gentleness and self-control. 

Against such things there is no law.  

                                             Galatians 5:22,23.

The apostle Paul defines love this way,

“Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil 

but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,

 always perseveres. 

Love never fails....

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.”  

                                       1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.

The writer of Proverbs reminds us,

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you;

 bind them around your neck, 

write them on the tablet of your heart. 

Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. 

                                                                                         Proverbs 3:3,4.

If you claim to be a true follower of Jesus Christ you must love all people regardless of who they are friend or foe.
Please think about it.

The Servant

The Servant
John’s gospel records this incident where Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. John records,
“It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. 
The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus.  
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;  so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.  
After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 
Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 
“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 
“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 
Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”  
For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. 
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them.  
“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.  
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.  
I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.  
I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.  
Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”John 13:1-17.
Here plain and simply Jesus sets an example for all his followers not just the disciples who were with him that day but to all believers.
He shows that those in authority should be willing to serve.
As I understand it the washing of a guests feet was something done by the lowest of servants in the household.
Thus Jesus who held the respect of the disciples as teacher and Lord, symbolically became the least of them in the room. In doing so he was telling his followers that you must be willing to serve.
Notice as well here that Jesus knowing full well who would betray him still washed the persons feet.
Now in the present day church here in North America and the western nations, we may not be called to wash someone’s feet but there are other things we might be called to do. Be it cleaning the church building including the toilets, or for that mater during service changing a dirty diaper in the nursery during a church service allowing the parents of the child to be in the service.
The question is if you claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ are you willing to serve. To be the lowest of all servants in the Kingdom of God?
Please think about it.