Everyone is trying to find God – just as it was in those days, when Jesus was on the earth, so it is also in our day. Some people say, there is no God, whereas others say that they do not need Him. But people’s attitude to life and behaviour testify clearly that in the heart of every person there is a longing for happiness and material well-being. People are continually striving for perfection and harmony in life, yearning for love, happiness, kindness... Some hope to find happiness in marriage and family life, others think that the sole key to well-being and future security is money, and so devote their whole life to work and their career. To have money, a family and a prosperous business is all very wonderful. But inside this person always has the feeling, that there is something very important missing. All the time he is trying to work out where the lack is. The answer to this enigma is actually very simple: without God, without Jesus, there is no true happiness. God is our Creator. It is He who created the universe and has given us life. And man will continually sense a spiritual vacuum, until he establishes a two-way relationship with his Heavenly Father, with his Creator.
Imagine an apple tree. If one of its branches is cut off, it will dry up and produce no fruit. The life of a man without God is similar to this branch. Many people struggle and suffer in a desperate attempt to change something in their lives, yet do not realise that all they need is God and His life-giving Power. That’s why it’s so important for someone to go and tell these people the truth about the Gospel. In order to find peace and happiness in their soul, they need to turn to God, confess their sins, receive forgiveness, accept the Son of God, Jesus Christ, into their hearts and become fully fledged heirs of the Kingdom of God.
You can all confirm this. Your life only changed after you came to God, because it is only when we are in harmony with our Creator that we can come to know the fullness of life that man is continually striving after.
Many people think that they can be prosperous even without God, but they are mistaken. Anyone who comes to God can tell you for sure that his former life, in contrast to the life he received when he repented, was without any real aim, without any perspective and devoid of meaning.
You can only get to know God through Jesus.
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 14:6
"I am the way, the truth, and the life". Jesus knew that His mission was to reveal God the Father to people. He knew that people could only to come to God through him. That’s why He spent His time walking up and down the land of Israel preaching the Kingdom of God.
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
Matthew 9:35
No one has ever seen God. Jesus came to the earth in order to reveal God the Father in the flesh. He knew that people needed to be reconciled with their Creator. That’s why he went everywhere saying: "Look at me and you will see God. Believe in Me and God will come into your life." Jesus preached in this way for several years but realised that He Himself would manage to get round all the towns and villages because He only had very little time - three and a half years in all. So He chose some disciples, equipped them with His authority and sent them out to preach the Gospel.
After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.
Luke 10:1
People have to see Jesus in each one of His disciples. This is the essence of Christianity. Why are we called Christians? Who, then, is a Christian? A Christian is someone who has accepted Christ and in whom Christ lives. The life of a Christian is a replica of the life of Jesus. The apostle Paul wrote: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). So in that case people have to be able to see Jesus in the life of every believer.
The believers were first called Christians in Antioch, where they preached about Jesus and established a big church:
But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
Acts 11:20,21,26
The disciples were called Christians, because they were like Jesus Christ. He rose from the dead and became a person in the Spirit. If you receive Jesus into your heart and give Him your life, He will give you His life and you will live the life that Jesus lived - Jesus, who was resurrected in the Spirit. When you are born again, He comes into your soul and spirit, so that He can live in and through you and in this way reveal Himself to others.
We are in a much better position that those 70 disciples, because Jesus was not right there with them; He simply gave them His authority. But He doesn’t just give us His authority; He is present with us continually, because He lives in each one of us.
On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
John 14:20
Unfortunately only a small number of those who call themselves Christian realise that Jesus is living in them, but this is a truth that has to be grasped by each one of us who has accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour. Jesus enters a person’s heart, not just so that a person can receive forgiveness of sins. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrew 13:8) and He wants to save people today, just as much as He did 2000 years ago. But in order to do this, He needs to have fellow labourers here on the earth, who will fulfil His mission, His Great Commission.
The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.
Luke 10:2
We Christians are "God’s fellow workers" (1 Corinthians 3:9). Our main task is to preach the Gospel of salvation to all people. The life of Jesus has to be our example. So the things that Jesus did then, all believers should be doing today. Learn from Jesus, copy Him. His life will manifest itself in you, if you continually seek the answer to the question: "What would Jesus do in my place? How would He behave in a given situation? What is the Jesus who lives in me thinking about these people?"
