Who is Jesus? And how does that affect me?

Who was He?
What did He teach?
Why did He suffer/die?
Raise from the dead?
What does it have to do with me?













Pictures from Google Images:
www.divinity.duke.edu, www.aboutfilm.com, www.msnbc.msn.com, www.cnn.com,
www.breadonthewaters.com, www.cs.utk.edu





So I'm going on this trip with Jesus. And Easter is in 2 days. Actually tonight is Good Friday (when we remember His death...)
Here are some of my thoughts on Him and His life...

I know He loves me; I also know and believe that He came to the world a while back, lived among people, had some pretty awesome teachings (new and deeper for the traditional religious scene of the time), and made some pretty radical claims about who he was (and some not-so-nice, tormenting-of-people demons yelled out that they knew who He was - the Son of God!! which is also pretty amazing to think about).

Then he seemingly walked willfully into his own death - he predicted it, said his life wouldn't be taken from him, but he would give it, he prayed pretty hard that he wouldn't have to do it if it were possible, but then he accepted and got up and walked into it.

Horrible sufferings (anyone watch the Passion of the Christ movie recently? and that was fake - Hollywood's best efforts, and even that looked horrible - the whipping w/ rods, then the whipping with a short stick with chains coming off of it with metal bits at the end, that would dig into the skin and muscle and rip it away... 39 times!), crown of thorns (and i don't think they put it on him gently, but probably jammed it on, and then beat his head), spit on him, struck him, again and again... then carrying his own cross (heavy thing, and he's already so exhausted and beyond...) and he has to climb a hill...

My brother and his wife are mountain guides, and they tell people to try to get really in shape; my oldest brother climbed Mt. Rainer, and said it was the hardest things he's ever done; 14 hours of stair-master stepping w/ a 40-50 lb. pack on your back... I just imagine Jesus, climbing the hill where He was crucified, just beaten, horribly horribly... and then he had to climb the hill, with the cross.

There was a guy who helped him, Simon, but Jesus must have been beyond agony/exhaustion...

Then he was crucified - nails (thick ones) in his 2 arms and one at his feet, aughh!!, lifted up, and hung there, the weight on these parts of his body.

Why did the skies get so dark, at mid-day, if this was not a significant event in history, and GOD, outside the bounds of our physical laws that govern our universe, step in to change the normal weather/earth's patterns of the day?

Why did the temple curtain (a thick thick piece of cloth in the inner room of the temple, in the Holy of Holies, where only the High Priest could go, once a year to make an atonement sacrifice of a spotless lamb, for the sins of the people, as governed by God to Moses) rip in two, from top to bottom? Signifying an opening between God and man that had not been present before, ONLY through the death of His Son on the cross?

Why did tombs open up and once dead righteous people get up, coming back to life, and were seen by many people in the city of the day, when Jesus died?

Why was there an earthquake if it was just any other man dying?

Was his death the end of him? Was he just another man, another good teacher, another prophet who came, taught a good message, and then was killed by people who didn't agree with him?

He predicted that He would be killed and then raised again in 3 days. Would this really happen? Had any other person in all of history, raised themselves from the dead? Did any human have power to do that?

Once dead, you're dead... you can't just decide to come back to life. Oh, just kidding, I really want some more time on earth... no. Who can do that? Only GOD has the power over life and death.

And Satan, holds the power of death, and the fear of death, and the keys to death... given that authority through the sin of man - choosing to walk away from God and do what he thought was good/pleasing, rather than obey God, his loving Maker...

and through that, death entered the world, and all of man-kind since then have been born into this death.

How do we know? Does everyone die? Does every one's body decay as they get older? Is there sickness and dying and death and suffering on this earth? Did God make it this way? Did He want it this way?

People, choosing (with their choice, we ALL have a choice) to not pursue God, but to pursue instead what they think is pleasurable apart from God... things that will all pass away in 70-80-100 years... but if we pursue GOD, the real God, the ONLY God, with ALL of our hearts, we WILL find Him, and then He said that "all these other things will be added to you as well!"

His way is the BEST - have the cake and eat it, too! He made us and the world, so wouldn't He know & determine the BEST way for it to operate?

