Born a baby that grew as a child and became a man—Jesus, fully God and yet fully man. He called, preached, forgave, healed, and set the captives free. He lived, breathed, taught, loved. He was blameless without sin.
Yet amongst His own creation with His sandaled feet on His earth 2,000 years ago He was rejected. He was hated. He was set up, falsely accused, spat on, beaten, broken; He was killed!
Throughout history His people would not listen to His law, or to His prophets, or to His teachers; we would not heed the signs He gave. Jesus the Messiah in the flesh who was sent by the Father to rescue us was dead.
BUT on third day He rose from the grave and appeared to many! He defeated sin and death. He once and for all paid the penalty that we deserved through His innocent blood on the cross.
Jesus ascended to sit at the right hand of God the Father in heaven to be our advocate. He sent His Spirit, to empower, comfort, counsel us, to abide in our hearts. No longer do we have to live in separation from God, hurt, broken, dying, but we can live life abundant.
Each of us longs for purpose, acceptance, and love that only Jesus can provide. Sin and death poison our hearts and our world. We all too often fulfill our longings, hurts and brokenness with imitations, shadows, and counterfeits of what Jesus offers us each day.
Jesus will come again and place His feet back on this earth. He will set all wrongs right. Jesus has come to offer forgiveness, restoration, and life. He offers us Himself.
But what will we choose? Will we ignore His law? Will we listen to His prophets and teachers? Will we heed the signs given? And what will we do with Jesus?