Main Point and Overview:
What is beyond human comprehension is that Jesus loves us in spite of us! He didn’t die on The Cross for the wealthy or the talented only; in fact, he died for each of those, plus the poor, abused, rejected, and everyone in between. Over and over again, the Acts of the Apostles proves this reality. The Gospel was not only for the Jews, but it was also for the Gentiles, and that was a revolutionary thought. In fact, many of them could not bring themselves to accept such a difficult reality. Somehow, the modern church has the same problem. We “classify” people based on race, or economic status, or the “side of the tracks” that someone grew up on. We favor, even respect, certain people over others. I love the fact that Jesus blew this arrogance out of the water from “day one” when he chose to give the most important message in the history of the world, the birth of God in the flesh, to a bunch of dirty, no-good shepherds. People of no social status literally became the bearers of the most life-giving information that the world could possibly receive. Jesus didn’t come first to a king or aristocrat or wealthy business owner or a “pop-star icon”; no, he came to shepherds! Then, after he ascended to heaven and the church began, the Holy Spirit continued this powerful reality by baptizing and filling Gentiles. The fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12 was coming to fruition. Literally, God would bless the entire world through Abraham’s seed. One of the most important realities of Christmas is that God’s gift is not based on anything we could ever do; it’s based on his sacrifice alone. Therefore, we must see people as Jesus saw people. The Gospel is not a set of “do’s and don’ts” that lead to self-righteous behaviors. The Gospel is “good news” that Jesus offers us freedom from sin. What if we began to see people as Jesus saw people? What if we began to speak in simple, yet powerful terms, about the Gospel? The Apostle Paul loved people so much that he took the time to explain the Gospel in a way people could understand. Would you be willing to make that investment? I hope so, because when you begin to understand the beginning of the church, you realize it included all people!
What is beyond human comprehension is that Jesus loves us in spite of us! He didn’t die on The Cross for the wealthy or the talented only; in fact, he died for each of those, plus the poor, abused, rejected, and everyone in between. Over and over again, the Acts of the Apostles proves this reality. The Gospel was not only for the Jews, but it was also for the Gentiles, and that was a revolutionary thought. In fact, many of them could not bring themselves to accept such a difficult reality. Somehow, the modern church has the same problem. We “classify” people based on race, or economic status, or the “side of the tracks” that someone grew up on. We favor, even respect, certain people over others. I love the fact that Jesus blew this arrogance out of the water from “day one” when he chose to give the most important message in the history of the world, the birth of God in the flesh, to a bunch of dirty, no-good shepherds. People of no social status literally became the bearers of the most life-giving information that the world could possibly receive. Jesus didn’t come first to a king or aristocrat or wealthy business owner or a “pop-star icon”; no, he came to shepherds! Then, after he ascended to heaven and the church began, the Holy Spirit continued this powerful reality by baptizing and filling Gentiles. The fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12 was coming to fruition. Literally, God would bless the entire world through Abraham’s seed. One of the most important realities of Christmas is that God’s gift is not based on anything we could ever do; it’s based on his sacrifice alone. Therefore, we must see people as Jesus saw people. The Gospel is not a set of “do’s and don’ts” that lead to self-righteous behaviors. The Gospel is “good news” that Jesus offers us freedom from sin. What if we began to see people as Jesus saw people? What if we began to speak in simple, yet powerful terms, about the Gospel? The Apostle Paul loved people so much that he took the time to explain the Gospel in a way people could understand. Would you be willing to make that investment? I hope so, because when you begin to understand the beginning of the church, you realize it included all people!
Posted in Devotional