80 Sermon Illustrations on Jesus

When it comes to healing our spiritual condition, we don’t have a chance. We might as well be told to pole-vault the moon. We don’t have what it takes to be healed. Our only hope is that God will do for us what he did for the man at Bethesda — that he will step out of the temple and step into our ward of hurt and helplessness.

Which is exactly what he has done… .

I wish we would take Jesus at his word… .

When he says we’re forgiven, let’s unload the guilt.

When he says we’re valuable, let’s believe him.

When he says we’re eternal, let’s bury our fear.

When he says we’re provided for, let’s stop worrying.

God’s efforts are strongest when our efforts are useless.

Father, we invite your assistance and guidance and powerful indwelling, because we do not have the strength to be transformed into your likeness and not be conformed to this world.

"Jesus... the sweetest name I know"... but not if you have rejected it. It is heartbreaking to witness people abuse and profane the only name under heaven that represents salvation and rescue from the unhappiness and discontentment that engulfs a heart separated from God. How often I have wished I could spiritually smack someone and open their eyes to the truth; just grab them by the shoulders and shake some sense into them or scream at them "WAKE UP!!! Don't you get it???" Not exactly the "Biblical" method. It would be nice if we could just "slap" someone awake spiritually; But... it doesn't work that way, does it? Jesus is either the sweetest name (for those who give their lives to Him), or He is the most condemning and guilt-producing name (for those who will not exchange their pride and "self" control for His forgivenness). Think about it: pride, guilt and eternal condemnation can be traded in for Christ's salvation, love, care and peace. And yet millions upon millions upon millions reject His offer. In some ways, it is truly hard to comprehend, and yet perfectly understandable in others after discovering what Scripture reveals about the human heart (ex. Jer 17.9). The more we understand and believe what the Name of Jesus represents, the more we should be saddened and burdened for those who DON'T know the Name Above All Names. So far we've learned that the Name of Jesus Christ is: The Rarest and Most Exclusive - there is salvation through Jesus and NO other (Acts 4.12); every person will admit this fact some day, the only question is when (Phil 2.10) The Most Understanding & Compassionate - Jesus is the caring Shepherd and He protects and cares for His sheep (Isa 40.11); Jesus is uniquely qualified to understand and respond to our deepest needs and hurts because He is both absolutely Divine, and absolutely human (Heb 4.15-16) The Most Meaninful and Purposeful - the name of Jesus is filled with infinite meaning and purpose; why He lived; why He died; why He teached; why He loves us; what He accomplished... it is an inexhaustible well of study and discovery. The Most Rewarding - trusting in the name of Jesus results in the greatest rewards available to humankind. We get to live eternally in His presence (Phil 1.23; Rev 22.5); we receive an incorruptible crown of glory (1Pet5.4); we become a member of God's family and co-heir with Christ (Rom 8.17); we get a home built just for us (John 14.1-4;2Cor 5.1); and we get to live in the "fullness of joy" for all eternity (Psalms 16.11).... just to name a few "rewards". The Most Powerful Name I Know It is truly mind boggling what was, is, and will be accomplished through and by Jesus Christ. It's almost embarrassing to attempt to summarize these great truths in a daily devotional format. You could spend your entire life studying the "power" of Jesus' Name (its effect and achievements) and surely not exhaust the subject. I think it is safe to say, that the more you learn about Jesus, the more you realize how much you do NOT know, and how much MORE there is to discover. The "power" of Jesus name is a pretty broad categorization. Here are a few points about what Christ accomplished, and what effect His Name has on our existence (emphasis mine in the Bible verses; Note: I pray my Calvinist friends will take this for the basic study that it is and not read into it anything more than what I simply state): The Name of Jesus is the power of salvation for all who believe 1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. (NKJV)

Christ came to save sinners. Who is included in that category? All people that are sinners; in other words, all people. The Name of Jesus is powerful enough to secure salvation for all who believe (Rom 10.13).

John 3:15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (NKJV)

It is mind boggling that the single, individual sacrifice of the Man, Christ Jesus, is sufficient for the salvation (Rom 5.12-21) of billions upon billions of vile sinners. Granted, comparitively few will be saved (Luke 13.24), but it's not because of any lack of power on the part of Jesus. The Name of Jesus is powerful enough to deliver us from evil Galatians 1:3-4 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, (NKJV)

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (NKJV)

Without Jesus, we are slaves to sin (Rom 6.20); with Jesus, we have the power available to us to be righteous, to overcome temptation and to be delivered from "this present evil age". There is no other name, no other organization, no other religion and no other resource in all the universe that has the same power... only Christ. Jesus represents the "way of escape" or rescue both from eternal evil (deserved condemnation for our sin) and from present evil (sin and temptation). The Name of Christ has the power to free every Believer from the fear of Satan and death Hebrews 2:14-15 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (NKJV)

Before Christ, death and fear reigned. We were in bondage to the unknown of death. But Christ, having experienced death and conquered it, has removed all fear concerning this life and the next; and Jesus now maintains control of death and hell; He even holds the entire universe together through His power (Col 1.17). We never have to fear anything about death or hell EVER AGAIN! One of the most magnficent verses in all of Scripture: I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. (Revelation 1:18 - NKJV) If that doesn't send shivers down your back, I'm not sure what will! The Name of Jesus has the power to secure the resurrection of all those who belong to Him John 6:39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. (NKJV)

Romans 6:5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, (NKJV)

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (NKJV)

2 Timothy 2:11 This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. (NKJV)

Wow. Think of the security, the promise and the hope contained in these verses. Jesus will lose NONE that the Father has given (speaking of Believers), to be raised up at the "last day".

When we are saved, we are united with Christ in the "likeness of His death" (dying to ourselves, Rom 6.6; taking up our cross, Luke 9.23; baptism, Col 2.12); in other words, we share and identify with Christ in "death".... and in the same way we will "certainly" share in His resurrection as well! It is a "faithful saying" (true, dependable, sure): For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. The Name of Jesus has the power to bring good from evil Romans 8:27-28 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (NKJV)

Genesis 50:19-20 Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. (NKJV)

The Bible is filled with stories and principles showing that our sovreign and omniscient God is greater than the curse of sin, and is able to take that which is "meant for evil" and use it to bring about His will and display His power and glory.

