HE STARTED AN UPSIDE DOWN KINGDOM
Some say that Jesus was scandalous. Despised by the powerful and religious. Loved by the outcasts. Defender of the poor.
The Creator of the world, who became human.
His mission? Nothing less than saving all mankind. To bring heaven and earth together again by inagurating a new kingdom. An upside down kingdom the world has never seen. In Jesus' kingdom, if you want to be great, you must humble yourself and serve the outcast. If you are poor or oppressed, Jesus gives you the spotlight.
His radical and wonderful teachings. They got him killed. Yes, man killed the God who made him. Crazy when you think of it. What kind of God would allow himself to be mocked? Mistreated? Feel pain? As the Roman guards whipped and nailed Jesus to a cross, Jesus was actually the one that was sustaining their very life and giving them the ability to kill Him.
He did this because there was a bigger story brewing that most people missed.
A BIGGER STORY
What would motivate God to die for people He created? Simple. Love. Let’s step backward in the story. Before there was creation, God existed as one God in three persons. That makes sense because God is love. By definition, love needs an object of love. There was perfect love and joy in the friendship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Out of His generosity, God created humans so that we could experience the joy of being included inside the friendship of the Tri-unity.
God created earth as a the perfect place where heaven and earth could overlap. Where God’s space and man’s space would be in perfect union. Then the story turned tragic.
The Bible records that mankind became proud and wanted to rule the earth on their own apart from God’s leadership. This rebellion infected the world with the disease called evil. This opened the door for the Evil One to gain a foothold in this world. In an instant, the perfect creation was polluted by sin. Man's desires, ambitions and actions turned in on itself and our hearts became self-serving.
And God’s heart was broken.
His children that He created had rejected Him. They were disconnected from His love and suffered the consequences. Like a branch cut from a tree, life on earth withered. The pollution of sin touched everything. Our connection to God. Our relationships with other people. Our care for the planet.
We were so broken that we were unable to fix the problem on our own. So God took the initiative. Jesus never ceased being God, but also became a man. Forever now a hybrid. Fully God and fully man. And allowed himself to be crucified. Taking upon himself the punishment all of mankind deserved for the rebellion and absorbing their sin. Jesus died. Really died. But the Father raised Him to life again through the power of the Holy Spirit. Through humility and sacrifice, the power of death and sin are broken forever. And new life - the union of heaven and earth is offered freely to anyone who wants it.
Your Place In The Story
What role do you play...in this epic story? You’ve got a past. That’s not a problem to God. He offers new life to everyone regardless of your background. He offers us all a deep, authentic connection to Himself. A transformed heart - from the inside out. He doesn’t force it. He waits for you to ask for it. To invite Him. He waits for you to say it. “I’m broken.” “I need you.
So, who is Jesus to you?
Some say He is a good moral teacher.
Some say He is a liar or even a lunatic.
Some say He is savior and the only way to connect with God.
What do you say?
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