Let us not be deceived. God said that He looked for ONE, just one, righteous person in all of the earth, and he found NO ONE. Not Abraham, not Moses, not David, not even Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Not that God didn't like any of those people, He loved them all, and worked with them, but NONE of them was completely righteous. Each one, no matter how good, or how hard they pursued God, or helped the people around them, had areas of sin in their lives that they had participated in... greed, lust, pride, arrogance, haughtiness, sexual sins, anger/hate, jealousy, etc.

Everyone had guilt on their hands and deep in their heart. God says that if anyone tries to stand in their own pride or arrogance or strength, in their own attempts of "good deeds", and save themselves, let them try! He knows the outcome. He knows that it won't work... it will wash away like sand before waves, or burn up like straw before fire.

None of our good deeds are good enough. That's why Jesus had to come. Because He was righteous, He was the Son of God, He was God... and only He could die for the crappy stuff that is a part of all of our lives... and no matter how many good things we do, the crappy stuff is still there, and needs to be cleaned - that's what Jesus' death does. If we look to Him, if we receive His death on our behalf, the Righteous Lamb of God.

But He can't force anyone to chose. He offers it, as the BEST gift in the entire world... redemption from the curse of this world; from the destruction, from the brokenness, from the wounds, from the captivity, from everything destructive and bad; from death itself, that final enemy that wins against all man-kind, no matter how good/bad they are... except it didn't win against Jesus.

Why? Who was Jesus? What power did He have that no other human has? What did he accomplish in His death? How does it affect me? What do I need to do about it, to get what he did, what He suffered, what He accomplished - applied to my life?

Does He offer it to me? To everyone? Why don't people believe? Why don't people investigate it? If it is the most important event of history; his life, death, and resurrection; like some people claim, why don't people really look into it?

Why don't people at least ask God if it is true or not, and what they should do about it?

What does the Cross mean? What is the power of the cross? What is the freedom of the cross, and how do I get it? Is it automatically applied to every human soul's life, or do they have to make a choice, an opening of their hearts, humbling of their minds, to receive, to believe and receive?

What if they never heard about what Jesus did for them? What if they DO hear, but don't respond, don't apply/accept/believe His death on the cross to their lives?

The Israelites, when God was rescuing them from the Egyptians, were told one night to take the blood of a spotless lamb and apply it over the doorposts of their home. If they did not, the LORD struck down the firstborn of every household/livestock of both Israel and Egypt.

But the Israelites obeyed, they applied the blood to their houses, and the LORD passed over them. They were spared because they followed the instructions of God. The others died; what God said came to pass.

This is the Passover, celebrated by the Hebrews, to remember what God did; and it was celebrated the week of Jesus' death... could He be the Perfect Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world? IF the blood of his death on the cross is applied to our personal lives...

God said that when He looked and found no one righteous, no one perfect, without blemish in the heart/actions, His own arm worked salvation for Him... He brought about salvation for us... a gift and a completed work, for us... Him to us... because He knew it was impossible for us to reach Him.

So He sent Himself/His Son/Fully God and Fully man; born of a virgin (so his Father was not a human, but the Heavenly Father)... angels came to earth and announced to people that this one would be the Saviour of the world; Immanuel, God with us; and that He would save his people from their sins; and that God loved the world, and was sending this means of salvation as a gift to the people He created and loved.

But the very world that He made, the very people that He made, and knew every secret in their heart, and loved and came to save, they rejected Him. But this was also spoken about by God, years before Jesus came.

And they killed him; but not after He did many miraculous signs, healed countless people, delivered people of oppressive demons that were keeping them in bondage, not free to be who God intended them to be.

But some people believed him. Some people, who's lives were powerfully touched by him - who were set free from sin, healed of diseases, set free of oppressive demons... touched by Him, called by Him, amazed by Him, and they responded.

Some even left all they had and followed Him. It was not an easy life; they weren't popular by the religious institutions of the day (which were very powerful - but not more powerful than God; who got His followers out of jail and gave them strength and words to speak before kings and multitudes... but it also got them beaten, and they suffered much at the hands of men, but Jesus said to them, just as they persecuted me, so they will persecute you; but take heart, for I have overcome the world!)