When I read that Jesus, when He saw the multitudes, "was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd." (Matthew 9:36), I understand that I, as a Christian, must also be moved with love, pity and compassion for people. I must tell them about the wonderful life it is possible to have with the Lord, about that rest for the soul that God gives to those who believe in Him, about peace, happiness and righteousness, about that joy that enters the heart of a man after he repents. Jesus came to this earth to reconcile people with God the Father, and my mission, as a Christian, is to tell everybody about this.
Jesus came to reveal God the Father. So when I know Jesus, I know God. Jesus’s desire is God’s desire. Jesus lives in me, so I should have the same feelings, thoughts and desires that He has.
God’s desire is to save people. That’s why He sent Jesus to the earth to preach the Good News. So in turn, I, as a Christian, should do all I possibly can to lead people to God. I now allow Jesus to help people through me. I allow Him to speak through me and preach the Gospel. I allow Him to use my hands, so that through me He can touch the person who is sick and heal him.
I read the Bible so that I can understand this Jesus who lives in me. He cannot simply pass by a person, who is in need of help. This means that I have no right to be indifferent towards people and their needs. If, for example, I see a sick person, I say: "Lord, I cannot heal this person, but You are living in me. I will pray for this person’s healing, because my hands are Your hands and I believe that You are going to heal this person."
Let’s turn now to the Bible:
Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity." And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day." The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound -- think of it -- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?" And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.
Luke 13:10-17
For us, as Christians, this story shouldn’t just be a simple testimony about a miracle of healing. We need to ask ourselves why Jesus acted in this way. We need to find out the reason and motive for Him doing what He did.
Jesus came into the world in the flesh, so that He could show us what God would do in a given situation. He said to His disciples:
For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.
John 6:38; 8:28,29
So when, for example, we read in the Bible that Jesus went into the temple and healed a woman, who had suffered terribly from a very serious ailment, we have a clear indication that it is God’s good pleasure to heal people. Jesus "laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight and glorified God." (Luke 13:13). The ruler of the synagogue was upset that Jesus had done a work of healing on the Sabbath day, because the law forbad working on this particular day of the week. But the ruler was indifferent to this woman’s sufferings, he did not even think for a moment that she had been wonderfully healed. God, though, can never be indifferent to people’s sufferings. In this situation Jesus acted the way God the Father would have done. He then replied to the ruler of the synagogue:
Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound -- think of it -- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?
Luke 13:16
Everything we learn about Jesus through reading the Bible helps us to get to know God.
We are Jesus’ disciples. All those things that Jesus did while He was here on earth, each one of us should be doing too, because we are God’s representatives, His fellow labourers, ambassadors for Jesus. We ourselves can do nothing in our own strength, but when we lay hands on someone and believe that our hands are Jesus’ hands, then He will be able to work a miracle of healing through us. We have been chosen by God to show Jesus to the world, in the same way as Jesus showed the Father to people. Our life must be a reflection of Jesus’ life, His character and His actions.
The Bible answers two questions which are the two most important questions for any believer.
First: What is God like? If Jesus is God, manifested in the flesh, then everything that is said about Him discloses the person of God the Father. When you know Jesus, you know God.
Secondly: What should Christians be like? How does God want them to be? Every time you read the Bible, analyse and think over the things that Jesus did, the way He spoke and the way He reacted in the different situations He was in.
Jesus walked everywhere preaching the Good News. So you too have to be a preacher of the Gospel. If you read about how Jesus devoted His life to serving people, how His heart was never closed to those who were sick, suffering and in need - for this was the will of His Father who had sent Him – then you who are Christians must also die to self and live your life fulfilling the will of God. You must speak the things that Jesus would want to tell people and do the things Jesus would want to do for them.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10
Jesus’ great mission is to save mankind from bondage to sin. We Christians have already been saved. We "are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God" (Ephesians 2:19) and we are called to fulfill the Great Commission that Jesus gave:
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:19,20
How many towns and villages are there in your country, where there is not even one church, where people do not know the Living God, where they don’t know Jesus! We are God’s fellow labourers. We are active workers in God’s field and must therefore use every possibility we have to preach the Good News of salvation.
