Right off the top of your head, what are your first thoughts about Jesus? No, don’t take long, this is a “right off the top of your head” kind of test! You get no grade from me, but Jesus might be interesting in what you know “right off the top of your head.”
My first thoughts were, 1) he obeyed his mother (John 2:5); 2) I thought of his sympathy toward the widow who was taking her only son to bury him in Nain, (Luke 7:11–17); 3) I thought of his kindness in feeding the 5,000 (Matt. 14:21), 4) I thought of his driving out the money changers out of the temple area (John 2:13-15); 5) I thought of his crying as he looked over Jerusalem, and knew they were lost and would remain lost, as they would not repent (Luke 19:41); 6) I thought of his words when John, who baptized, tried to refuse to baptize him, and he said to John, “thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness” ( Matt. 13:14); 7) I thought of his weeping in the garden, as great drops of blood running from his face, (Luke 22:44); 8) I thought of his words to John about his mother, as he hung upon the cross (John 19:26-27); 9) I thought of him on the cross, and saying to the malefactor who repented, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43); 10) I thought of his words in the garden: “nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42); 11) I remember his last words on the cross, “It is finished!” (John 19:30); 12) I thought of Jesus’ blood being shed on that “old rugged cross;” and finally, 13) I remember his last words on the cross: “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46).
So, take a little time, it shows all his love for mankind and what it means us! Here allow me to make a point, that many fail to understand. Look at Jesus, visualize him on the cross and ask yourself, what do I really see? If you see him taking your place, you are missing the truth! Sure, I know that many, many, people say this and believe it! Now, let us really think about Jesus on the cross and what was really taking place there.
If Jesus had not died upon the cross, just what would happen to our soul/spirit? Would we just have to die physically for our own sins? Then, having died, would we go to “paradise?” No, that would miss the whole of what salvation is about! Jesus did not take our place, in his death upon the cross! He was a ransom; he was our redemption; he was the price that had to be paid, so our souls could be saved! Peter addressed this subject: “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. 1:18-19). The word “redeemed” is the Greek, “lutroo,” and it means: “1) to release on receipt of ransom 2) to redeem, liberate by payment of ransom” (Thayer). You can see the entire thought is the payment for liberation, to be released upon receipt of the ransom payment!! Friends, please get this point, Jesus’ death on the cross was the payment for our liberation of our souls/spirit! By means of our sins, Satan held our souls/spirits captive; our souls/spirits were bound to eternal punishment, in hell!
Now, back to the subject we started out with: “What are your first thoughts about Jesus?” The reason for the question is that we are to have the same mind he had; as Paul wrote: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). If we know nothing about Jesus, if we have no thoughts about Jesus; how could we have same “mind” he had.
We need to spend a life time, studying the life of Jesus! Why? Because he is our life; without knowing Jesus we are spiritually dead; we are lost! Without knowing Jesus, what hope does a person have? We would have zero hope of being saved now; we will never see “Paradise;” and there will be no eternity in heaven! So, how well do you really know Jesus?
Frank R. Williams