I wonder what the inner life of these followers was like? What kinds of questions did they have when they first heard of Jesus? What convinced them that He was the Son of God? What transformations took place in their lives as they believed? Did they ever have doubts? How did God strengthen their faith? How did they grow in their faith? What went through their minds as they suffered at the hands of men on behalf of Jesus? Who gave up and abandoned their faith, and what was the result of their life? Who clung on, and held fast, and followed God to the finish, and what was the result of their life? What was the state of their minds? Was it peaceful? Was it joyful? Were their minds transformed? Were their lives transformed?

These are my questions, and I want to find answers to them. My best indications are that Jesus is who he said he was - and I want to get to know him and ALL that He has for my life. I want to know about the transforming power that He talks about... I want to know and experience the Father's Great Love that would motivate to have His Son/Himself suffer and be killed... really experience and be transformed by it.

I want to know what He means when He talks about the captives being set free, the lame walking, the blind seeing, those with ashes and mourning to be restored and given the oil of gladness and a garment of praise, I want to know what it means to have your wastelands and desert places be RESTORED, totally restored.

I want to know if it means that it can happen here, in this life, and if it can, I want it... or if we have to wait.

I want to know what His followers experienced. About their suffering, I'm not too excited, I'm actually a little worried, to think about all of them how they were persecuted... John, the Beloved, on an island and then killed; Peter, crucified upside-down; another beheaded... and countless others experiencing some pretty nasty things through the history of time - but they seems to some kind of inner strength and peace and ???

What will it mean for me? Can I experience the fullness of Christ, what He has to offer, without the suffering? Can I choose how much suffering I want? Can I stop it, when I want? Can I escape it? If I can't, will I have the strength to stand? Will Jesus hold on to me (because I wonder if I would chicken out)?

What does suffering look like in my life, and do I avoid it, or am I alright, walking as I am? How did the disciples go from scardy-cats, running away in the dark, running away even naked, denying and cursing and denying they knew the Lord... to powerful men and women of God, who could publicly declare, get persecuted, beat, jailed, and still publicly declare what Jesus did, why He came, why He died, what He offers to each of us, if we will believe and receive?

Can He do that for me? (Make me go from now, scardy-cat, to powerful lover and witness for Him?) Is that for everyone who believes?

What did they experience in the Upper Room, in the 1st chapter of Acts? That seemed to transform them. Can I experience any of that?

How do we get all that God has for our life? How do we receive His power from On High, the same power that Jesus operated in, that He said He gave to His followers, people who went out in His Name?

Jesus said that His followers would do even greater things than He did. That's what I want; what I think I want. So I'm asking God for answers. I want His work in my life, in EVERY area, to make me fully ERICKA, who He created me to be; set free, not bound by anything of this world; and living in ALL that He has for me. He is an amazing, restorative, loving, caring, wonderful Father, Healer, Husband, Creator, Friend. And I don't want to miss out on anything He has for me, or all of us.


Prayer...
Lord Jesus, I thank you so much for coming to the world, to teach us things, about how you want us (and know best about how the world works) to live, and then you suffered greatly and then died for the sins of the whole world - every nation and people group, for all of history - and we who hear the message today have a choice.

Will we respond by receiving this amazing gift of love and the greatest sacrifice of all, and invite you into our lives; or will we reject it, going our own way, in our own limited wisdom and strength, and then be left to stand on our own, in our own efforts, on the day of judgement.

Why would Jesus have come and suffered so much and died, if we could stand on on our own, if our own good works would/could save us?

No, I choose to believe and receive His great sacrifice, and I, by your Grace, apply the Blood of the Lamb to my life. Everything that He accomplished through His suffering and death and resurrection, I believe and receive and ask for it to be applied to my life.

I know that I can't stand on my own, in my own efforts. No matter how hard I try, I will never be totally clean, and You knew that, and that's why You sent Jesus; to pay for my sin, to die for my sin, and then to raise in Victory over ALL sin and death by His resurrection.

