Jesus, God of reality
Jesus, God of reality
- Roberta Stultz
Most everyone believes there is a God. The spectrum of their beliefs is so great, it is hard to even fathom. Everything from rocks, trees, Ancient Greek deities, animals, cows, dead ancestors...those being just a few. These gods were remote and expected worship and sacrifices with no real guarantee of help or answers. Most often, people worshiped the gods of their parents.
The God of Abraham was so real that He revealed himself with His words and His demonstrations of power. Abraham was faithful to teach his children the reality of His God. As we well know, some believed and walked in fellowship with Father God. Then when Jesus was born, as the prophets had proclaimed, only a few anointed people knew who he really was. The dusty traditions of their fathers and grandfathers had lost their power through compromise and unbelief, and no longer held the interest of the masses.
Then JESUS came. He was so real and down to earth the people couldn’t believe He was “ the living Word." He ate with them, walked with them, and told them about His Father, the God of Israel, who had sent him, His Son, to “set things right.” To redeem mankind from the curse of Adam's sin. However, tradition had given them the belief that a King savior would come and deliver them from Rome, just as God had delivered their ancestors from Egypt. Who was this person that they had watched grow up with their children? He was just like them, with the exception that he was always a happy and considerate kind of scholar. Then the day came when he seemed to change, after he was baptized by John the Baptist, the one who claimed that Jesus was the Son of God. Many watched from a distance. Only a few young men were attracted to him and his promise to make them “fishers of men.” Then came the wedding, where Jesus changed the water into wine, healed the leper, opened blind eyes, fed the 5000, cast out demons. Yet He still was the same humble, loving person, ready to help anyone, rich or poor, constantly telling people how much Father God loved them, and wanted them to be part of His kingdom, His family. His love for his Father, and his people, was so great that he agreed to be the sacrifice that would cancel the curse of Adam's sin.
Thus he restored believing mankind back to their rightful place in his Father's kingdom. The only stipulation was that they had to believe that Jesus was truly his Father's Son, that he died on the cross, was resurrected and lives forever to be the shepherd King of all those who believe in Him, repent from their wicked ways and serve God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength.
The whole plan of salvation was always the heart of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
It is still the same today. The unredeemed heart of man is still in rebellion and must believe and be born again. Our great advantage over the Old Testament people of the Bible is that Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to teach, train and guide those who seek the Kingdom of God. The promise of the Father has always been to love us into life everlasting. “Even so come Lord Jesus.”