Pastor David L. Hicks
June 4, 2023 at 11:00 AM
The Real Jesus and Us
the_real_jesus_and_us_6-4-23.docx
The Real Jesus and Us
Who was & is the “Real Jesus” of the Bible? Millions believe He was much more than a good guy, a profound teacher. He was and is the Son of God, God himself, incarnate.
He came to Earth, lived a sinless life, died and was resurrected, returned to Heaven and is alive today. It is important that we understand how Jesus did life here on Earth, how He experienced challenges and emotions just as we do today.
The Real Jesus – a Friend of Sinners: Looking at the life of Jesus, we notice something very interesting, he spent a lot of time around the dinner table sharing a meal with a diverse cast. He cared for people who had broken every rule, shared meals with the outcasts. He dined at the tables of the wealthy men whose riches were won with lies and corruption, some of which gave up their lifestyles to follow him. He crossed racial boundaries to the shock of many around him. The point is, he invited everyone to the table.
When asked why, he replied, “This is the reason I was born and came into the World is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” John 18:37
It was so radical, at the time, no one was that inclusive.
The do-gooders called him “A Friend of Sinners”, meant to be an insult, but Jesus wore it proudly. Strangers eating together and becoming friends – such a simple concept that could change the World. We don’t need people who claim to be followers of Jesus taking his open invitation and turning it into an exclusive club. Jesus was radically inclusive ! Let’s all learn from his example, turning strangers into friends over the dinner table.
Now, let us think of Matthew’s account of the Last Supper. Jesus is behind it all I Mat 26:18 And at this supper, Jesus is not a guest but the host . . . Jesus gave – Jesus took – Jesus is the most active at the table. He fills the role as a Rabbi by guiding his disciples through the Passover. He fulfills his role as a servant by washing their feet. He fulfilled his role as a Savior by granting them forgiveness of their sins.
Max Lucado describes the scene: “When the Bread is broken, Christ breaks it. When the Wine is poured out, Christ pours it. When your burdens are lifted, it is the King in the apron who has drawn near.” What happens on Earth is a warmup for what will happen in Heaven.
The Real Jesus and Our Sins: So what did God do? “God put the World square with himself through the Messiah, giving the World a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins . . . How? You ask. In Christ, God put the wrong on him who never did any wrong, so we could be put right with God.” II Cor. 5:19,21 (Mess) “Christ carried all our sins in his body.” I Pet. 2:24
As we see Christ on the Cross . . . That’s a gossiper hanging there. As we see Jesus, a liar, bigot embezzler hanging there – see the carpenter from Nazareth, a wife beater, an addict, a murderer hanging there. Christ placed himself on the cross in their place and in your place.
With his hands nailed open, he invited God: “Treat me as you would treat them”, and God did ! The Cross was about “putting on”. God put our wrongs on Christ so he could put Christ’s righteousness on us. Then Jesus draws a deep breath, pushing his feet down on that Roman nail, crying out “It Is Finished” !
The Real Jesus and Prophecy: It is as if God is announcing to a doubting World, “See, I did it ! Just as I said I would. The plan succeeded.” The famine couldn’t stop it . . .
400 years of Egyptian slavery couldn’t oppress it. Wilderness wanderings couldn’t lose it.
Babylonian captivity couldn’t stop it. The promise of Messiah threads its way through
42 generations. Prophesy makes up approx. one-third of the Bible & can be trusted, for real !
The Real Jesus and the Torn Curtain: On Calvary’s Hill, as we have said, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “It Is Finished”, and he died. John 19:30 Then the curtain in the Temple was torn in two pieces, from top to bottom. What did 1500 years of a curtain-draped Holy of Holies communicate? - God is Holy ! God is holy, separate from us & unapproachable. Even Moses was told, “You cannot see my face”, because no one can see me & live.” Ex.33:20 God is holy, we are sinners, but the Real Jesus hasn’t left us with an unapproachable God.
“There is one God and one mediator between God & Man, that Man is Christ Jesus.” I Tim 2:5 In Mat. 27:51, when Jesus’ flesh was torn upon the Cross, the curtain in the Temple was torn in two pieces.
With no hesitation, we are welcome into God’s presence – any day, any time.
The barrier of sin is down. No more curtain. But we have a tendency to put the barrier back up. Oftentimes we allow our mistakes and sins to create a barrier that keeps us from God.
Our guilty conscience becomes that curtain that separates us from God. We must remember at least two things from the scriptures concerning these barriers we put up between us and God: “But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:7,9 The second scripture is: “There is therefore no condemnation (guilt) to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1 Source: Max Lucado – “He Gets Us”
As I was reading Max Lucado’s words, forming this message, I thought of a classic Book that was published 30 years ago, “What Would Jesus Do?” by Garrett W. Shelton and Deborah Morris. The Book tells the story of people who applied the basic teachings of Christianity to their own actions before every decision they made. An event led the Pastor and the Church to ask the question, “What would Jesus do”? Then they took a pledge to ask that question and make their decisions based on that question for an entire year. The results had an huge impact in so many ways, big and small.