Of course the greatest example of this fact, is the crucifixion of Christ. The most evil act in all of the history of man brought about the greatest implementation of God's Will:

Acts 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; (NKJV)

Through the ultimate wicked act, killing the Son of God, came the ultimate fulfillment of God's master plan to redeem His creation! If God can turn that unfathomable evil into "good", how much more should we trust him to use the evil that befalls us for His glory and purpose? That is a mere nibble of what could be written about the "power of Jesus Name". Even just a taste though gives us an incredible depth to consider. As with any "power", it cannot be experienced unless you are plugged into the source. For those who have not repentend of their sins, and given their lives to Jesus Christ, there is NO power in His Name (for them). If you are "plugged in" (saved), then you may not being experiencing the fullness of Christ's power due to sin, disobedience or neglect. Maybe you are short-circuiting the "power source" with worldliness and lukewarmness. Our lack of accessing the power does not change, or diminish the true nature or depth of the "Power". An evaluation of Christ's power in our life serves to give us a measurement, or evidence, about the current state of our devotion, commitment and knowledge of the Most Powerful Name we can know. Is the power of Christ demonstrable in your life? Or is it merely a concept? Great God , We offer thanks and praise for the power of Jesus Christ to save souls, dispel evil and turn wickedness into good. Help us to see where His power is missing, or lacking in our lives. In the Sweetest Name, Amen. Contemplation: Is there power in Jesus name for you? Do you believe it? Do you access it? Do you know how? If someone were to view your schedule and checkbook, where would they guess that your source of power lies? Application: How little we understand, believe and access the power of Christianity. It has become so distorted today with the "God-is-a-genie" trend, that true spiritual power is rare. Even after writing on this for the last 5 days, I feel like I have done nothing more than give a childish, elementary glance at a topic I don't even yet begin to grasp. How are you doing? James 1:22 - But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (NKJV) What is the most obvious Bible truth you have learned today? What change in your life needs to be made concerning this truth? What specific thing will you do today to begin that change?

"Jesus... the sweetest name I know"... and after this week of study, even sweeter. I wanted to wrap up this series by giving you some bullet points and Scriptures that will allow you to continue your own study.

So far we've learned that the name of Jesus Christ is:

1. The Rarest and Most Exclusive - there is salvation through Jesus and NO other (Acts 4.12); every person will admit this fact some day, the only question is when (Phil 2.10)

2. The Most Understanding & Compassionate - Jesus is the caring Shepherd and He protects and cares for His sheep (Isa 40.11); Jesus is uniquely qualified to understand and respond to our deepest needs and hurts because He is both absolutely Divine, and absolutely human (Heb 4.15-16)

3. The Most Meaningful and Purposeful - the name of Jesus is filled with infinite meaning and purpose; why He lived; why He died; why He taught; why He loves us; what He accomplished... it is an inexhaustible well of study and discovery.

4. The Most Rewarding - trusting in the name of Jesus results in the greatest rewards available to humankind. We get to live eternally in His presence (Phil 1.23; Rev 22.5); we receive an incorruptible crown of glory (1Pet5.4); we become a member of God's family and co-heir with Christ (Rom 8.17); we get a home built just for us (John 14.1-4;2Cor 5.1); and we get to live in the "fullness of joy" for all eternity (Psalms 16.11).... just to name a few "rewards".

5. The Most Powerful - the name of Jesus is the power of salvation, sufficient to save every person who believes (John 3.15). Jesus has the power to deliver us from the evil power of this world (Gal 1.3-4) and free us from the fear of Satan and death (Heb 2.14-15; Rev 1.18). The name of Jesus is the promise of resurrection for all those that belong to Him (Rom 6.5).

6. The Most Selfless - Jesus knew from eternity past that He would create us, we would sin, crucify Him and then most would reject His free offer of salvation... and yet He still chose to create us anyway. He endured our punishment (Rom 6.23); He paid our ransom to free us from captivity (Mark 10.45); He saved us from God's wrath and will return to get us (Heb 9.28).

