Dear Friends,
This month, we continue our 2-part series,“Who is Jesus to you?” Jesus asked His disciples in Luke 9:18-20, “Who do people say I am?” “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.” Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah sent from God!” (NLT)
The Bible reveals many aspects of who Jesus is to us. Here are just some of them:
The Supreme Creator Over All – By Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together… Colossians 1:16-17
Our Savior and Deliverer – He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us… 2 Corinthians 1:10
Our Great High Priest – Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Hebrews 4:14
The Resurrection and the Life – Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.’ John 11:25
Our Healer – And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. Matthew 4:23
Our Provider – And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians. 4:19
Our Peace – For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility… Ephesians 2:14
Our Source – …I will go to the altar of God, to God—the source of all my joy. Psalm 43:4
There are many myths, half-truths, and hearsay out there that we can accept as truth but are completely false. But the question remains, “Who is Jesus to you personally?” The best way to know the truth about Jesus is to discover Him for ourselves by learning what the Scriptures say about Him. So, let’s look at the 2nd part of the message, “Who is Jesus to You?” and learn about Him and what He desires for our lives. Enjoy the Newsletter!
In His Loving Name,
Life With Father Ministries
#3 JESUS IS OUR SOURCE FOR LIVING!
Jesus is our source for daily living! This truth is something very important to remember! Jesus instructed His disciples in John 15:5, saying:
I am the sprouting vine and you’re my branches. As you live in union with me as YOUR SOURCE, fruitfulness will stream from within you—but when you live separated from me you are powerless. (TPT)
How often are you physically, mentally, or emotionally exhausted? It happens to all of us! Sometimes, we think that a good night’s sleep is all we need, but the relief seems fleeting, and soon, the fatigue reappears. We know we need more than physical rest, but we may not know what that “something” is.
It’s so important to understand the nature of things. For instance, our lives are like empty containers. We are NOT SELF-SUSTAINING vessels. When we try to live life apart from the sourceof all life, it’s understandable that we get weary and tired, and things don’t go well for us!
Plain and simple, Jesus is our source for everything we need in life! For example, if you needed to charge your cell phone, you would plug it into an electrical outlet. The cell phone is not autonomous (and neither are we). The phone must draw power from a power source. And since the nature of “charging up” is not instant, it takes some time for it to download all the power it needs to function correctly. It’s the same with us!
We must remember what Jesus told us! We are like a branch that must remain connected to its power source! There are many other reminders of this in the Scriptures, such as David’s statement in Psalm 43:4: ‘I will go to the altar of God, to God—THE SOURCE of all my joy.’ (NLT)
What is it that you need today? Clarity, strength, or joy? Then you need to go to the power source, who is Jesus! He IS our SOURCE for everything we need in life! 2 Peter 1:3 confirms this:
By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. (NLT)
With this in mind, allow the following words from Ephesians 3:19-20 to pour over your mind, silencing all other thoughts that contradict the TRUTH and agitate the soul:
How deeply intimate and FAR-REACHING is his love! How enduring and INCLUSIVE it is! ENDLESS LOVE BEYOND MEASUREMENT that transcends our understanding—this EXTRAVAGANT LOVE pours into you until you are FILLED TO OVERFLOWING with the fullness of God! Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve INFINITELY MORE than your GREATEST REQUEST, your most unbelievable dream, and EXCEED your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for HIS MIRACULOUS POWER CONSTANTY ENERGIZES YOU.” (TPT)
#4 JESUS IS GOD’S SON
The most essential truth about Jesus is that He is the Son of God. While putting this message together, I noticed a subtitle in Colossians chapter 1 that said, “God’s Son, Jesus is.” And it went on to explain who Jesus is to us. I have included some of this chapter because it describes Jesus so accurately. Verse 14 says, God’s Son, Jesus Christ, paid the price for our sins and made us free. Yes, God has forgiven us…
We cannot see God. But Jesus Christ shows us completely who God is. Even before God made anything, Jesus was already there as God’s Son who rules everything. When God created everything, it was his Son who did it. His Son made everything that is on earth and in heaven. He created everything that we can see, as well as the things that we cannot see… God chose to put his nature in Christ completely. He decided that Christ would die on the cross as a sacrifice. In that way, God would bring all things back to himself. Then everything could live in peace with God…
As for you, you were far away from God at one time. You thought bad things and you did bad things. As a result, you were God’s enemies. But now you have become God’s friends. This happened because Christ’s human body died on the cross. As a result, God has brought you to himself. As you stand in front of him, you are completely good and clean inside. He sees nothing in you that is bad. But you must continue to believe God’s true message. Do not turn away from it. Continue to trust God, as you did when you first heard the good news. Colossians 1:14-22 (EASY)
I want to focus on verses 21 & 22 in Colossians 1 as it says, As for you, you were far away from God at one time. You thought bad things and you did bad things. As a result, you were God’s enemies. This is where some of you are right now: you’re far away from God in your thoughts, words, and deeds. Yet in one moment, in one instant, you can return to Him. It doesn’t matter what you have done or how long you’ve done it; what matters now is whether you are ready to accept God’s mercy and forgiveness for those bad deeds.
