Jesus' Words

JESUS’ WORDS

There is a hopefulness in life as we hear and become empowered by Jesus’ words.

A Sunday School teacher illustrated this concept of hopefulness in life by drawing on the blackboard two pathways. In the middle of one she placed a large rock, covering the entire path. At the end of the other path she placed a stairway, going upwards seemingly over some obstacle, and she continued the pathway on from the top of the stairs. She pointed to the large rock and asked, "All right, what’s the problem?"

Hands went up over the entire class. "Something is in the way," one answered. Another: "If people run into it, they’ll get hurt." Another: "It will turn people back."

"Good," said the teacher. "And what about this?" She pointed to the stairs. The children thought a moment, then one said, "The stairway will let you keep on moving the way you want to go." Another: "The stairway will take you little higher than you were before." And another said, "The stairs will let you move along one solid step at a time."

Jesus is our stairway across the brokenness of life. He is solid because of his authority and power. He moves us a little higher, closer to him, as we allow him to bring hope, power, authority, release, forgiveness, renewal, and cleansing into our lives.

Because he is the Son of God, our stairway over and around the brokenness of the world also moves us closer to heaven and the promise of salvation which is ours through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

(From a sermon by Tim Zingale, "The World of Words" 1/26/2009)