This promise is for me, now as well... because of His blood, His death, that now covers my sin; God can look at me, and see that my sin has now been paid for, by Jesus, and I don't have to pay for it through my own eternal death and separation from You - horrible thought.

You are everything good, and I want to be with You, on Your side. So I receive this gift to me with joy and thanksgiving, and ask that you would teach me how to walk with you for the rest of my life... teach me Your ways for my life, Your plans for me. Set me free from oppressive bondage and wounds from my past; possible through your death on the cross, when you defeated the great bondage-bringer and wounder-of-man-kind.

Give me Victory with YOU. Lead me triumphantly through this life. Strengthen me through trials, refine me, and make me more and more like You and who you want me to be, who you made me to be.

Help me find some other people who also love you, and who have received the Blood of the Lamb applied to their lives, and who want to follow you with all of their hearts and minds and souls... show me where to find them, in a church, a neighbor, at work, at school, through the internet; show me where other Believers and Followers of You are; and let me grow in fellowship and accountability with them. Let me be a part of a real group of people, where I can learn, grow, be challenged and encouraged in my walk with you.

But also, on my own, let me grow in love with you, getting to know you more and more, in those quiet times with You. Help me to find time to spend with you, talking to you, trying to listen/learn to listen to you, reading your Words, written and recorded through history, stored in the compilation of the Bible... let me get to know You, through those words - what you chose to reveal to men about Yourself... starting with the creation of the world, to the people of Israel and their relationship with You, through all of their ups and downs, then to the birth of Jesus, His life, His teaching, what He was all about, and what He states that God says is how the world and man-kind are to operate.

Help me to get to know you REALLY well and REALLY deep; let me not be satisfied with a topical, general, and even deep head knowledge, but let me really experience You, as I learn about you and you teach me about who you are.

Thank you for walking with me all the days of my life; that You have PROMISED, and YOU never break a promise, that You would NEVER leave me, no matter what my mind or my emotions say. YOU will ALWAYS be with me. ALWAYS. Protect me, first and foremost, by your Blood, which has defeated EVERY enemy; second, by your Love; 3rd, by your angels; 4th by people praying for us and people fighting with us, for us, with You, against the enemy of our souls. Let us learn to pray and to walk FULLY in ALL that you have for us.

Protect and set FREE our families, and bring them to walk FULLY in ALL of your ways. God, with people, these things are impossible; but with YOU, NOTHING is impossible. In Jesus' Amazing and Powerful Name, Amen!!

If you really prayed that prayer in your heart, then seek out someone else who loves and has committed their life to following Jesus... and tell them about your new belief and about how Jesus' death is now applied to your life. Get into some type of group of people who is seeking after what God wants for their lives, through Jesus. Start reading the Bible for yourself, asking God to show your heart, teach you personally what He says and who He is and who He says you are, and what He has for your life with Him. He has the most amazing adventure in store for you. It can be hard and discouraging at times, but He is the True Path to God. And that's where I want to be. With Him.

I was searching on the web, and found lot's of cool information, resources, questions, possible answers, sharing from people's lives from around the world:
http://www.jesuscentral.com/sitemap.php - really good.

People's personal responses to the question,"Why & How did you become a Follower of Jesus?"
http://www.jesuscentral.com/ji/jesus-experience/jesus-follower.php

Interesting story of a Muslim man who had a vision of Jesus:
http://shareyourstorynow.org/2006/05/01/muslim-extremist-to-a-follower-of-jesus/

And another story of a devout Muslim man who investigated Jesus:
http://www.everystudent.com/wires/radical.html

Cool stories about Jewish people who investigated the life of Jesus:
http://www.shalom.org.uk/Testimonies/Testimonies.htm

Story of a Buddhist who investigates Jesus:
http://www.intervarsity.org/news/conversations-of-consequence

On-line Bible, for you to read through the Gospels of Jesus (about His life):
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John... has the whole Bible online. Really good to read for yourself.
http://www.biblegateway.com/

Pretty amazing! May you have a BLESSED Easter, especially if this is your 1st one to really investigate and discover what it was/is all about.

Love, a fellow seeker of Truth,

Ericka :)