Listen, the truth is that the Lord created you because He wanted you! He has a wonderful plan for your life, but you must respond to His indescribable gift! Let’s look at what God says in Jeremiah 29:11-14, ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,’ says the LORD. (NLT)
Yes, the Lord has great plans for you, but in order for you to know and enjoy them, you’ll need to cooperate with Him. You know that Jesus said in the gospels that if we looked, we would find. And the Lord also promises the same thing in Jeremiah: if we look for Him wholeheartedly, we will, not maybe, but we WILL find Him.
So, let me ask you another question. What are you seeking right now? I say “what” because many people seek a “what” a “when” a “where” or a “how” when in reality, we will never truly be satisfied until we seek the “Whom” who at this very moment is looking for YOU!
You may be frustrated, even disillusioned today because you have sought and chased after many things that could never bring you into the kind of life you really want, which is a life of abundance on every level, a life free from oppressive thoughts, depression, anxiety, confusion, frustration, and fear. Does any of that sound familiar to you? A prosperous, joy-filled life is naturally what most people want. And guess what? That is what Jesus wants for you as well! But you can’t get to this abundance on the road you’re traveling on. You’ll never get there from the mindset you have right now. No, Jesus can provide all the good things you desire, but you must do things His way! You have to walk with Him and talk with Him. You have to allow Him to change the way you think and live!
You don’t have to figure everything out right now. If you let Him into your life, He will begin a miraculous change within you. For one thing, He will change your wants and desires from selfish and self-centeredness to Christ-likeness. The further you travel down the road with Him, the more you will experience His goodness and mercy, and the more you will want to continue walking with Him. And in this way, the blessings and favor of God will overtake you!
Let me share one last but not final truth about who Jesus is and what He has declared about Himself:
A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow! John 10:10 (TPT)
Contrary to what some people believe, the truth is that Jesus is not uncaring, disengaged, or stingy! He is abundant! The word “abundance” heremeansexceeding some number or need, over and above, more than is necessary. I can testify to this truth! I have seen the Lord’s provisions abundantly supplied in my life over and over again! This is why we need a personal, Scriptural view of God rather than clinging to hearsay, memes, or myths.
If you’ve never asked Jesus to give you eternal life and be the Lord of your life, why not do it right now? It doesn’t matter whether or not you feel worthy to accept God’s gift of forgiveness because God’s gift of salvation is not determined by who you are or what you have or haven’t done. Salvation is based on Jesus — who He is and what He has done for us on the Cross. Remember, Jesus paid for your sins, so you no longer need to suffer for them… you can receive God’s gift and be free to live a new life! If you don’t know where you will spend eternity once your earthly life is over, you need to make that decision right here, right now. A reservation is waiting for you in heaven, but you must have a ticket to get in. That ticket is Jesus Christ, period. Today, pray the prayer for salvation and secure your eternity with Jesus!
PRAYER OF SALVATION Dear Jesus, I’m so sorry for every wrong I’ve done. I’m sorry for the hurt and pain I have perpetuated on innocent people. Lord, I don’t want to hurt anymore. The Bible says that the punishment for sin is death. (Romans 6:23) But you took my place and died so that I can be free from selfishness and sin and have eternal life. I acknowledge that you died for my sins and rose again for my justification. Please, Jesus, come into my life and make me a new person. I choose to make you my Lord and Savior. Thank you for giving me eternal life! Amen.