11-1-2025           What Jesus has done for us

             

A man had just completed a gospel concert before a moderate crowd.  Several staff were around the stage front and an invitation to receive Jesus was offered.  The man, spent from his presentation, went to the side of the stage and sat on a chair which was waiting for him to use if he needed it.  A crowd started gathering around the workers but a young boy came over to where the man was sitting “I want to receive Jesus.”  The man said “son, are you sure for what you are asking?”  The boy replied “I want to receive Jesus!”  “What’s your name, son?”  “Johnny.” “Johnny, may I ask you a couple of questions?” “Sure.” 

Do you know the first four words of the bible?  “Something about God.”  Yes, ‘in the beginning’ God.  That means that before anything happened, before the heavens and the earth were created – God existed (Gen. 1:1).  The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters (a liquid, but more than just H2O) (Gen.1:2).  The Spirit of God is also His breath, just like you and me (blow out). Then God began speaking (Gen 1:3-31).  “When I am speaking, do I express myself in words?”  Johnny responded “Yes.” So God spoke words, just like us and creation started lining up just as God directed.  Do you believe this Johnny?  “Yes.”   

Now, the first six words of the Gospel of John begin “In the beginning was the Word”.  We know that God spoke words, right?  “Yes sir.”  John tells us that the Word was with God AND that the Word was God (John 1:1).  So, just like you and me, Johnny, God has breath, He can speak Words and He has essence, He exists.   If Israel were to ask, God told Moses to tell them ‘I AM’ sent him.  I AM means ‘I exist’.  God has three parts just like you and me.  We have a body, we can breathe and we can speak.  However, the bible tells us that God is Spirit (John 4:24) so His body is a little different from ours, He always was and will always be. He’ll never grow old and die (Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:11).  John also tells us that the Word of God is he light of the world and the light is Jesus who has come into this world so we can become God’s children (John 1:8-11).   That’s us, Johnny!  “Wow!”

Now, God wants us to know that He knows what we go through, each and every day.  So, He came into this world through Jesus.  No earthly father, yet bon of a virgin (Mary – Isa. 7:14, Matt. 1:20-23).  God spoke everything into existence, so it was no problem to speak life into Mary and bring Jesus into this world.  So Jesus lived as one of us for thirty years, showing us that we can live for God, pleasing Him in what we say and do.  Then, for the last three and a half years of His life on earth, Jesus explained to us how we too can live in God’s will (read the gospels, read the whole bible). 

Do you believe that what Jesus did, He did for you and me?  What did He do?  He allowed Himself to be arrested (Matt. 26:47-56), brought to trial before the Jews (Matt. 26:57-75) and then to the Romans, where He was beaten with a whip and taunted (Matt. 27:1-31).  After all this, Jesus was physically weakened so the Romans forced a man named Simon to carry Jesus’ cross (Matt. 27:32).  Now, just as Simon carried Jesus’ burden before the people, the cross to Golgotha, God allows us to carry the burden of Jesus before the people as we share God’s Word and love with those whom we encounter.

We know everybody sins (Rom. 3:23), so Jesus shed His blood and died on the cross so we could be cleansed of our sin (1 John 1:7). 

Finally, on the cross, when Jesus died. Yet, at the moment Jesus drew in and exhaled His last breath, the veil in the temple was torn in half, top to bottom, the earth shook and rocks were broken (Matt. 33-51).  The importance of the veil was that only the high priest could enter into the presence of God (in the Old Testament) that is into the Holy of Holies (Lev. 16:1-34, Heb. 9:1-10), But Jesus opened that doorway to all who would believe on Him (Heb.. 9:11-28) that we would have direct access to the Father, Himself, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

We have to believe that as Jesus died on the cross, He also rose from the grave (John 20:1-16) because Jesus says that He’ll come back for us one day we know can be with Him forever (John 14:3).

Do you believe this, Johnny?  “Yes!”   Then profess these things which you believe.  Then confess Jesus with your mouth that He is now your lord and Savior and thank Him for cleansing you from your sins (Rom. 10:9-10). 

Jesus also tells us that if we love Him, we need to keep His commandments (John 14:15) and His commandments (John 14:15) are actually one but in two parts – love God above all else and our neighbor as much as we love ourselves (Mark 12:28-31).  We love God because He first loved us then we love our neighbor as ourselves UP and OUT. 

“Okay!”  Johnny knelt asked Jesus into his life. 

Now the man was not a pastor so he added: Okay, now go tell your pastor what you have done and receive water baptism, as the cleansing with water is an outward expression of the cleansing which Jesus has just has done in your heart.  Oh, and Johnny, don’t forget to talk with God (pray Phil. 4:6) every day and ask Father to help you read your bible everyday so he Holy Ghost can lead you into truth and understanding (John 14:16-18, 2 Tim. 2:7).

May the Lord bless you richly!

Amen