LIFE OF JESUS OVERVIEW – 1 (BIRTH & LIFE)
(This blog is a word-for-word transcript of what I teach to the pastors in India about the birth and life of Jesus. As you read it you’ll hear exactly what I say in India.)
Jesus was God and He was man. He was completely man – just like us. He came as a baby and grew up. He had temptation and sorrows in His life. He got tired and He got hungry. He went through everything that we go through. So, when we pray to Him we know He understands because He went through it. He had to be a man like us in order to take our punishment. In order to die one time for all of us He had to be God. He suffered for all of our sins at once.
But when He came to earth He set aside that part that would make it easier. God can know everything and do everything from where He was. Jesus took those things and put them aside – He didn’t use them. That way He would face everything the way we do. He grew up for 30 years
Then it became time for Him to go into ministry. His cousin John was calling people to repent and be baptized. He wanted them to be ready when the Messiah came
One day Jesus came to where John was baptizing. What did John call Him? Behold the Lamb of God. Two times he called Him that. There were many, many names John could have used, So why did he use that one? What’s he referring to? This is The One the Passover Sacrifice was teaching about. This is the sacrifice sent by God.
John baptized Jesus. Then Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days. Satan tried to stop Him by getting Him to sin. He had already tried to stop Him by having the babies killed in Bethlehem. Now the battle between God and Satan is much stronger. Satan the serpent is going into battle against God Himself. Only one can win, the other will be defeated. Jesus resisted Satan when He was tempted and won that battle. But more battles are coming.
After this Jesus traveled and did miracles to show everyone He was God. So, people would know He was different from everybody else He did miracles. That way He proved He was God. Jesus healed people and He cast out demons. He spoke to the storm and it stopped. He walked on water and He brought people back to life. He showed that if He could heal physical ills He could heal spiritual ills. For a year and a half, He told everyone that He was Messiah. Some believed and followed Him but most didn’t. They wanted a Messiah that would give them free food and freedom from Rome. But that’s not what Jesus offered. He said they needed to leave everything to follow Him. He never promised to give them everything they wanted. They didn’t want to serve Jesus, they wanted Jesus to serve them.
After a year most of the people stopped following Jesus. But some accepted His gift of salvation and followed Him. Salvation is a free gift God gives us but we have to accept it. Like if I were to give you this pencil. I paid for it so you don’t have to do anything but receive it. But it’s not yours unless you accept it.
By accepting salvation, it means you go to heaven when you die. But it doesn’t say anything about how you are going to live this life. God challenged those who accepted salvation to pick up their cross & follow Him. Salvation is free but being a disciple is very costly. We don’t do what we want but we do what He wants. We stop living for ourselves and live for Him. Those who accept His free gift of salvation Jesus is challenging to be His disciples. There were many who didn’t want to pay that price so they turned and left Him. But there were some who followed and learned from Him.
Then Jesus took the ones that were still following Him and taught them. He explained who He was and why He came to earth. He showed what it means to follow Him.
John 1:1, 14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Take some time to think about how your life would be different if Jesus had never come to earth. Pray and thank Him that He did!
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling)
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