Think about it, ALL of history, EVERYTHING that has EVER happened, is now defined as either happening before or after Christ. That's quite an impact!
In The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey wrote, "This Galilean, who in his lifetime spoke to fewer people than would fill just one of the many stadia Graham has filled, changed the world more than any other person. He introduced a new force field into history, and now holds the allegiance of a third of all the people on earth.
Today, people even use Jesus' name to curse by. How strange it would sound if, when a businessman missed a golf putt he screamed 'Thomas Jesserson!' or if a plumber screamed'Mahatma Gandhi!' when a pipe wrench smashed a finger. We cannot get away from this man Jesus.”
So,what was it about Jesus that made him so remarkable? Who was He? What sets Him apart?
Well, that brings us to the 1st Idea, the doctrine of Incarnation (embodied in flesh):
- John 17:4-5 (NIV) 4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
- John 1:14 (NIV) 14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the gloryof the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Although the the idea of God being in human form was not exclusive to Christianity, what set Jesus apart was that He was 100% God, while at the same time being 100% human. Many people, even other religions, will agree that Jesus was a "great moral teacher", but could that be all there was to Him? Jesus claimed to be God, to be able to forgive sins, and to be the only way to heaven. The claims made by Jesus, can only be accepted 1 of 3 ways.
- that He is God, as He claims to be;
- that He is a liar claiming to be God, but isn't; or
- that He is a lunatic that thinks He's God, but isn't.
So, how can anyone say that He is not the Son of God, but that He is a "good moral teacher"? That statement in itself makes no sense. He either is God, which means that the Bible can be trusted in, or He's not, in which case He's either a liar or a lunatic and the Bible is not trustworthy.
Knowing all this, it's easy to see how Jesus changed the world. Now, how should we be changed by this idea? Well, believing, or not believing, in Jesus' claim of being God is the most monumental of all the decisions we will ever make. Our response to this idea determines our eternal destiny.
Before answering the following discussion questions, spend some time reviewing the lesson Doug presented today, as well as reading over the excerpt from C.S. Lewis' book, Mere Christianity. If you did not attend the small group today, no problem, we welcome your input regardless. If you'd like a copy of what we covered emailed to you just let me know.
Now, let’s discuss these questions—
- How does “Jesus, Son of God and Son of man”, make God available to us?
- If this is such a life-changing idea, why doesn’t everyone love Jesus and follow Jesus?
- How often does what you want and what Jesus taught and exampled come into conflict?
What are some of those circumstances? - What is the cost of the presence of Jesus in our lives?
- What are the rewards?
~Amy Ryan
January 20, 2008 8:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Looking forward to this study. One simple comment I heard in the past helped me understand how Jesus could be both God and Man was this...you may be a father/mother, a son/daughter and a husband/father all at the same time. It depends on the relationship. So it is with God. He may be our Father, our Brother, our Savior, etc. Although this is over simplistic, it did help me understand a little better.
January 21, 2008 8:53 AM
Tom said...
1. How does “Jesus, Son of God and Son of man”, make God available to us?
At first glance the cost of following Jesus doesn't seem that great. "Just believe in Him and say this prayer...". It's a common way to "get saved". But this glosses over what Jesus did for us on the cross, and I'm as guilty of this as anyone. This whole approach makes becoming a Christian cheap (not of great value and easy to come by); say a few words and presto, your saved! But who can respect (or trust) such a gullible and wishy-washy god that only wants lip service from his followers? (lower case, not The true God)But if we look closely at what Jesus actually required of those that wanted to follow him, to be willing to leave everything of value, it's NOT such an easy and painless thing to do. Jesus bridges the gulf caused by our sin between God and us by paying our full penalty, death and the wrath of God.
2. If this is such a life-changing idea, why doesn’t everyone love Jesus and follow Jesus?
I think much of the unsaved actually see making a commitment to Jesus in a more correct way than we (Christians) often would lead them to believe. They realize that that if he is God, then to follow Him they WILL have to give up something. It may be the nightlife, it may be living for themselves, it may be a habit or addiction, but it WILL be something they don’t want to give up, and it WILL be costly. Quite often they don't want to give up control over their lives.
