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Christ, The Image of the Invisible God

7/21/2025

Text: Colossians 1:15-20
Service Date: 7.20.25
Sermon:

The Book of Colossians, a letter in the New Testament, is traditionally attributed to the Apostle Paul. However, there's a significant scholarly debate surrounding the authorship of Colossians, with some suggesting it might have been written by one of Paul's followers after his death.
Arguments in favor of Pauline authorship include: The letter explicitly states in its opening, "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother". Early Church Fathers such as Irenaeus and Tertullian recognized it as Pauline. Theological themes in Colossians align with Paul's teachings found in his other letters, like Philippians and Ephesians.
On the other hand, arguments against Pauline authorship of Colossians include stylistic differences: Critics note that Colossians exhibit some differences in vocabulary and style compared to Paul's undisputed letters. Theological variations: Some scholars argue that the theological emphasis on Christ in Colossians represents a more developed view than what's seen in other Pauline letters. The possibility of pseudonymity: Writing under the name of a respected figure was a known practice during that historical period.
Ultimately, whether Paul wrote Colossians himself, perhaps using a secretary or dictating to Timothy, or if it was written by a close follower, the letter has consistently been accepted as part of the inspired New Testament canon by the Church.
Regardless of who the author is, the purpose of this passage was to combat the false teachings that had infiltrated the Colossian church. The problem was syncretism-combing ideas from other philosophies and religions (such as paganism, strains of Judaism, and Greek thought) with Christian truth. This way of thinking later became known as Gnosticism, they emphasized special knowledge (gnosis in Greek) and denying Christ as God and savior.
Some of the things that the Colossian church began to believe was that Christ was not the source of salvation, that Christ was not the unique Son of God, God did not create the world because God would not have created evil, and that God would not have come to earth as a human. These are some of the topics that the author is trying to combat throughout the letter of Colossians.
In our passage for today, it seems that the author is trying to combat the idea that God would not send himself in human form. By discussing Jesus’ connection to the Heavenly Father, the author is reminding the church that lays at the foundation of the church.
Jesus is not only equal with God, but he is also God. He is the visible image of the invisible God. He is the exact representation of God. He not only reflects God, but he reveals God to us. It is believed that Jesus came from heaven, not from the dust of the earth like Adam and he rules as lord overall. The Colossian church also believes that without this core belief, our Christian faith becomes hollow, misdirected, and meaningless. This is a message that the author is reminding the church. This is the message that we will wrestle with today.
If we believe that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, we can look at Jesus’ actions and words and make the connection that God, the Heavenly Father, would share the same views and expressed the same actions.
To better understand Jesus’ actions, there are definitions that we should discuss:
When the author of this letter states that Jesus is the image of God, the word image, “can also refer to a visible manifestation of an invisible and heavenly reality form. Properly, "mirror-like representation," i.e. what is very close in resemblance. This implies that Jesus’s actions and words are a mirror image of God, the Heavenly Father.
Next, we will review the definition of Reconcile. In this passage the word reconcile means, “is an intensified reconciliation (stronger than katallasso) and pictures the total, complete, and full restoration of the relationship of disturbed peace.” The idea inherent in reconciling is to take enemies and change them to friends. From Enemy to Friendship! Through Jesus’ ministry, we can recall times when Jesus built friendships with those that society was opposed to. We could even acknowledge that Jesus showed love and respect to the church leaders that often opposed him and even planned Jesus’ death.
The third word that we will review is Peace. The definition of peace in this passage states, “Peace signifies a harmonious relationship and is not merely the absence of war or uneasy truce.” Once again, this is action that we see from Jesus when we look at the scripture. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, he worked to fight injustice through peaceful actions and love.
Looking at Jesus’ example in both words and action, we would be people that bring peace and love to all people. Looking at Jesus’ example, we could be people who would reconcile with those that oppose us or who we oppose. To do that, we would need to also be humble enough to hear the thoughts and opinions of those that have differences in opinions and beliefs that we have.
Since we are called to be people of peace and reconciliation, I have been making connections with the other churches here in Page. Over the last few weeks, I have been joining the churches in their church services. I am doing this in hopes of looking past our differences and connecting with what this faith communities have in common. Many of the churches that I have connected with are also interested in sharing in this interfaith connection.
I believe that God is calling us to heal our communities through connection and reconciliation. The same reconciliation that brings peace to all participants. God is calling us to heal families through love and peace. We see this throughout Jesus’ teachings and his actions. It is through our love and reconciling actions that healing happens in the community Let’s us follow the lead of Jesus by following his actions.
Let us pray:

Conclusion: Let us be people who bring peace and reconciliation to the community through actions of love and compassion.

