Understand Jesus

I’m reading through my “World Magazine” and I have more books on my reading list than I can count, but this one interested me enough to write a blog post about it and talk about Jesus some more. I didn’t write yesterday because I was hanging out with some other pilots on this trip that I’ll write about next week – maybe, but it’s good to take a day off from blogging, as I’m sure all bloggers know!

So in this book review, the author Christopher Wright says that the best answer to the hard questions in the Old Testament concerning God’s command to wipe out the evil people is to “emphasize seeing Christ in the OT”… Joshua (Jesus) – Yehoshua in Hebrew – means “Yahweh saves.” He mentions the book of Joshua in the Bible and how it foreshadows the Gospel of Christ.

One of the problems I see in our society and in the church is a lack of understanding Jesus. We say things like WWJD, and I even heard someone ask the question “What Would Jesus Eat?” when talking about how some Christians don’t eat healthy… While I think that considering what Jesus’ response would be in every situation is a very good goal, I don’t think it can be done well without much study on Who Jesus IS. (notice I didn’t say was) But in order to get this understanding, a person has to be willing to consider that Jesus is included throughout the Old Testament, that He really lived and died and rose again for you, and that He’s coming back some day soon!

I believe that unless you’re at least willing to consider those things, it’s basically pointless to consider what He might do in any particular situation… Whether it’s an entrée choice, or a business decision, or a relationship to pursue; unless you know Jesus, how can you really know what He might do? And why ask the question of what He might do unless you really want to know Him? Paul had this in mind when he prayed for the church in Colossians. And the wisest man Solomon encouraged understanding when he wrote to his son as well. (Proverbs ch 2 & 4)

And anybody who is married, and trying to do This, knows that it doesn’t happen over night… it takes time and effort and patience!

I pray more people who think about Jesus will desire to understand Him as well; He wants to be known so that we can know His Father, and I want what He wants too, even if I fall short in doing what He would do!

peace,
Adam

August 3, 2011 | Categories: Book Reviews, Devo, Personal Growth, Relationships | Tags: Devo, Jesus, relationships, Scripture | 4 Comments