Isn't that the question? Who was Jesus? Who is Jesus? As Christians, Jesus is our model. But He is also something we can't achieve on our own. First, we must understand ourselves. We must acknowledge and understand our need, our helplessness, our ineptitude. If you're a perfect person, I invite you to stop reading this (I sure hope someone is reading this). Did you notice how you didn't stop? That's because there has been but one man to grace this Earth without sin. His name is Jesus Christ.
Again, we are sinners. We screw up. Every single day, we do something stupid, something hateful, something selfish. And every single day God extends his forgiveness, if only we are willing to accept it. It is a gift we must accept. For we are born into sin. "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned......." (Romans 5:12-13) This paints a pretty bleak picture, doesn't it? We're human, we suck, we die. But it doesn't have to be that simple. Although we are powerless against our sin, there is One who fought for us that has all the power in the world. "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." (Romans 5:6-8)
Now isn't that better? Christ died for us despite us doing absolutely nothing to deserve it. He forgave those who killed Him.......as they were killing Him! Now that is love. He loves us so completely that He, a perfect being, died for us, and we actually deserve death! Let me say that again. We, who by our thoughts, words, and deeds, bring death upon ourselves, are saved by One who was (and is), in every way, perfect.
Brokenness surrounds us. It isn't possible to turn on the news or pick up a newspaper without hearing or reading about a tragedy, and often these are perpetrated by one human being on another. But brokenness doesn't need to be searched for. We needn't look any further than ourselves. Without Him, we are broken. We are lost. We are dying. But He gives us life. He makes us whole. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice not for mankind, but for each one of us individually. He loves each and every person to a degree we can't even comprehend. Invite Him into your life. And if He is already there, invite Him deeper. I promise you that you can't have too much Jesus.
