Category: Jesus

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see Him, since Jesus was coming that way.

When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed Him gladly.

All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner’.”

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:1-10)

This salvation story began with a ‘look’. Then Jesus expressed the intent to visit an unpopular man, knowing full well He would be criticized… it had happened before.

At another tax collector’s house (Levi’s), the religious asked: “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:30-32)

Jesus ‘looked’ at His accusers too. Such critics were also in need of His fellowship so He spoke words intended to jolt them out of their false security. Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.” (Luke 20:17-18)

When Jesus looks at me, I hope He sees one looking for Him. And I pray I’ll have the humility to receive His message and respond with joy… like Zacchaeus.

When I look at others, I want to see what Jesus sees: a man, woman, boy, or girl who God created and loves. Every person has a story… and every person needs our Savior.

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer — at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention expecting to get something from them.

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. (Acts 3:1-8)

Susan and I drove to Foley, Alabama this past weekend to visit John’s family and to watch him play football. This is the second year he has lived with his mom Terri, her husband Daniel, and his younger sister Leesa. We speak with him regularly and he seems to have adjusted well to small town life near the Gulf coast.

Saturday we planned to take John to breakfast before we headed back to Atlanta. He asked if his friend Isaiah could join us, as he spent the night with John after the game. Of course we agreed and marveled at the appetites of two high school boys.

I smiled as John introduced me to his friend: “Dana was a coach… He coached Sherill Baker; she played basketball for the University of Georgia and in the WNBA. Dana is also a pastor…”

Susan thought John might have been warning his friend to be on good behavior, but I didn’t think so. Isaiah seemed like the type of companion you want your kids to have. He is on the quiet side, very respectful, and extremely kind. I think John has a fine friend.

“We have found the One the prophets spoke about… you’ve got to meet Him!” Introductions can be important. Andrew introduced his brother to Jesus and Philip introduced a friend. Their lives were never the same.

Perhaps we can do the same… “Jesus has done miracles in my life. He walks with me day by day and teaches me to be like Him. He is the Answer to the chaos in this world and soon every person will acknowledge Him as King. I hope you’ll get to know Him as Savior, Lord, and Friend. When you see how much He loves you… you’ll want to love Him back.”

“The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas’ (which, when translated, is Peter). The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathaniel and told him, ‘We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ ‘Nazareth! Can any good come from there?’ Nathaniel asked. ‘Come and see,’ said Philip.” John 1:41-46

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Jesus did not claim to teach, work, or live on His own. “Rather, it is the Father living in Me. Believe Me when I say I am in the Father and the Father is in Me.” (John 14:10-11) In the same way, we are not to live on our own. “Because I live, you will live… I am in the Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.” (John 14:20)

The apostle John later taught that life in Christ results in love… “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.” (I John 4:7-9) We are to live through Christ.

The apostle Paul was charged with the mission of proclaiming the gospel of Christ to Jews and Gentiles while enduring much suffering. The Father revealed a great mystery to Paul which points to the secret of living an abundant, God-centered life.  Paul shared it with us.

“Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, which is His church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present the word of God in its fullness – the mystery that has been kept for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:24-27) Christ lives in us.

Jesus was tempted by Satan to operate apart from His Father, but He did not succumb. We are tempted to live apart from Jesus, but we must not fall into the traps of the enemy. The riches are in Christ… and He lives in us.

“My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in the body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is head over every power and authority.” Colossians 2:2-10

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The ‘secret of life’ involves taking eyes off ‘self’ and focusing above. Jesus said: “Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.” (John 14:19-20)

In Algebra we teach the transitive property of equality: ‘If a = b and b = c, then a = c.’ The same logic helps us understand: ‘If Jesus is in the Father and we are in Jesus, then we are in the Father.’ Paul states it plainly: “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3)

I am asking the Holy Spirit to remind me of this every day… when I wake up and when I go to bed: “I am in Christ.” Jesus teaches us with an interesting metaphor: “I am the Vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit…” (John 15: 5)

A branch is connected to the vine… a branch is a part of the vine… the health and life of the branch depend on the vine… fruit comes from the branch connected to the healthy vine. Likewise: I am connected to Christ… I am a part of Christ… my health and life depend on Christ… good fruit will come because I am connected to the perfect Christ.

“You are in Me…” “Remain in Me…” “Live in Me…” How often does a branch need to be reminded to abide in the vine? If the branch does not remain attached to the vine, it cannot live. The Holy Spirit wants our understanding to be just as clear. Separate from the Vine, we cannot live. And we are living with other branches in the Vine… dependent on our Source and bringing forth fruit for the Gardener, who is God.

And what fruit is most pleasing to the Father? “The greatest of these is love…” As we live in Christ, we will learn to love like Him. His love flows through those connected to Him, blessing the world and revealing the Father. “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given us.” (Romans 5:5)

Over a hundred years ago, Andrew Murray, a South African pastor of Scottish descent, explained the result of living in Christ: “The believer cannot abide in Jesus the Glorified One, without feeling himself stirred and strengthened to work: the Spirit and the love of Jesus breathe the will and power to be a blessing to others. Jesus went to heaven with the very object of obtaining power there to bless abundantly. He does this as the heavenly Vine only through the medium of His people as His branches. Whoever, therefore, abides in Him, the Glorified One, bears much fruit, for he receives of the Spirit and the power of the eternal life of his exalted Lord, and becomes the channel through which the fullness of Jesus, who hath been exalted to be a Prince and a Savior, flows out to bless those around him.”

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2: 6-7

Quote from ‘Abide in Christ’ by Andrew Murray, ©1985 Barbour and Company, p 173

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“Because I live, you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in the Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.” (John 14: 19-20) These words of Jesus hold the secret of life. Just a few moments earlier, the Teacher had spoken a truth He thought should have been clear to His disciples.

“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 I do not speak on My own authority. Rather, it is the Father living in Me, who is doing His work. Believe Me when I say I am in the Father and the Father is in Me…’” (John 14: 8-11)

Jesus then promised the Holy Spirit: “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever – the Spirit of truth… He lives with you and will be in you… On that day you will realize that I am in the Father…” (John 14: 16-20)

Without the Holy Spirit we can’t ‘get it’! Jesus had walked three years with His apostles, doing the works of God and teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven. But the students still didn’t fully understand the secret of His life: “I am in the Father… and the Father is in Me.”

“I and the Father are one.” (John 10: 30) Can you imagine Jesus ever saying to God: “Today, I think I’ll just go My own way. I know You want Me to do this… but I really don’t feel like it…”? Jesus knew that His Father’s ways were perfect. The Father is love and all His guidance is good. “… I love the Father and do exactly what My Father has commanded Me.” (John 14: 31) Being one with God on earth meant humbly following His Father’s directions.

The beautiful truth is that we are invited into this wonderful life with the Father, Son, and Spirit. “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love. If you keep My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15: 9-12)

Jesus prayed for us to enter the full life where we are one with God and one with each other as we humbly live in Him.

“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 have given Me, that they may be one as We are one – I in them and You in Me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.” John 17: 20-23

(continued next week)