3. How often does what you want and what Jesus taught and exampled come into conflict? What are some of those circumstances?How often?
EVERY day! My natural inclination is to satisfy ME, to meet MY needs, to do what I want, to be lord and master of MY life. The only way I can live according to what Jesus taught is for The Spirit to be at work in my heart, breaking down my pride, even then I resist Him. I used to think an addiction I had was the biggest problem in my life. If God would only take it away, things would be great and I could serve God better. But then God showed me that the addiction was only a symptom, the true problem was how I viewed Him, and how I viewed myself as his child, and how I viewed the resources he had given me. I had given him permission to be my savior, but I had not given him permission to be my Lord. I used the term Lord quite loosely, I saw it, but I didn’t really think about what it really meant, the authority it says I give Him over all my life.
5. What are the rewards?
What are the rewards. That’s difficult. I could give the standard “Christian” answers without even thinking about it, but then, I wouldn’t even be thinking about it. To me, there are two distinctly different types of rewards: those we receive in the here and now, and those we will receive after this body dies. Even the rewards for the here and now that I have experienced are difficult to understand (at least for me). Peace, joy, salvation, fellowship with God etc. (definitely not a comprehensive list). I know what they feel like, I know when I have them and when they are lacking (because of my sin and distance from God), but it seems like I can’t find words to fully describe what I know and feel; maybe because I’m a man, maybe because I’m new at the “feelings” part of life. But I know there is no peace like that which comes from knowing the Creator of all the universe, cares for even the smallest aspect of my life. The joy in knowing He desires a loving relationship with me. That He is patiently waiting for me to run back to his waiting arms when I fall, knowing He is always ready to accept me. The fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ, knowing I can share my overwhelming joy, confess my darkest sin, weep unashamed when God convicts or encourages, knowing they will still accept me for who I am, a child of God. As for the rewards in store for us in Heaven, I don’t think our minds can even comprehend the magnitude of what God has for us, so He uses terms like “streets of gold”, “mansions”, “crowns” and “paradise”. I believe if we truly knew what God has in store for us now and in Heaven, we would be so much different, so much more concerned about sin in our lives, and so much more concerned with the souls of others.Sorry this went on so long, I wanted to edit it down, but simply ran out of time.Tom
January 21, 2008 11:21 PM
Amy said...
1. How does “Jesus, Son of God and Son of man”, make God available to us?
Prior to Jesus, man was seperated from God because of sin. By being both God & man, Jesus, who never sinned, took ALL of our sins with Him on the cross. He was a pure & holy sacrifice, something no other human could ever be. It was this act of incredible love that made God's Kingdom available to any who chose to accept it.
2. If this is such a life-changing idea, why doesn’t everyone love Jesus and follow Jesus?
Because it's "life-changing". Let's face it, sin is FUN! (at least for the moment).To love Jesus, is to allow Him to fill those voids in your life where sin has taken root. As long as sin has hold, you'll resist letting Him in because you're fooled by the sin. You also know that there may be sacrifices that you don't want to make, or that you're scared to make.
3. How often does what you want and what Jesus taught and exampled come into conflict?
Constantly. I have to make a constant and continual effort to live my life as Jesus wants me to.What are some of those circumstances? Just in answering this question I'm brought into one, pride. I don't want to share my weaknesses for fear of being judged by my peers. See, constant & continual.
4. What is the cost of the presence of Jesus in our lives?
I don't think of it as a cost as much as an no-risk investment. It's like giving a penny, having it immediately returned as a million dollars, & knowing without a doubt that would happen. I've had to give up my old life, but that life really stunk, so who cares. The life I live now is so...full.
5. What are the rewards?
Right now my reward is in knowing, & experiencing, a relationship with my heavenly Father. The one that knows me & loves me in ways that I can never comprehend, but feel.Later, my rewards will be an eternity in heaven. Eternity, wow, that's awesome!
January 26, 2008 10:10 PM
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