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Are We The Good Samaritan?

7/21/2025

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Text: Luke 10:25-37
Service Date: 7.13.25
Sermon:

At some point in our lives, we may be asked a difficult question. That is where Jesus finds himself in today’s passage. Jesus is approached by an expert of the law with a difficult question. Honestly, it seems like the expert was trying to trick Jesus with his complicated question, but he could have never expected Jesus’ answer.
In the question, the law expert was quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, where the people are encouraged to love the Lord with all that they have and to love neighbors as ourselves. But the question is: what does that truly mean?
The expert in the law recognized he was unable to love his neighbor as the law required. However, instead of admitting he was a sinner who needed God’s grace and forgiveness, he sought to loosen the demands of the Law by narrowly defining who his neighbor was. By narrowing the definition of his neighbor, the lawyer sought to appear as though he was keeping God’s Law. The expert of the law was trying to justify his internal feelings.
In response to the questions, Jesus will a parable in order to get the law expert to discover the answers for himself.
While I believe that this parable that Jesus tells is a fictional story, there is a point and a lesson woven within the tale. The point of the story was to get the law expert to think about love and who showed the wounded man love and care in a time when he needed it most.
The Jews saw themselves as pure descendants of Abraham, while the Samaritans were a mixed race produced when jews from the northern kingdom had intermarried with other peoples after Isreal’s exile.
To the law expert, the person least likely to act correctly would be the Samaritan. This expert’s attitude betrayed his lack of the very thing that he had earlier said to the law commanded…...love.
The characters of this story saw the wounded man in different ways: The legal expert viewed the wounded man as a topic for discussion; the robbers saw the wounded man as a victim to exploit; the priest saw him as a problem to avoid; the Levite saw the wounded man as an object of curiosity. Only the Samaritan treated him as a person to love.
From the parable we learn three principles about loving our neighbor: 1. Lack of love is often easy to justify, even though it is never right. 2. Our neighbor is anyone of any race, creed, or social background who is in need. 3. Love means acting to meet the person’s need. Wherever you live, people in need are close by. Don’t “cross to the other side.” Instead, show love Jesus’ love to them.
Jesus highlights in verse 30 that loving our neighbor means we must acknowledge the realities of our broken, sin-cursed world and their effect on our neighbor.
Jesus highlights in verses 31–32 that loving our neighbor means we must expose the emptiness of religious belief that lacks practical love for others. Look, we can profess we believe the gospel, we can regularly go to church and even evangelize the lost; but Scripture is clear that all of that is just vanity and meaningless noise if we’re not living out the gospel by loving our neighbor in practical ways. When our neighbor is hurt, we need to bind their wounds. When our neighbor is hungry, we need to feed them and, where appropriate, teach them to feed themselves. When our neighbor is oppressed or experiencing injustice, we need to seek justice and righteousness for our neighbors.
Jesus highlights in verse 33 that loving our neighbor means we must challenge and reject the prejudice that exists in our own hearts and in our society against our neighbor. In Jesus’ day, there was open animosity between Jews and Samaritans. Samaritans were half-breeds and religious compromisers. Samaritans were “unclean,” and Jews were forbidden to eat with them or step foot in their homes.
When we show love to those that need it, we bring more kindness and empathy into the world. We allow healing to happen internally as well as healing within our society. We build bridges among cultures and among people. When we show love and empathy to those that need it, we bring justice and balance to all people.
Let us pray:

Conclusion: Let us be people who bring justice to the world through love and empathy.

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Peace to this House

7/21/2025

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Text: Luke 10:1-11
Service Date: 7.9.25
Sermon:

