Why Jesus?

For many decades, the answer given by many, to the question above, has been along the lines of: "Because He will make you happy"; "Because He will give you meaning and purpose in life"; Because He will ensure that you are healthy, and wealthy"; "Because the whole world will look so much better when you accept Him into your heart"!

That, however, is not what the Bible teaches!  That, I would respectfully suggest, is not the experience of hundreds of thousands of disciples of Jesus in what we refer to, collectively, as "The Persecuted Church".  That was certainly not the experience of the young men who, with the name of Jesus on their lips, were murdered by terrorist thugs of the so-called Islamic State, on a beach in Libya.

So why did Jesus - God in human flesh - come to this earth; and why should I yield my life to Him?  The apostle John, in his first letter to the church at large, writes: "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil." (I John 3:8).  He continues: "No one born of God commits sin; for God's nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God. By this it may be seen who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not do right is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother." (I John 3:9-10).  This is not teaching what is sometimes referred to as "sinless perfection".  The same John has already written: "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." but "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (I John 1:8-10).

What John is saying is that Jesus came to save us from sin.  It's that simple.  You are a sinner; I am a sinner.  You don't need me to tell you that; I don't need you to tell me.  As sinners in God's eyes, we deserve nothing other than His righteous judgement, and punishment.  We deserve, when our mortal lives come to an end, nothing other than banishment from His Presence throughout eternity.  (If you want to know more about eternity, I recommend my book: Great Words of the Faith - link to the Kindle edition at the top of the page.  Costs less than a fish supper!).  However, I do not need to bear that punishment, because Jesus has paid the penalty - the Righteous for the unrighteous (see I Peter 3:18) - and I may go free!   No wonder that His disciples sing about, and rejoice in, His amazing grace!

Have you confessed - to Him, and to yourself - that you are a sinner.  That's the first move - recognising that, as the Anglican prayer puts it: "there is no health in [me]".  You then need to put pride behind you, and accept that you can never, ever, make up for the sins of the past, never mind those that you will commit during what remains of your mortal life.  You need to accept that only His sacrifice, made on your behalf, can cleanse you from sin, and make you acceptable to the sinless Creator of all that is.  When you do that, you are immediately justified (another word that is dealt with in the book already mentioned!) - in other words, Father God looks at you, and sees Jesus!  You are also assured that all of your sins are forgiven: "For there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Rom 8:1).

That's why Jesus came!  Not necessarily to provide us with peace, joy, love, fulfilment, and lasting happiness, and all of the other assurances given by some modern "evangelists".  A blog post is not the place to produce a sermon, but do follow the link Do you need God? Find out here! if you want further help and guidance.  For so many, the words of Jesus: "In the world you have tribulation;" (John 16:33) are a daily, and often very painful, experience!  However, Jesus continued: "but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Why Jesus?  Because "... God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." (John 3:16-18).  Because "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him." (John 3:36).

The best-laid schemes ...!

It was the Scottish Bard, Rabbie Burns who, in his poem  On Turning Her Up In Her Nest With The Plough (1785), penned the words: "The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men gang aft agley".  I was reminded of those words yesterday!

The day started as expected when my wife and I took our younger daughter to hospital, for an operation.  Mind you, even that caused a change to our earlier plan.  We had expected this evening, to be stopping overnight with dear friends in Maidstone, Kent, en route to France.  The medical/surgical emergency led to that journey being postponed for a few days, as we went back this morning to collect her, and want to spend a couple of days with her before departing!   

However, it was as we returned from the hospital yesterday, that we received a 'phone-call.   Our elder daughter was heading up to the A&E Department in our local hospital with, it appeared, something stuck in her throat.   That call had hardly finished before we received yet another - this time it was our son-in-law (elder daughter's husband), informing us that the clutch in their car had given up, and that our daughter was making her way to the hospital by bus.  

We had to pass where the (now non-operating) car was, so we stopped to assist in pushing it to a place of greater safety, and less obstruction, and then went up to the hospital.  That involved a long wait - first of all until our daughter was called into the examination rooms, and then while she awaited the arrival of a doctor to provide the aforementioned examination!  By the time we took her back home, it was about 2100 hrs!

So why do I share all of that family news?  Well, as the opening paragraph suggests, none of what has happened in the past thirty-six hours was in our original planning for the period.  However, there is something else.  Anyone who has purchased my book, Great Words of the Faith (either as a paper-back, or as a Kindle e-book), and actually read it, will be aware of the way in which I see the relationship between tome and eternity.  By the way, if you haven't purchased, and read, I would encourage you to do so.  Anyway, although we were 'caught on the hop' with these recent events, Father God wasn't!  Before any of us were even born, He not only 'knew what would, in time, happen', but also, from His eternal perspective, saw it happening!   If that blows your mind, even a little, you really do need to purchase the book!  (Details at the top of the page).

However, this is where the disciple of Jesus may have a deep assurance.   I know that nothing - absolutely nothing - happens, or can happen, without His knowledge and permission.  That's why Paul was able to write those amazing words: "We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose." (Rom 8:28).

I may not always understand His ways; but I may always rest in the assurance of His love, and of His sovereign power and authority.  May you who read be able to do likewise.