The Names of Christ

· Power of God 1 Cor 1:24

· Passover 1 Cor 5:07

· First fruits 1 Cor 15:23

· Adam (the last Adam) 1 Cor 15:45

· Second Adam 1 Cor 15:47

· Advocate 1 John 2:1

· Propitiation 1 John 2:2; 4:10

· Bishop 1 Pet 2:25

· Chief Shepherd 1 Pet 5:04

· Mediator 1 Tim 2:05

· Ransom 1 Tim 2:06

· Blessed 1 Tim 6:15

· Potentate 1 Tim 6:15

· Gift of God 2 Cor 9:15

· Day star 2 Pet 1:19

· Seed of David 2 Tim 2:08

· Man Acts 17:31; 1 Tim 2:05

· Prince Acts 3:15; 5:31

· Prophet Acts 3:22

· Holy child Acts 4:30

· Head of the Church Col 1:18

· Messiah Dan 9:25; John 1:41

· Rock Deut 32:15:00

· Beloved Eph 1:06

· Cornerstone Eph 2:20

· Sacrifice Eph 5:02

· Seed of Abraham Gal 3:16, 19

· Seed of the woman Gen 3:15

· Shiloh Gen 49:10:00

· Angel of the Lord Gen 16:9-14; Judg

· Desire of nations Hag 2:07

· Heir of all things Heb 1:02

· Express image of God Heb 1:03

· Apostle Heb 3:01

· Priest Heb 4:14

· Forerunner Heb 6:20

· Minister Heb 8:02

· Author Heb 12:02

· Great Shepherd Heb 13:20

· High Priest Heb 3:1; 7:1

· Child Isa 9:06

· Everlasting Father Isa 9:06

· Wonderful Isa 9:06

· Rod Isa 11:01

· Refuge Isa 25:04:00

· Foundation Isa 28:16:00

· Lawgiver Isa 33:22:00

· Holy One of Israel Isa 41:14:00

· Commander Isa 55:04:00

· Glory of God Isa 60:01:00

· Jehovah Isa 26:4; 40:3

· Servant Isa 42:1; 49:5-7

· Redeemer Isa 59:20; 60:16

· Mighty God Isa 9:6; 63:1

· Righteousness Jer 23:6; 33:16

· Word John 1:1; Rev 19:13

· God John 1:1; Rom 9:5; 1 Tim

· Begotten of the Father John 1:14

· Only begotten Son John 1:18

· Lamb of God John 1:29, 36

· Good Shepherd John 10:11, 14

· Door of the sheepfold John 10:7

· Door John 10:9

· Resurrection John 11:25

· Way John 14:6

· True vine John 15:1

· Brazen serpent John 3:14

· Rabbi John 3:2; 20:16

· Bread of life John 6:35

· Light of the world John 9:5

· Captain Josh 5:04

· Son of the Most High Luke 1:32

· Son of God Luke 1:35; Matt 16:16

· Savior Luke 1:47; 2:11

· Dayspring from on high Luke 1:78

· Good Samaritan Luke 10:33

· Babe Luke 2:16

· Consolation of Israel Luke 2:25

· Purifier Mal 3:03

· Refiner Mal 3:03

· Sun of Righteousness Mal 4:02

· Holy One of God Mark 1:24

· Nazarene Mark 1:24

· Son of Mary Mark 6:3

· Jesus Matt 1:21

· Emmanuel Matt 1:23

· Governor Matt 2:06

· Master Matt 8:19

· Physician Matt 9:12

· Bridegroom Matt 9:15

· Friend of sinners Matt 11:19

· Son of Man (his favorite name for himself) Matt 18:11

· Christ Matt 1:16; 2:4

· Carpenter Matt 13:55; Mark 6:3

· Son of David Matt 15:22; 20:30; 21:9

· Stone Matt 21:42; Mark 12:10; Acts 4:11; Rom

· Teacher (Master) Matt 26:18; John 3:2

· King of Israel Matt 27:42; John 1:49

· Judge Mic 5:1; Acts 10:42

· Anointed Ps 2:02

· Horn of salvation Ps 18:02

· Shepherd Ps 23:01

· Guide Ps 48:14:00

· Almighty Rev 1:08

· Amen Rev 3:14

· Beginning of creation Rev 3:14

· Lion of the tribe of Judah Rev 5:05

· Reaper Rev 14:15

· Lord of lords Rev 19:16

· Bright morning star Rev 22:16

· Root of David Rev 22:16

· Faithful witness Rev 1:5; 3:14; 19:11

· Alpha Rev 1:8; 21:6

· Deliverer Rom 11:26

· Rose of Sharon Song of Sol 2:01

· Branch Zech 3:08

· Fountain Zech 13:01

The Divine Nature of Christ

· As Jehovah, Isa. 40:3, with Matt. 3:3;

· Jehovah of glory, Psa. 24:7, 10, with 1 Cor. 2:8; Jas. 2:1;

· Jehovah our righteousness, Jer. 23:5, 6, with 1 Cor. 1:30;

· Jehovah above all, Psa. 97:9, with John 3:31;

· Jehovah the first and the last, Isa. 44:6, with Rev. 1:17; Isa. 48:12-16, with Rev. 22:13;

· Jehovah's fellow and equal, Zech. 13:7; Phil. 2:6;

· Jehovah of Armies, Isa. 6:1-3, with John 12:41; Isa. 8:13, 14, with 1 Pet. 2:8;

· Jehovah, Psa. 110:1, with Matt. 22:42-45;

· Jehovah the shepherd, Isa. 40:10, 11; Heb. 13:20;

· Jehovah, for whose glory all things were created, Prov. 16:4, with Col. 1:16;

· Jehovah the messenger of the covenant, Mal. 3:1, with Luke 7:27.

· Invoked as Jehovah, Joel 2:32, with 1 Cor. 1:2;

· as the eternal God and Creator, Psa. 102:24-27, with Heb. 1:8, 10-12;

· the mighty God, Isa. 9:6;

· the great God and Savior, Hos. 1:7, with Tit. 2:13;

· God over all, Rom. 9:5;

· God the Judge, Eccl. 12:14, with 1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Tim. 4:1;

· Emmanuel, Isa. 7:14, with Matt. 1:23;

· King of kings and Lord of lords, Dan. 10:17, with Rev. 1:5; 17:14;

· the Holy One, 1 Sam. 2:2, with Acts 3:14;

· the Lord from heaven, 1 Cor. 15:47;

· Lord of the sabbath, Gen. 2:3, with Matt. 12:8;

· Lord of all, Acts 10:36; Rom. 10:11-13;

· Son of God, Matt. 26:63-67; the only begotten Son of the Father, John 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9.

· His blood is called the blood of God, Acts 20:28.

· One with the Father, John 10:30, 38; 12:45; 14:7-10; 17:10.

· As sending the Spirit equally with the Father, John 14:16, with John 15:26.

·

· As unsearchable equally with the Father, Prov. 30:4; Matt. 11:27.

· As Creator of all things, Isa. 40:28; John 1:3; Col. 1:16;

· supporter and preserver of all things, Neh. 9:6, with Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3.

· Acknowledged by Old Testament saints, Gen. 17:1, with Gen. 48:15, 16; 32:24-30, with Hos. 12:3-5; Judg. 6:22-24; 13:21, 22; Job 19:25-271

(Source: New Nave's Topical Bible)

The Humanity of Christ

· Gen. 3:15; Deut. 18:15-19; Psa. 22:22; Isa. 8:18; Isa. 9:6; Dan. 7:13; Matt. 16:27, 28; Matt. 18:11; Matt. 20:28, 30, 31; Matt. 21:9; Matt. 26:2, 26-28, 36-45 Mark 14:34, 42. Matt. 26:64; Mark 2:28; Mark 9:9, 12; Mark 10:33, 45; Mark 14:21, 62; Luke 2:11-14; Luke 5:24; Luke 17:22, 24; Luke 18:31; Luke 19:10; Luke 21:36; Luke 22:48, 69; John 1:14; John 5:27; John 12:34; John 13:31; Acts 7:56; Acts 17:31; Gal. 4:4; Phil. 2:7, 8; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 2:9, 10, 14-18; Heb. 10:12; 1 John 4:2, 3; 2 John 7; Rev. 1:13; Rev. 14:141 (Swanson, J., & Nave, O. (1994). New Nave's. Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems)

I hope you have been blessed by this series. I know I have. Learning about Jesus is always a blessing!