“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house. If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you”
The peace that we carry in our lives is not only for us. It is our gift to the world. It is the gift that we bring to all who need it. Right now, it seems like we all need it.
In the context of this scripture the word “peace” literally means “Pictures the binding or joining together again of that which had been separated or divided and thus setting at one again, a meaning conveys by the common expression of one “having it all together.” Another definition is “A state of harmony characterized by the absence of hostility and violence, encompassing both the absence of conflict (like war) and the freedom from fear of violence.”
While we may not know what kind of pain and fear people were experiencing at the time that Jesus is sending out the 72 messengers, it’s a safe to assume that the peace was needed. That is why Jesus is sending out the 72 messengers.
Jesus tells the messengers to extend the hand of peace to those that they are visiting. Similarly, I believe that Jesus is asking us to extend the hand of peace to the people that we encounter. Jesus does not give any limits to who the messengers offer the hand of peace to. It was simply put “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.” Peace is to be offered to everyone that the messengers encounter. Peace is to be offered to everyone that we encounter.
Looking at the scripture, we see that when we offer peace to people, we are offering a sacred gift to people who need peace. A peace that can be carried with them. The peace will rest upon the spirit that that person is.
When we see that peace will rest upon the spirit, we can trust that God is taking the distress and unsettled pieces of the world and bringing harmony back to the spirit of the person. This would bring peace and harmony among all people.
Let us pray:

Conclusion: Let us be people who seek lives of peace.

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Life by the Spirit

7/21/2025

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Text: Galatians 5:13-25
Service Date: 6.29.25
Sermon:

“If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”
As I thought through the scripture for this week, this sentence grabbed my attention and stuck with me throughout the week. I believe that this is the thesis of this passage: if we are hateful and spiteful to each other, we are contributing to our own demise. But on the other hand, if we are compassionate and kind to each other, we are contributing to our development.
That is going to be our focus for this service: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” A person who exhibits the fruit of the Spirit fulfills the law far better than a person who observes the rituals but has little love in his or her heart. That means that it is not our traditions or our rituals that God admires, in fact, it is our heart and our care for the people that we encounter throughout our days.
When we treat people kindly and with compassion, we set off a ripple effect of love that will reverberate throughout time.
Now, let’s come back to our opening verse, “If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” It is safe to say this outcome is brought by the opposite of the fruit of the Spirit. We see that in verses 20 and 21, where it states that acts of the flesh include “hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness” just to name a few.
It is our internal disposition that frames our external impact of the world. If we are filled with hatred and envy then we are more likely to produce hatred and envy and the liking to the world, ultimately creating a world that devours us with that negativity.
As Followers of Christ, we are called and expected to fill our lives with the Fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” That also means that we are expected to put that same energy out into the world to bring healing and redemption to the world.
It is through our loving actions that the world is changed. It is through our love that people encounter the love of God. It is through our compassion that people are cared for.
As we see in this week’s passage, our attitude influences our actions, and our actions impact the world at large. Now, is the time that we need to reflect: are we the Christians that spread hatred and envy to the masses? Or are we the Christ followers that believe that God’s love brings redemption, so we express that love to our friends and our communities?
As we conclude, let me quote from Fred Rogers, “If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you many never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.”
Let us pray:

Conclusion: Let us be people be people who exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in our daily lives, bringing love and redemption to the world at large.

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We all are Children of God

7/21/2025

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Text: Galatians 3:26-29
Service Date: 6.22.25
Sermon:

In Roman society, when a young person became an adult, the young person would take their youthful garment off and put on an adult toga. This seems to be a right of passage for the culture. It is a sign of leveling up and joining your peers in this new life, a life with new responsibilities and, in many cases, a new identity.
In our conversation today, we are discussing a similar transformation. When we are joined with Jesus in baptism, we put on his righteousness like new clothes. We take up a new identity and a new nature.
Now, before we discuss our scripture and the meaning of our scripture, we need to discuss the role of faith in our lives. For many, their faith in God creates a community where they feel loved and belonged. Yet, for others, they are not included in that same community. For so many, they are only granted access to the sacred community when they fit into a very narrow doorway. For many, they are never allowed access.
To better understand the purpose of today’s scripture, we are going to briefly discuss the original promise of God. The original promise to Abraham was intended for the whole world, not just Abraham’s physical descendants (Genesis 12:3). All believers participate in this promise and are blessed as children of Abraham.
Therefore, since we can see that God intended for the whole world to receive his promises, it is easy to make the connection that this same promise would extend to all peoples of the world, regardless of culture, skin color or sexual orientation.
In Christ, it doesn’t matter about your ethnic identity, your gender, or your station in life. If you are in Christ, you are one of God’s chosen people and you stand to inherit all that God has promised. It is only through Christ that anyone can inherit God’s kingdom (John 14:6). While there may still be ethnic, gender, and social distinctions that carry weight in other contexts, those distinctions do not affect one’s standing as a child of God by faith in Christ.
As Children of God, we are not expected to take away our culture, or our traditions. Instead, our culture, our family traditions and our rituals should be celebrated within the church. It should be included in our worship of God.
Our God is a creative God. God creates all people, of multiple backgrounds and cultures and multiple societies. Therefore, the people groups that God creates are worthy to be loved, both by God and by God’s people. That means that the culture that forms the identity of God’s people should also be celebrated and be worthy of love.
So, as we close, I want to take a moment and review our own hearts. Are we loving our neighbor as ourselves? Are we celebrating all our neighbors for who God created them to be? Are we allowing all people to strengthen their faith along side with us, regardless of our differences in our culture? Are we celebrating all the children of God?

