Jesus Luke 11:1
More than 2,000 years ago, there was a Man born who was Emmanuel, God with us.
His birth was acknowledged by God and announced by angels.
He was born to a young girl who had neither riches nor position in society. His step father was a lowly carpenter.
At birth he startled a king; in childhood He debated with philosophers; in manhood He ruled the course of nature, walked upon the waves, and hushed the sea to sleep.
He healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge for His service.
He never wrote a book yet more books have been written about him than any other person and perhaps all others combined.
He never wrote a song; yet more songs have been written about him than any other and all others put together.
He never started a school yet he has more students than any other school and perhaps all schools put together.
His enemies could not destroy Him, and the grave could not hold Him.
He is the most studied, talked about, debated, worshipped person in heaven and earth.
There are those who love him and there are those who hate him.
He is worshipped and adored by saints and angels.
He is the creator of all.
The heavens declare his glory.
He is savior, substitute, sacrifice, and sanctifier.
One day ever knee will bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord.
His name is Jesus. Let’s talk a little bit today about Jesus.
What kind of man was Jesus?
1/ He was a man of Prayer
Luke 11:1, speaking of Jesus, says, “And it came to pass, as he was praying in a certain place…”
He was a man who was deeply, devoted to prayer. He was often found praying to the Father. He would pray alone, on the sea shore, on a mountain, in a garden and in public.
He taught his disciples to pray. He taught them “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.” Mat 6:9-13
He prayed for those who persecuted him, his enemies and those who said all manner of evil against him falsely.
On the cross he prayed for his murderers, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”
Sometimes he prayed all night, he prayed before making decisions, he prayed and his sweat became drops of blood. He agonized in prayer. He labored in prayer. He was a man of prayer.
2/He was a man with a Purpose
Luk 5:32 He said, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Mat 20:28 He said, "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
John 6:38 He said, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”
He came to be Savior, our Substitute, and to provide us Salvation.
3/ He was a man of Power
His teaching was powerful
Mat 7:28 says, “And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”
He taught us the Great Commandment 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.” Mt 22:37
He taught us the Golden Commandment. “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Lk 6:31
Some call it the golden rule, but actually it is a commandment.
He taught us the Great Co-Mission “As the Father has sent Me, even so send I you." Jn 20:21
He taught us about the 2 gates: "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.” Mat 7:13
He taught us about the 2 builders: "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ... But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand” Mat 7:24, 26
He preached the greatest sermon ever preached: the sermon on the mount Matthew 5-7.
His Healings were powerful
He could heal just by speaking a word.
He could heal at a distance.
He could heal with a touch.
He healed the blind, the paralyzed, the mute.
His Miracles were powerful
He had power over death, demons and disease.
He healed a man born blind.
He fed over 5,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish and had 12 baskets left over.
He cast out demons. He calmed a raging sea.
He healed leprosy, the lame, the deaf, the mute.
He walked on water.
He raised a dead man from the grave.
He raised himself from the dead.
4/ He was a man of Persistence and Perseverance.
Herod could not kill him. Satan could deceive him. The scribes and pharisees could not discourage him. The masses could not deceive him. The grave could not hold him.
Herod tried to kill him at his birth. The scribes tried to shut him up. They crowds tried to push off a cliff. The commoners tried to make him a king.
He was called a demon. Some said he was the prince of demons. They accused him of blasphemy. They said he was an insurrectionist.
The Romans beat him, scourged him, spit on him, slapped him in his face, plucked out the hair of his beard, beat a crown of thorns on his head.
But for the joy that was set before him he endured the cross despising the shame and is now sit down at the right hand of God in heaven.
He is a friend of sinners. He died for the ungodly. He who knew no sin became sin for us. The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all. He is the great shepherd. He is the door. The vine. The way, the truth, and the life. He loved us while we were yet sinners. Nothing shall separate us from his love. Whosoever calls upon his name will be saved. He loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood.”
He came that we might have life, abundant life, eternal life.
5/He was a man of passion.
We see his passion in his compassion for people. He said come unto me all you who are fatigued and burdened, and I will give you rest.
He had compassion on the lost. “When he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they were weary, and scattered, as sheep having no shepherd." Mat 9:36
He had compassion on the sick. “He was moved with compassion toward the multitude and healed their sick." Mat 14 14
He had compassion on two blind men and touched their eyes and immediately they received sight. Mat 20:
He was compassionate toward the hungry. Mark 6 He is moved with compassion and feeds 5000 people.
Jesus loved people. It was Jesus who said, “For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son…” He was passionate about people. He loves children. He said don’t forbid the children to come to me.
He loved widows. He spoke of a widow giving her last two coins to the Temple treasure. He loves the poor. He said blessed are the poor.
He was passionate for truth. He came to liberate and set free and only the truth can do that. He spoke truth when it was uncomfortable and inconvenient.
He said of himself, “I am the truth.” Others recognized his passion for truth. On one occasion someone said to him, “Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth…”
6/He was a man of persuasion.
Persuasion is belief/conviction. Jesus was not spineless. He was meek but he was not weak. He spoke the truth and he spoke it boldly. He told the adulterous woman, go and sin no more.
He spoke of the joy of heaven and the horrors of hell. He said heaven is fulness of joy and pleasures for ever more. He spoke of a rich man burning in the torments of hell. He spoke of the narrow road that leads to life and the broad road that leads to destruction.
He said if you do not repent you will perish. He called Satan a liar and thief.
He hated dishonesty and hypocrisy. He called the scribes and pharisees hypocrites. He confronted them over and over again about their dishonesty and hypocrisy.
He told the disciples one of you will betray me.
He calls us to holiness. He said be holy as your father in heaven is holy.
He taught us the requirements of being his follower, "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." Mat 10:37
Also, "And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." Mat 10:38-39
7/He is a man of Position
He is King of kings and Lord of lords. Mt 28:18 he said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
Paul says, “He has been highly exalted and given a name above all names. One day every knee will bow in heaven, in earth and under the earth and every tongue will confess Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
After his rex he ascended back to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God, the place of all power and authority in heaven and earth.
In his position He possesses 5 qualities that no one else possesses: He is Omnipotent, (all powerful) Omnipresent (he is everywhere), Omniscient (knows all things), Immutable (does not change), Eternal (had no beginning / no end).
He is the all-knowing, ever present, all powerful, never changing, eternal God.
Thomas after touching the nail scars in his hands proclaimed, “My Lord and my God.”
Peter said, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God“
John said, “we heard him, we saw him, we touched him; the word of life.”
Paul called him, “The blessed and only Potentate…” 1 Tim 6:15
Revelation 1 says he is “the faithful witness, the first born from the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth …
His name is Jesus. The son of God. King of kings and Lord of lords.
May we be more like our Lord as men and women of prayer, of purpose, power, perseverance, persistence, passion, and persuasion.
I hope I’ve helped you in this regard today.