James 1:22 - But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (NKJV)

1. What is the most obvious Bible truth you have learned today?

2. What change in your life needs to be made concerning this truth?

3. What specific thing will you do today to begin that change?

Do you wonder where you can go for encouragement and motivation? Go back to that moment when you first saw the love of Jesus Christ. Remember the day when you were separated from Christ? You knew only guilt and confusion and then — a light. Someone opened a door and light came into your darkness, and you said in your heart, “I am redeemed!”

Run to Jesus. Jesus wants you to go to him. He wants to become the most important person in your life, the greatest love you’ll ever know. He wants you to love him so much that there’s no room in your heart or in your life for sin. Invite him to take up residence in your heart.

You’ve given us such a great promise, the promise of salvation. Forgive us, Father, when we sometimes put more hope in the things of this earth than in the incredible promises of your heaven.

Would miracles make more people believe? Would unbelievers become believers if they were to see a bona fide miracle? The scribes’ and Pharisees’ demand for a sign prompted Jesus to give them some of His most solemn and searching words.

A casual reading of Jesus’ response seems almost harsh. After all, here were some individuals who were simply asking for a miracle. He had performed many of them. What’s one more? Perhaps that miracle could have brought them to faith. Why didn’t He grant their request?

The answer is that Jesus always looks at the motives behind what people say and do. He is far more interested in what is going on in our hearts than what is coming out of our mouths. As He looked in their hearts, no doubt He saw the real reason behind their request: They wanted to destroy Jesus. Matthew 12:14 tells us that the Pharisees “took counsel against Him, how they might destroy Him.”

Jesus died on the cross for them and for all of humanity, and rose again from the dead, because we all were separated from God by sin. That is the message Jesus essentially was giving to the Pharisees. That is the message He essentially is giving to us. It is the greatest sign of all. It is the ultimate sign.

”What Think Ye of Jesus?” — Matthew 16:13-17

The historic truth of the person of Jesus of Nazareth is one which no one will dispute but the views concering His person are remarkably similar today as they were in His own time

A. Human View of Christ:

1. Antagonistic and Skeptical as the Pharisees

a. Matthew 12:24, Jesus to them was a plain, even evil, imposter; their sin, blasphem of the Holy Spirit

b. Matthew 11:18-19, Not even a good man; but, as Christ shows, their’s was the spirit of criticims for its own sake

2. Admiration, set subtly denying the truth

a. Herod’s servants – superstition, the resurrected John the Baptist; a leader in repentance and reform; a “Preacher”

b. Others – Elias (Elijah), a doer of miracles; Jesus but a doer of good deeds; an “Example”

c. Still others – Jeremiah or prophet, who taught by parables; Jesus but a “Teacher” of truth

3. all of these opinions held by men today; some by supposedly “Bible” teachers. Yet we see the following

a. Human views may be rationalistic, Jesus a mere man; only accept what they can comprehend when it comes to religion; how unlike their attitude to worldly things!

b. Human views may be merely superstitious; hearsay and tradition without personal knowledge.

c. Human view may fall below the truth though high.

d. No matter how high cannot be too high an estimate of Jesus.

4. those who sit under such teaching find opinions that are

a. conflicting – one “authority” disagrees with another

b. perplexing – shown a “great man” but what does He mean as a Person to them?

c. inferior – these fall short of th very obvious representation of Scripture.

B. Divine View of Jesus:

1. We know Peter’s testimony is Divine because it is borne out by

a. Historical facts

i. Baptism and God’s voice; Matthew 3:17

ii. Transfiguration and God’s voice; Matthew 17:5

iii. Resurrection and Ascension; Acts 1:11

b. Testimony

i. Of Christ Himself; Matthew 16:17

ii. of Apostles

(1) John; 1 John 1:3; John 20:31

(2) Paul; Philippians 2:4-9

iii. of men throughout history to an ever-living Christ

2. Content of Peter’s confession – Note first the majesty in Christ’s reference to Himself as the “Son of Man”, the title of His humiliation. There is no “coaching” or “leading” of the witness.

a. The Christ (Messiah, Anointed One)

i. “The” is specific; all kings, priests and prophets were anointed ones but this is “the Christ” – a special one

ii. Speaks of His threefold Divine Mission

(1). one part completed, Prophet

(2). one part continuing, Priest

(3). one part yet to be consummated, King

b. The Son of the Living God

i. “Son” used in Scriptures to speak of character: “Son of Man”, “Sons of Thunder”, “Son of belial”

ii. Living – the real and only GOd (Emphatic)

iii. as predicted in the OT, Isaiah 9:6

C. What think ye of Jesus? three possible ways:

1. Antagonism

2. Indifferent admiration; more subtle than antagonism and also more destructive; Definitely not Christian

3. Full belief and surrender to Jesus as Lord and Master, the Christ, the Savour and the Almighty Son of God

First, my BONA FIDES.

I’m a former Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corps. I’ve spent fifteen years in the Corps and fifteen seconds (cumulatively) riding bulls. I’ve spent my summers in 100 degree weather baling hay, shoeing horses, castrating hogs, and running laps for sadistic football coaches. I’ve fixed pump jacks in Texas oil fields and made auto parts in a Missouri factory. I’ve changed engines on F-18s, tires on Humvees, and a carburetor on a ‘76 Gremlin.

I’ve hunted snipe and fished for shark. I’ve eaten rattlesnake, alligator, and the pork pattie from an MRE. I’ve lived through tornados, typhoons, and a divorce.

