Who is Jesus?
Why do people love Him?
Why do people hate Him?
Does He want me?
What does He want from me?
How do I believe?
Who is Jesus
As theophany would have it, Jesus is the personhood of God. Jesus is God who came down to save us. From what? He saved us from eternal death.
Jesus grew in a small town called Nazareth that had little prestige to it. He had an earthly mother and friends. He took up the carpentry occupation after His earthly father. He began His ministry at the age of 30, His ministry spanned for about 2-3 years. Jesus came and spoke of a message of love and compassion. Not of guilt, shame or obsession.
The leaders got jealous of Him, of His growing fame and influence among the people. So they plotted, fabricated and killed Him. They killed God. However, it does not end there. He rose on the third day after He was buried. He ministered and encountered people a little more right before He ascended back to heaven.
Jesus is a friend, He is the wisdom of God. He was equally man and equally God.
Jesus is God.
Why do people love Him
We love Jesus because He loved us first.
"This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." 1 John 4:10 NLT
The same concept is applicable when in a relationship. You grow to like and love each other because one person took interest in the other and began to pursue them. As such, we are able to love Jesus because He loved us first.
Another easy reason to love Jesus is because He thought we were worth the trouble that He put His life on the line so we could be free and not die. He believed we worth saving. The death I talk of is not the physicial death, we are bound to physically die. I mean the life after this one. The longer part of life is the life after this, eternity, and hell is referred to as death. As a result of our sin, we were doomed to go to hell but God did not want that, so He offered us a life line through Jesus so that we could spend eternity alive in heaven with Him.
Why do people hate Him
"How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?" 2 Corinthians 6:14 NLT
Light and darkness cannot coexist and Jesus reveals parts of us that are not desirable. We may not like to admit this, who would, but when you experience Him, His presence shakes the foundation of who we identify ourselves as.
Now more than ever, we live in a time where self-autonomy is priceless. He transforms us into the best versions of ourselves. How do I know it’s the best? Because we become like Him. Who of us are willing to die for people of a different race, a different religion or those of different opinions.
I remember before I was saved, it absolutely irritated me when people continuously talked about God, I found they were not relatable. Sometimes I muted people off my Instagram because they were just too much for me. In retrospect I realise they had a peace, a sanity and a fall back that I did not have because I refused to be in Christ. So of course when we are not in Him, we hate Him, because in Him the truth about ourselves is revealed.
We would rather live a lie of self-awareness than have someone else tell us the truth about ourselves.
Does He want me
“I have always loved you,” says the Lord. Malachi 1:2 NLT
He died for you. I am not talking about the good day, reading the Bible or morally upright you. I mean the you that does not believe in Him sometimes, that believes in angel numbers sometimes, the you that struggles with drunkenness or sexual immorality. Yes, that you. He loved you first.
You may not believe anything from what you have read, but the truest thing is Jesus loves you, He has always loved you and He will always love you.
"Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.” Luke 5:31-32 NLT
Jesus died knowing that you did not believe in Him yet and maybe may never believe. He did not need the reassurance of your belief for Him to choose to die for you. He did it anyway. So yes, He wants you! He has always wanted you!
What does He want from me
Jesus wants you to say yes to Him. He wants you to choose Him and live for Him. It is not a complex matter and let us not over complicate it.
Jesus wants you to obey and to want Him. Someone who has given up His life, just wants you to spend time with Him, to talk to Him and to tell people about Him. Imagine all the good things life has to offer that you desire, Jesus wants to give them to you.
He desires to give you more than He wants from you.
How do I believe in Him
One part of it is, it's not anything you "do" to believe.
"Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.“ Ephesians 4:21-23 NLT
Rest in the fact that all you need to do is surrender. The rest is the work of the Holy Spirit. Read your Bible, go to church, pray that you remember what Jesus has said and you apply it. It's that simple.
Belief in Jesus means to acknowledge Him as the authority of your life. This looks like no longer making choices based off what culture and the world tells you. You seek what Jesus would tell you to do.
You live your life as though it is not your own, you live it as His.
“If you love me, obey my commandments." John 14:15 NLT
For Christians, take some communion with someone and remember our Saviour and the lover of our soul. For non-Christians, talk to someone you trust about how you feel and what feelings are being stirred in you. If you read this, I believe Jesus is seeking you and is calling you home.
Thank you so much for reading and I love you!
Recommended songs for Jesus: Who is He
More Than Anything- Sunday Service Choir
Selah/ All My Life- Hillsong Worship, Brooke Ligertwood
Un Dia- Claudia Isaki
The One You Love- Elevation Worship, Chlander Moore
I really liked this one. I think a lot of people don’t really understand why Jesus even wants us and what they need to do to come to him. Sometimes we really over complicate things. Great piece as always!!