Greetings in the name of Jesus, the Word made flesh!
What would happen if someone were to say and do the things we will hear Jesus doing this month? Would you follow Him or think this person is crazy? How politized would His words and actions be taken? Jesus, the light that no darkness has overcome, coming up out of the water of the Jordan with words emanating from the sky, turning water into wine, and remarking that an old scripture prophecy is now fulfilled would be extremely polarizing today.
These are the fundamental stories of how the disciples begin to follow Jesus. For good or for bad, these events reveal truth about Him. Some believed, some followed, some did not like what He said/did, some hated it. How much of that is still true today? No matter how faithful we are or how much trust we have in Jesus, people will fall into the categories listed two sentences ago.
Once the newness of the year wears off, where will we find ourselves? Will we be back in the same old, same old or would the new life in Jesus take hold? Are we able to see the words and works of Jesus for what they are, life and life abundant or will they be craziness that needs to be curtailed and dismissed? In what way does our relationship with Jesus, or lack of one, impact our relationship with others? Can we see others in the same way He does?
There is hope in all these questions. There also is no single correct answer to many of them as well. There is hope in the way Jesus responds to many in the examples listed above. He is the light shining for those who see Him, we are gifted through the Holy Spirit to sense God’s words all around us, we are present for miracles that do not have an easy explanation, we notice scripture taking root and impacting ourselves and others.
This is a time of hope. Hope in the future God is already a part of that we walk into. Hope that Jesus is with us as Emmanuel because He chooses to, and we have worth. This is the loving; caring God we believe in and hope we show to others. Let us have hope in Him, and each other.
I would like to take a moment to thank all who have reached out due to the news of the declining health of my father. I deeply appreciate your concern and prayers for my family and I. It means a great deal to me.
Pastor Chris