I own a .40 caliber Glock. My hero is John Wayne.

In other words, there is some evidence that I am — or at least once was — a fairly “manly man.” I’m also a devout Bible-believing Christian. But for the life of me, I can’t discern how the two are connected, much less why one is necessary for the other. Yet that is the impression I often get when I read about the “feminization of the church” and the move to provide young Christian men with “masculine” role models.

At the risk of taking his light-hearted remarks too seriously, I have to say that I find pastor Mark Driscoll, founder of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, to be particularly caught up in this type of thinking. For example, in a recent post he gave a “Manly Missionary Award (MMA)” to Dog The Bounty Hunter:

Jesus was a carpenter who walked a lot of miles and was therefore

a fit, blue-collar type of guy who would never drive a Cabriolet,

rock out to Mariah Carey, or wear lemon-yellow. Fortunately, as

Dog becomes more popular among non-Christians who watch his

television show, a more biblical view of Christian masculinity is

getting out, for which I say, “WWJD – We Welcome Jesus’ Dog.”

I agree that Dog does seems to be a dedicated (though perhaps immature) believer and is worthy of commendation. But I fail to see how he presents a “biblical view of Christian masculinity.”

In fact, the type of men that Driscoll seems to admire most – wrestlers, “ultimate fighters” – are the very antithesis of Biblical masculinity. During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus praised the “meek” a word that in the Greek is used in reference to a “tame” wild animal. The lion, for instance, is able to lay down with the lamb precisely because he is NOT given over to his hyper-aggressive nature.

Indeed, when Jesus talks about his followers he often refers to them as “sheep” – creatures that aren’t known for their ferocity. And when he gave the nickname “Sons of Thunder” to two of his disciples, it wasn’t exactly high praise for their obnoxious brand of masculinity. It is difficult to square the Jesus of the Gospels with the hyper-masculine ideal that Driscoll and many others seem to hold. It takes an incredible leap of logic to conclude that since Jesus was a carpenter he would have enjoyed ‘Rassling.*

(Perhaps a case could be made that the church has become overly feminized, causing young men to turn away. The criticisms, for example, of “Jesus is my boyfriend” style worships songs may have some merit. But then what do such critics think of Christ referring to the church as his “Bride”?)

During the early ‘90s, “wildman” retreats were all the rage as a way for men to get in touch with their mannishness. Men would head to the wilderness take off their shirts, beat on West African drums, and bond with each other. While we may laugh at such goofy behavior, this neo-testosterone movement within Christian circles isn’t all that different. We’ve simply replaced the mythopoetic “Iron John” with a mythic “Iron Jesus.” But young men don’t need a Jesus who strolls like the Duke, squints like Eastwood, and snarls like Rumsfeld. They don’t need Jesus the wrestler or Jesus the warrior. They just need Jesus the Savior.

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*In a culture that assumes close male relationships are evidence of repressed homosexuality, it’s not surprising that so many Christian men are infatuated by displays of simulated male violence. In ancient Israel David and Jonathan were able to express their love for each other without anyone assuming they were “gay.” Today, give a guy a hug and you’re considered to be “acting queer.” Don spandex and wrap your arms around another male, though, and they’ll call it “wrestling” -- and think it’s completely hetero behavior.

Kathy Ireland was one of the original “supermodels” and was featured in 13 straight Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues from 1984-1996.

At the beginning of her career she was 18 years old and modeling in Paris, which was not as glamorous as people would think. She was bored, lonely and suffering from jet lag when she picked up a Bible her mother had packed in her suitcase. Kathy had been brought up in church but she was scared of God as a child. She says she felt like there were two Gods: the God she knew in my head and loved, and the God from church whom she didn’t much care for. But as she started reading the Bible her mother had packed, she was blown away. Jesus was nothing like she had thought — He wasn’t condemning. He was loving and leading. As an 18-year-old, she thought, HE’S REALLY COOL! Kathy became a Christian and Jesus became her best friend.

Her faith influenced her career. Shortly after she became a Christian, she had a job and the photographer asked her to pose without a shirt on. She grew up in Southern California, on the beaches, and so swimsuits were second nature to her. But in Southern California, if you take your top off, you get arrested! She did not feel comfortable posing like that. He was not accepting her answer, wasn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer. He became very pushy. In fact, he physically pushed her. Kathy had to physically push him back and walk off the job. She knew that God was with her and she could do anything else for a living.

Today Kathy is an entrepreneur whose business includes her own line of modest clothing. All of her businesses generate over one billion dollars in sales annually.

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Adapted from "Kathy Ireland: Designing Woman," by Julie Blim for The 700 Club, August 20, 2002

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"Supermodel Turned Supermogul Kathy Ireland: Jesus Loves Women and Honors Them," by Jennifer Riley, Christian Post Reporter; July 30, 2012.

Supermodel-turned-business-mogul Kathy Ireland would be the first to tell you that the beginning of her modeling career in Paris is more glamorous sounding than it actually was. But out of that lonely, uncomfortable time, her life changed forever because she found a new best friend: Jesus Christ.

Inhabiting what her housemates referred to as “the dungeon” – the room at the end of a long, dark hallway – the then 18-year-old Ireland discovered that her newly Christian mother had secretly planted a Bible in her suitcase. Overcome by jet lag, loneliness and boredom during her first days in Paris, Ireland read the Bible her mother packed in her bag.

“I picked it up and randomly opened up to the Gospel of Matthew. And as I read, my life was forever changed,” recalled Ireland in a new “I Am Second” video. “I was a rebellious teenager. I was questioning authority – who really knows the truth? Who really knows what is right and what is wrong, who’s to say? And I knew that what I was holding in my hands was the truth.”

Ireland, now CEO of the $1.4 billion empire Kathy Ireland Worldwide, shared that as a child she went to a church where the pastor yelled a lot and she didn’t feel God’s love. But when she read the Bible for the first time at aged 18, she was surprised that Jesus wasn’t anything like she had imagined.