Conclusion: Let us be people be people who celebrate all the children of God and let us celebrate everything that they are!

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The Spirit Makes us Children of God

7/21/2025

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Text: Romans 8:14-17
Service Date: 6.8.25
Sermon:

Let’s jump in our time machines. I was in first grade when my life changed forever. I remember it well; the class was sitting on the rug in front of the teacher. When the teacher asked if anyone had any news that we’d like to share. My hand shot into the air. The teacher called on me. That was the day that my dad had married my stepmom; a new family would start there, and I was a part of it.
Today we are focusing on what happens when we encounter the Holy Spirit and we are brought into this divine family tree. For some of us, this is simply another family that we belong to, another family that we can lean on and put our trust into. For others, this is our primary source of support and love; like how I felt as a first grader.
When we experience the love that Jesus offers and we dedicate our time and attention to understanding his teaches and living out his words, we begin to see the world differently. Many would say that we receive the Holy Spirit and from there, we are led by the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Holy Spirit brings us into this divine family. It’s almost as if we’ve been adopted into this divine family.
In today’s passage, Paul uses the concept of adoption to illustrate the believer’s new relationship with God. In Roman culture, an adopted child lost all rights in his/her old family and gained all the rights of a legitimate child in his/her new family.
After reading this passage, researched the word “adoption.” Adoption means, “to place one as a son". It means to formally and legally declare that someone who is not one’s own child is henceforth to be treated and cared for as one’s own child, including complete rights of inheritance.
It seems that in Roman culture, when a child is adopted, the child becomes full heir to his/her father’s full estate. Likewise, when a person becomes a Christian, he/she gains all the privileges and responsibilities of a child in God’s family.
To John Wesley, this Spirit of Adoption signifies a believer's assurance of being a child of God, experiencing God's grace, and entering a new relationship with Him.
One of these outstanding privileges is being led by the Holy Spirit. We may not always feel as though we belong to God, but the Holy Spirit becomes our witness. His inward presence reminds us of who we are and encourages us with God’s love.
Even in those times when we do not feel connected with God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit, we are still part of God’s people. Even when we are faced with the most challenging circumstance, The Holy Spirit still fills us and leads us. Similarly to God, the Holy Spirit does not leave us or abandon us.
That is our assurance today: God is with us. In our darkest hour when we have a million questions running through our minds, wondering if are worthy; God is with us. In the scariest moments of our lives, God is with us. In the times where we doubt our faith or question everything we know; God is with us.
We are all a part of God’s divine family. So, not only is God with us, but so is the family. We are with each other! We are each other’s support system. We are each other’s shoulder to lean on! We are each other’s mentor’s and friends. So, let us please show each other our love and support, being led by the Holy Spirit and being assured that we are community.

Conclusion: Let us be people who are assured that God is with us and in return let us be there for each other.

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Jesus Prays for All Believers

7/21/2025

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Text: John 17:20-26
Service Date: 6.1.25
Sermon:

Today we are focusing on the prayers of Christ; one specific prayer to be exact. This is a prayer where Jesus focuses his time and his attention on those that follow his teachings. He is not only focusing on those that followed Jesus within his lifetime, but he is extending that prayer to those that would follow his teachings in the future; he is praying for us.
Jesus prayed for all who would follow him. He prayed for unity, protection from the evil one, and sanctity. Knowing that Jesus prayed for us gives us confidence as we work for his kingdom.
As we read this, we see that Jesus’ great desire for his disciples was that they would become one. He wanted them unified as a powerful witness to the reality of God’s love. The unity is based on our unity with God through Jesus.
We are called to live as one, which means to be united. One (Heis) commonly means the uniqueness of something, i.e., the single or only one of its kind. Unity becomes the basis for behavior as well as the criterion for the exercise of spiritual gifts, even though unity is expressed in diversity.
I believe this concept is the crux of Jesus’ prayer. We are called to act, live and believe as one; one body of believers. But my question is: if we are meant to one body, how should we act?
I believe that as Christ-followers we act as Jesus acted that means that those that Jesus loved, we love; those that Jesus healed, we healed; those that Jesus accepted, we accept.
Looking at the life and ministry of Jesus, it is easy to see that Jesus loved all, and he offered and helping hand to all who needed it. He did not limit his access to certain people, and he did not exclude those who believed or thought differently than he did.
The unity of believers is intended to be a visible sign of God's love to the world, convincing them that God has sent Jesus.
Christians can know unity among themselves if they are living in union with God. This unity is not simply a human effort, but a manifestation of God's love and presence in believers' lives. Yet, this is a reality for all who place their trust in Jesus and follow his teachings.
Jesus calls us to be one body. A body of believers that love all of God’s creations and works hard to create a loving and accepting atmosphere where anyone can be themselves; loved by God.