Lets turn again to the Bible.
Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner." Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
Luke 19:1-10
When I read this passage of the Scripture, I asked myself the question: What new thing can I learn here about God and about my Saviour in whom I believe? Here the passage is talking about a man, who very much wanted see Jesus. He was not very tall and realised that he would not be able to see Jesus if he stood among the crowd, so he climbed up into a sycamore tree. Jesus saw Zacchaeus and said:
Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.
Luke 19:5
There were lots of people close to Jesus, but Jesus focused His attention only on Zacchaeus. This shows that God loves those who are longing to get to know Him, who are reaching out to Him and seeking after Him. In our day too Jesus pays special attention to people like this. Then, as we continue, to read that Zacchaeus "made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully." (Luke 19:6). God likes people who hurry with joy to come to Him. Jesus singled out Zacchaeus, because He saw he had a genuine desire to get to know God. If we press on with our whole heart to get to know the Lord, He will always be close to us and always answer our prayers.
But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."
Luke 19:7
The people immediately started to complain: "How could Jesus leave all these people and go off with that sinner? Zacchaeus is a chief tax collector and all tax-collectors are thieves, everyone knows that! Can it be it’s his wealth that Jesus is after? But Jesus answered them: "The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10).
Also in the Gospel of Matthew we read:
When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ’I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
Matthew 9:12-13
Yes, Zacchaeus was a sinner, but God wanted to save him. Jesus came to the earth in order to save sinners. And then, as we continue, we see that Zacchaeus received Jesus with joy and repented of all his sins:
Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
Luke 19:8-10
To save people from the curse of sin - that’s what God’s aim is! And His will for us, as Christians, is that we go out and tell people all about it.
Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:18-20
We are "ambassadors for Christ". God Himself is imploring people through us to get reconciled with Him. Through Adam and Eve falling into sin in the garden of Eden, sin entered into the life of every single person. The original relationship that had existed between man and God was destroyed. So God sent Jesus to the earth to reconcile people with Himself. And to us believers He gave the ministry of reconciliation, i.e. the same ministry that Jesus had. Today our flesh is His flesh, in the same way as Jesus’ flesh was God’s flesh. He can only love people through our individual hearts. He can only touch people through our hands. We are ambassadors for Jesus Christ and God had given to each one of us the ministry of reconciliation.
What does this ministry consist of? As I said earlier, all Christians are called to preach the Gospel, the Good News of salvation. As a rule, evangelists are taught that they have to tell people, that if they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour and repent of their sins, God will forgive them. This is all very true, but there is also another very important aspect to reconciliation, which is often not emphasised sufficiently:
...that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:19
God was is Christ "reconciling the world to Himself". This has already been completed. From that time when Jesus died on the cross and rose again, "justification of life" has come to "all men" (Romans 5:18). God gave His Son as a sacrifice for the sins of all men, regardless of their choice of will or desire.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
This means you can walk up to any person and say: "God has already forgiven you, all your sins have been paid for by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. God will never again remember your sins. Agree with Him and receive your salvation. Get reconciled with God, come to Him, give your sinful life over to Him and in exchange you will receive His righteousness and holiness; you will become a son of the Heavenly Father and an heir to all His great promises". We have been called to preach the Good News for one good reason only: God in Christ reconciled the world to Himself, but the world still does not know about it. Therefore God has called each one of us to ministry and given us the message of reconciliation. Go out and speak to people: "God has already forgiven you. Acknowledge your sins, confess them, renounce them, and you will see a miracle take place".
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:20
You are "ambassadors for Christ". God wants to show people His love through you. Jesus said to His disciples: "you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you." (John 14:20). Always do what Jesus did, copy Him. You are His disciples and you must become like Him. People have to see Jesus in you.
You are God’s ambassadors. Jesus wants to "preach good tidings to the poor, ...to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound" (Isaiah 61:1). But without you, He can do nothing, because He has no other flesh apart from yours.
Every time you read the Bible, try to understand the way God wants you to be. Make your decision to get to know Jesus, so that you can show Him to others. You have been called by God to show Jesus Christ, i.e. God living in you, to the world. Love people the way that Jesus loves them and may there always be compassion in your heart for the sick and weak, also for every non-believer and sinner.