“He (Jesus) wasn’t condemning, he wasn’t yelling. He was loving and leading,” she said in the video. “And particularly as a young woman out in the world for the first time, in a world where it often felt like it was dominated by men of questionable character, it gave me such comfort to know that Jesus loves women and honors them. And Jesus Christ became my Lord, my Savior, my best friend.”

Although Ireland continued to read the Bible and Jesus remained a part of her life thereafter, she admitted regrettably that she remained a “baby Christian” for a long time. She read passages she liked repeatedly, while choosing to dismiss ones that she didn’t like as typos or not applying to her.

“Yeah, if you asked me I was a Christian. He was in my life. I loved him. I had him. But I was trying to mold God into what I wanted Him to be, rather than allowing Him to mold me into the person He made me to be,” she said.

Even after she allowed God to mold her as He sees fit, she struggled with being too self-reliant and being a “control freak.” Several years ago at a women’s retreat, Ireland felt God convict her while she was praying: “You say I am your first priority, but I’m not.” She acknowledged that she would say her faith was her first priority, then her family. But in reality, her kids were the top priority.

“And anything that comes before God is an idol, even if it’s something good,” said the devoted mother and wife.

At that moment she prayed to God about her difficulties, “With three kids, different ages, different needs, the business, I just felt so pulled in every direction. And I said, ‘I don’t know how.’ And He said, ‘Trust me in this. Put me first and I’ll give you more time with your kids. I’ll give you better time with your kids.’

“And He is so faithful. He’s just so faithful. For me, I just started getting up earlier and spending time with Him. And it would start out gradually and now I can’t get enough.”

The supermodel who became an evangelical Christian at aged 18 concluded, “When people ask me what are your goals, my goal in life is to grow closer to Jesus each day. To follow His lead for me. To stay on His path. To be obedient. And it’s just day by day.”

What would you give to sit at the feet of Jesus and ask all those questions you have about life, the universe, the past and the future? What would such an encounter be like? After reading Stan Guthrie’s book All That Jesus Asks, I’m convinced that it would be a mind-blowing and perhaps very uncomfortable experience. That’s because Jesus would be the one asking most of the questions. As Guthrie writes, “Jesus, the master teacher of history, asked probing questions of all who came to him .... He was intensely personal and ‘in your face.’ He frequently turned the tables on those around him, forcing them through his questions to confront issues of life and death, love and hate, heaven and hell.”

And, as Guthrie points out forcefully, Jesus’ questions recorded in Scripture are still turning tables, still forcing us to respond to Him. For example, Guthrie recounts the story of Jesus healing the woman who for 18 long years was hunched over like a boomerang because of a “disabling spirit.” The woman rejoices, but the synagogue ruler does not, objecting that the miracle has occurred on the Sabbath and that she should come for healing another day.

Guthrie writes, “Demanding that this woman bear up under her infirmity even one more day than she already has betrays a breathtaking ignorance of her plight.” Jesus’ questions, Guthrie notes, force us to examine whether we are just playing religious games. In this case, are we too committed to our own agendas to care for the hurting around us?

Guthrie continues. The synagogue ruler is like those among us today who complain about all those handicapped parking spaces taking up so much space at church. Would they rather have the disabled stay home? Really, folks.

We see that Jesus’ questions are much more than an intellectual challenge. They force us to examine our hearts. “Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox and his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it?” Jesus asks. “And ought not this woman,” the Lord continues, “a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” The questions of Jesus Christ, of course, are living questions. Not many of us still own oxen or donkeys, but we are all tempted toward hardheartedness and hypocrisy.

Another time, after healing a man with a withered hand, Jesus gets the same flak about doing “work” on the Sabbath. “Is it lawful on the Sabbath,” Jesus asks in response, “to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” As Guthrie notes, “This wording raises the stakes for all of us. Not only is it permitted to do good on the Sabbath; it is enjoined .... Saving lives is not a right; it is our responsibility.”

These penetrating questions and nearly three hundred more affirm our human dignity and demand our human responsibility before God. They force all of us, of whatever faith or no faith at all, to stop, listen and answer -- with our minds and our hearts.

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Copyright (c) 2011 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. "BreakPoint with Chuck Colson" is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.

The cross is shock therapy for a world addicted to solving its problems through violence. The cross shocks us into the devastating realization that our system of violence murdered God! The things hidden from the foundation of the world have now been revealed. The cross shames our ancient foundation of violence. The cross strips naked the principalities and powers. The cross tears down the façade of glory that we use to hide the bodies of slain victims.

In the light of the cross, we are to realize that if what we have built on Cain’s foundation is capable of murdering the Son of God, then whole edifice needs to come down. In the light of the cross, our war anthems lose their luster. But this throws us into a crisis. What other alternatives are there? How else are we to arrange the world? The alternative is what Jesus is offering us when he told us that the kingdom of God is at hand. God’s way of arranging the world around love and forgiveness is within reach. If we only dare to reach out for it, we can have it. But we are so afraid. We’re not sure we can risk it. It’s so hard for us to let go of the sword and take the hand of the Crucified One. It’s so hard for us to really believe in Jesus.

The crowd never believes in Jesus. Only the little flock that accepts its vulnerability can believe in Jesus. If you tell those rushing to war that their hatred of enemies and their plan for the organized killing of enemies is evil, the crowd will hate you. War is sacred. It lies beyond critique. To critique it is blasphemy. The crowd hates blasphemy. The crowd wants to kill blasphemers. The crowd knows that the criticism of their violence is blasphemy because they know their cause is just. They believe it. And from their perspective their cause is just. They can prove it. Both sides can prove it. Always.

