“Then Jesus said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered, ‘The Messiah of God.’” -Luke 9:20
Depending on our church tradition or personal experience, each of us likely identifies with a particular aspect of Jesus’ time on earth. Yet an exclusive focus on only one part leaves our faith wanting and us unlikely to be shaped by the parts we skip over. But what if it ALL matters? What if every aspect of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection have the power to help form us into the likeness of Christ?
This past Sunday we began a new preaching series entitled “Who Do You Say That I Am?” And for five Sundays we will explore different aspects of Jesus’ coming and suggest ways that each one is meant to be transformative for us today.
We began with Jesus’ birth, his Incarnation; for Jesus as the Word Made Flesh means that every person born on this planet has immeasurable worth and dignity. It is also a sign that, as bad as things appear to be in this world, God refuses to give up on us. Christ’s coming is a rescue mission and the start of God’s restoration of all that is broken. Finally, the Incarnation asks us to treat our bodies and our whole selves with the same respect and love that God does. For Jesus came to not only save souls but renew our mind, heart, body, and will.
I’m super excited to explore the entire experience of Christ as a church family in the coming weeks. On Sunday, Beth will present Jesus as Healer and why he was always touching lepers, restoring sight to the blind, and enabling the lame to walk. Then we’ll look at Jesus as Example for living as ones who have been touched by grace before examining the lessons of Christ’s death on the cross and his resurrection.
Which aspect of Jesus’ life has been especially beloved or formative for you? Each one teaches us profound truths about ourselves and about Christ. Each one has riches to share about Christ’s work of transformation in each of us.
My hope is that we’ll gain fresh appreciation for the tradition in which we grew up while allowing ourselves to be shaped by aspects of Christ’s time on earth that we’ve perhaps never explored in depth. If it all matters, just think about the growth that awaits us as we engage all of Christ’s coming!
Grace upon grace,
Pastor Scott