Conclusion: Let us be people who live, act and love in unity with God.

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Peace, I leave with You

7/21/2025

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Text: John 14:23-29
Service Date: 5.25.25
Sermon:

Today we are receiving one of the greatest gifts that Jesus offers us, peace. When many of us think of peace, we have a very simple, easy-to-understand definition of peace. Yet, this passage gives us a different understanding of the concept of peace.
In this scripture we see that Jesus offers us peace. The word “peace” literally means, “The binding or joining together again of that which had been separated or divided and thus setting at one again.”
Eirene (peace) can convey the sense of an inner rest, well-being and harmony. The ultimate peace is the state of reconciliation with God.
Peace is a condition of freedom from disturbance, whether outwardly, as of a nation from war or enemies or inwardly, as in the current context, within the soul. In this passage, I believe that Jesus is referencing the inward healing of our soul.
It is not only through our relationship with the Holy Spirit that we are offered peace, but it is also through the Holy Spirit that we are able to accept the peace that is offered to us.
In this context, it seems that the Holy Spirit’s primary task is “the disposition or influence which fills and governs the soul of anyone.” This is experienced when we find peace through the Holy Spirit. In the moments that we are interacting with the Holy Spirit, we are allowing the Holy Spirit to influence our own spiritual development, creating and monitoring our peace.
Another role of the Holy Spirit is that the Holy Spirit would teach the disciples what more they needed to know and would also supernaturally bring to remembrance the words of Jesus, both for their own benefit and for the writing of the Gospels.
This means that the work of the Spirit would be a work of continuation. The teaching of the Holy Spirit would continue to remind us of what Jesus already taught. The Spirit does not wipe clear the previous teaching of Jesus and begin again.
When we receive the peace of the Holy Spirit, we are ensuring that we continue to grow spiritually. When we listen to the whispers of the Holy Spirit, we are strengthened and empowered with the teachings of Jesus.
It is through the Holy Spirit that we can fully connect with the teachings of Jesus, connecting with the fully purpose of his words, not just for this life, but the life to come. We can connect with Jesus’ teaching for the physical world as well as the spiritual realm. In that connection of the physical world and the spiritual realm, we can find peace.
Today Jesus offers us peace; a peace that surpasses all understanding. A peace that heals the soul and in turn impacts the body. A peace that rebuilds relationships. A peace that binds us to God through the Holy Spirit and connects us to the body of believers. Will you receive the peace that Jesus offers us today?

Conclusion: Let us be people who accepts God’s peace and seeks peace in all relationships.

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God’s Extended Family

7/21/2025

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Text: Acts 11:9-18
Service Date: 5.18.25
Sermon:

Last week we focused on God’s people eagerly waiting to realize and experience Jesus’ deity. It turns out when we listen to Jesus’ voice, and we do what Jesus does, we live lives of love and acceptance.
In the scripture for today, we are partnering this message with the message from last week since they both have similar takeaways: loving and caring the unexpected.
First, we are going to look at a few sections of today’s scripture and dissect them a little bit:
“What God has cleansed you must not call common” At first, Peter thought God spoke this about food. But Peter came to understand the vision of the sheet and kosher and unkosher animals had to do with people, not food (Acts 10:28: God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean).
There is a sense in which the sheet represents the church, having both “kosher” (Jews) and “unkosher” (Gentiles) on it, with no distinction or dividing line between the two (Ephesians 2:11-18).
It is evident that Peter was discovering the importance of being accepting and all-inclusive when it comes to God’s people. When God is bringing new groups of people into the Kingdom of God, we should not stand in God’s way, we should open our hearts to what God is doing.
If God was reaching out to the Gentiles, who was Peter that he could withstand God? Peter recognized the importance of sensing where God is going and heading that same direction, instead of trying to persuade God to go your direction.
This is a powerful passage, demonstrating that the hearts of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem were soft enough to be guided and corrected by God.
To best understand what God is doing within this scripture, let us also review a few choice words and their meanings:
The word for “cleansed” means, “pure, clean, without stain or spot.” It could also refer to emotional or physical purging. “Another figurative use in 1John 1:9 (James 4:8, Hebrews 10:2) describes the purifying or cleansing from sin and a guilty conscience thus making one acceptable to God and reestablishing fellowship.”
When looking at the word “Spirit” one of the definitions states, “God's power and agency distinguishable in thought from his essence in itself considered” and “by its influence upon the souls productive in the theocratic body (the church) of all the higher spiritual gifts and blessings” Both definitions seem to be referring to the work of the Holy Spirit and its impact of the members of the church.
This is what we see happening with Peter and the acceptance of the Gentiles into the Kingdom of God. The Jewish followers of Jesus believed they were the only people of God and soon they find out that God is willing to expand the kingdom through acceptance and inclusion.
The vision Peter received, along with the Spirit's miraculous falling upon Cornelius and his household, demonstrates God's inclusive nature and His desire to save all who believe.
The descent of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles, as it had on the apostles at Pentecost, was a powerful sign of God's acceptance and a catalyst for Peter to understand the universal application of the gospel.

Conclusion: Let us be people who open to God’s inclusive and accepting love for all people.

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Jesus Promises Life

7/21/2025

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Text: John 10:22-30
Service Date: 5.11.25
Sermon:

In the scripture for today, we see the Jewish people’s desire to experience the deity of Jesus. They have been looking forward to the Messiah for centuries. They have been following the scriptures of their time and seeing the signs and miracles of the Old Testament. So, it is easy to understand their desire to know the truth and they were eager to encounter the Messiah.
Similarly to the religious leaders of Jesus’ time, I believe we are also eager to encounter the Messiah and the messages that he teaches.
We are eager to hear the teachings of Jesus while at the same time, we are eager to encounter the life-changing ministry of Jesus. Now, the question that we must ask ourselves is: what is our motive for wanting to encounter Jesus’ life changing teachings?
Many of the people in Jesus’ time who were asking for proof did so for the wrong reasons. Most of these questioners didn’t want to follow Jesus if it required them to submit to his leadership. They hoped that Jesus would declare himself to be the Messiah and then overthrow Rome and restore the prosperity of King David’s golden age.
It is also possible that these doubters hoped Jesus would identify himself so they could accuse him of making false claims to be God. Either way, there were groups of people that desired to know of Jesus’ deity strictly for political gain. It seems that they did not have a desire to follow Jesus for the purpose of the betterment of mankind.
Now, the question that we must ask ourselves is: what is our motive for wanting to encounter Jesus’ life changing teachings? Is it for political gain or is it for the betterment of all of mankind?
The truth is Jesus has more to offer us than political gain! What Jesus offers us is life, both life in the here and now and life far beyond.
When we relate to Jesus’ teachings spiritually and we put Jesus’ words into action, then we can fully encounter the truth of who Jesus is. Our motives will be aligned with Jesus, and we can fully experience his deity.
When we have the correct motives to hear Jesus’ words, we can effectively hear Jesus’ voice. Correctly hearing Jesus’ voice is vital to correctly following Jesus’ words. This is why the religious leaders of Jesus’ time could not fully hear and understand Jesus’ voice; they were not ready to follow Jesus’ words and put them into practice for the betterment of all the people.
I believe this life is Jesus begins, acting in the service of others. So much of Jesus’ teachings is calling us to serve those that are considered less than; we feed the hungry, we provide for those who go without, we clothe the naked, and we welcome the immigrant and the traveler. This is the beginning of eternal life with Jesus; creating a world where people can experience life while here on earth.

Conclusion: Let us be people who earnestly seek God and learn to hear his voice. Let us be people who allow all people to experience the life that Jesus offers.

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<<Previous

Christ, The Image of the Invisible God

Are We The Good Samaritan?

Peace to this House

Life by the Spirit

We all are Children of God

The Spirit Makes us Children of God

Jesus Prays for All Believers

Peace, I leave with You

God’s Extended Family

Jesus Promises Life

Anthony K. Giesick

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