Achilles knew his cause was just and that it was perfectly legitimate to drag Hector’s body from his chariot in front of the gates of Troy in a show of grotesque triumphalism. It’s the same grotesque impulse that causes modern soldiers to pose for gruesome photos with the bodies of dead enemies. It’s literally the way of the world. But it’s not the way of the new world founded by Jesus. Jesus is not the warrior king the world is accustomed to. Jesus is not the Jewish Achilles. Jesus refused to be the violent Messiah Israel longed for. Jesus did not kill Pilate and drag the governor’s body behind his chariot. Jesus did not pose triumphantly over the dead bodies of slain Roman soldiers. Instead it was Jesus who hung naked on a tree after being put to death through a state-sponsored execution. Jesus founded his kingdom in solidarity with brutalized victims. This is the gospel, but it’s hard for us to believe in a Jesus who would rather die than kill his enemies. It’s harder yet to believe in a Jesus who calls us to take up our own cross, follow him, and be willing to die rather than kill our enemies.

Many American Christians are fond of describing the United States as a “Christian nation” — which would mean a Christlike nation. With that in mind, here’s a wild thought experiment. Imagine if Jesus went to Washington D.C. Imagine that he is invited to give a speech to a joint session of Congress. (He’s Jesus after all, and I’m sure the senators and congressmen would be delighted to hear a speech from the founder of the world’s largest religion — if nothing else it would confer some dignity upon their institution.) Imagine that the speech Jesus gave was his most famous sermon — the Sermon on the Mount. Can you imagine that?

Jesus is introduced. (Standing ovation.) He stands before Congress and begins to deliver his speech. “Blessed are the poor ... the mourners ... the meek.” “Love your enemies.” “Turn the other cheek.” After a few perfunctory applauses early on, I’m pretty sure there would be a lot of squirming senators and uncomfortable congressmen. The room would sink into a tense silence. And when Jesus concluded his speech with a prophecy of the inevitable fall of the house that would not act upon his words, what would Congress do? Nothing. They would not act. They could not act. To act on Jesus’ words would undo their system. The Sermon on the Mount doesn’t work in Cain’s system — no matter how noble or sophisticated. In the end, the U.S. Congress would no more adopt the policies Jesus set out in the Sermon on the Mount than they were adopted by the Jewish Sanhedrin or the Roman Senate.

The Jesus way and conventional power politics don’t mix. So we tell Jesus to mind his own business — to go back to church and to “saving souls” and not to meddle in the real affairs of running the world. We sequester Jesus in a stained glass quarantine and appropriate a trillion dollars for the war machine. This begs the question of why Christians get so worked up over which side has the most representatives in Congress when the entire system is incapable of implementing what Jesus taught. Do you see what I mean? It’s hard to believe in Jesus! To believe in Jesus fully, to believe in Jesus as more than a personal savior, to believe in Jesus without qualifications, to believe in Jesus as God’s way to run the world, to believe in Jesus and his Sermon on the Mount, to believe in Jesus as the unimagined solution for a world gone wrong and not as merely chaplain or cheerleader for our favorite version of the status quo is very hard to do. It’s also very controversial.

If believing in Jesus were as easy as we pretend, it would have been easy for me to pass my 9/11 test. But it wasn’t easy. And I didn’t pass the test. I didn’t wrestle with what Jesus calls his followers to do in the Sermon on the Mount. It didn’t even cross my mind! I didn’t pray about what it means to love my enemies. I prayed a war prayer. I preached war sermons. Sermons like “The Road to Armageddon” and “Jesus, Jerusalem, and Jihad” — sermons in which I actually said, “We are at war with Islam.” I’m ashamed of it now; I can barely stand to look at those sermon notes. But I preached those sermons. And they were popular sermons! People loved them. The crowd told me those sermons were anointed. When I was preaching my war sermons, I never once received any criticism for them. Never once! Telling the crowd that God is on our side is never a bad career move.

But a few years later, when I encountered Jesus in a fresh and new way, when I began to take the “words in red” seriously, when I repented for my war prayers and war sermons, when I started preaching peace sermons, then criticism came. Oh, believe me, it came! People left the church over my “new direction.” My new direction was that I began to take the Sermon on the Mount seriously. My new direction was that I began to see the kingdom of Christ as God’s alternative society. My new direction was to believe that peacemakers are the children of God. And I learned a bitter lesson. I learned that it is much easier to unite people around a Jesus who hates our enemies and blesses our wars than it is to unite people around a Jesus who calls us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. It broke my heart to learn that people are not as easily drawn to a gospel of peace as they are to a rally for war.

But I couldn’t blame them. I had been the same way. I had endorsed war in the name of the Lord. I had prayed war prayers. I had preached war sermons. And if people became angry when I started praying peace prayers and preaching peace sermons, I couldn’t be surprised. I had been the same way. Believing in a Mars-like Messiah is easy. Believing in the Prince of Peace is hard.

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This is an adapted excerpt from Zahnd’s book, A Farewell To Mars.

A powerful, surprising, yet subtle theme throughout the Gospels, especially in the birth narratives, is the power of names. Over the last several decades, philosophers and social scientists have proposed that identity is fluid and words are no longer a stable way of knowing reality. Thus, in modern culture, words are thought to mask or construct reality rather than reveal it; truth is considered unknowable; and identity is reduced to a project of self-creation.

Names, then, are considered purely practical or decorative things. That’s why, although it’s difficult to track, some evidence suggests that more people are changing their names than ever before.

The power to name and be named is, in Scripture, uniquely granted to image bearers. Scripture is full of examples of naming children, family members, friends, lovers, enemies, and self. Adam names Eve; Moses names Joshua; Nebuchadnezzar’s chief of the eunuchs names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In the depths of her grief, Naomi re-names herself “Mara.” Humans also name cities, stuff, and animals.

Today, we approach language, particularly names and pronouns, with the assumption that we, and we alone, have a right to define our own reality. This ignores how much of the world is given to us, including the relationships into which we are born and that make up much of who we will become. Identity, in other words, is not “constructed.” It is, at least to a significant degree, received. For the vast majority of people, a name is the second gift their parents will ever give them, second only to life itself.

Contemporary Rabbi Benjamin Blech describes the importance of naming this way: “The Hebrew word for soul is neshamah. Central to that word, the middle two letters, shin and mem, make the word shem, Hebrew for ‘name.’ Your name is the key to your soul.”

For image bearers, names are not just blobs of letters, but a way of affirming identity, value, and history. Words mean something. This is ultimately because God spoke creation into existence. His Words made reality happen. “Let there be ... ,” He said and, as Rabbi Blech points out, that first sentence ends with the first name ever given: “light.”

Matthew’s telling of the birth of Christ includes unique details about Joseph.

Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying,

“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Note that the coming Messiah was announced using three names. Like His adopted father Joseph, He is a Son of David. Jesus is not an abstraction, but fully human, also connected with the good, the bad, and even the ugly aspects of Israel’s history. He is a descendant of both the prostitute Rahab and the faithful daughter-in-law Ruth, of the wicked King Ahaz and the shepherd boy after God’s own heart, David. He is the shoot that springs from the stump of Jesse, and the rightful heir to David’s throne.

He is Jesus, or in Hebrew Yeshua, which means “the Lord is salvation.” In other words, here the world first heard the name at which every knee will one day bow, “in heaven and on earth and under the earth” and which every tongue will confess to the Lord. It is the name confessed by countless martyrs and the only name under heaven by which mankind can be saved.

He is also revealed by the name “Immanuel,” God with us. He embodied, and will one day finally fulfill, God’s consistent, loving trajectory toward His people that is revealed throughout Holy Scripture. He is with us.

At Advent, we remember how Jesus stepped into this world and all that act implies. Though present from the foundation of the earth and having named so much of what was created, He, like us, was named. And we know so much about who He is because of the names He was given.

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Copyright (c) 2022 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. "BreakPoint" is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.

“The law is good if one uses it lawfully.” -- 1 Timothy 1:8

Evangelist Fred Brown used three illustrations to explain the proper use of God’s law. First, he likened the law to a dentist’s mirror. With that little mirror he can spot cavities. But the dentist doesn’t drill with the mirror. The mirror can reveal a cavity, but it can never repair it.

Brown then compared the law to a flashlight. If the lights in your home suddenly go out, you use a flashlight to guide you through the darkness to the electrical box. The flashlight enables you to see the blown fuse or tripped circuit-breaker, but you don’t insert the flashlight in its place.

In his third image, Brown likened the law to a plumb line. A builder uses a weighted string to see if his work is properly aligned. If he discovers a mistake, he doesn’t use the plumb line to correct it. He uses his hammer and saw.

The apostle Paul said, “We know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully” (1 Tim. 1:8). The law of God reveals the problem of sin, but it doesn’t provide a solution. The answer is found in Jesus Christ. He bore our guilt on the cross and now offers us new life. When we put our faith in Him as our personal Savior, He forgives us and enables us to live by His strength in ways that please Him. What the law can’t do, Christ can. Have you asked Him to be your Savior? -- HWR

FOR FURTHER STUDY

What does Galatians 3 say about our relationship to the law? (vv.11-14,24-25).

What can we learn about the law in Romans 8:1-4?

God’s law pinpoints our problem; God’s grace provides the solution.

Christ is the Word of God. It is not in certain texts written in the New Testament, valuable as they are; it is not in certain words which Jesus spoke, vast as is their preciousness; it is in the Word, which Jesus is, that the great manifestation of God is made.

... Phillips Brooks

The Revelation of God is not a book or a doctrine, but a living Person.

... Emil Brunner

Sermon in the series "The Quest for the Real Jesus," #4. Matthew 23:1-10

IF JESUS CAME TO LEDGEWOOD

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I. Jesus probably loved his cantor. [tie-in with anniversary of choir director]

II. How religious was Jesus?

A. He was an observant Jew.

B. He honored Judaism above other faiths.

C. He took issue with some Jewish practices.

III. Jesus had big problems with religious people.

A. He severely criticized them and even whipped some of them.

B. The main things Jesus had against the religious:

1) Hypocrisy.

2) Judgmentalism.

3) Commercialism.

4) Ritualism and superstition.

5) Phony religiosity.

IV. What religion can be.

A. Positive.

B. Realistic.

C. Compassionate and loving.

D. Self-controlled and holy in lifestyle.

E. Humble - drawing attention to God and not to us.

V. Our religion is a relationship.

In verse nine of the first chapter of the book of Mark, he introduces the reader to Jesus for the first time, writing, “In those days Jesus came.” The hero steps into view.

There are some books that I enjoy re-reading. I delight in the discovery. I celebrate the battles. I am stirred over the moral caliber of the best characters. One particular series is the Chronicles of Narnia. I am as familiar with these books as I am with the book of Mark. I know what's coming. I know what is said. I know the conclusion. But I just like going there again and again.

For example, re-entering Narnia through the wardrobe with the Pevensie children is a repeated thrill. They discover the whole land has been enchanted by the White Witch. She has cast a spell so that it is always winter and never Christmas. Suddenly, thick in the woods, they encounter a talking beaver who motions to them. He makes a statement that still burns in my imagination. “Aslan's on the move,” he says. “And some say he's already landed.” My heart races. The children do not know who Aslan is yet, but they do know it is good news.

Again, in the same series, Lucy finds herself upon a voyage to the unknown Eastern Seas of Narnia. They are caught in a black mist upon the ocean and cannot find their way out. To add to the threat, they discover this is the island where the darkest of dreams come true. The crew scatters throughout the boat, rows in circles, and frantically avoids any thought of bad dreams they have had. But their dreams close in upon them. The darkness grows thicker. Lucy climbs to the top lookout and shouts, “Aslan, if ever you loved us, send us help now!” A light shines ahead; something is flying in. Suddenly, with the whirring of wings, it comes clear: an Albatross. It guides them toward the bright world. But as it circles the mast, it speaks to Lucy and breathes on her. And she knows that it is Aslan Himself.

These moments bring goose-bumps. I try to remember, when I'm beginning the book of Mark, that this is the same kind of drama. A great winter has been laid upon the earth. Darkness has closed in. The promises of God are made and the prayers of the ancients are heard. “In those days Jesus came.” The great winter is about to thaw. Light shines in the darkness. Our epic hero has landed.

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Copyright © 2004 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

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