Hope, Healing & Freedom Podcast: Episode 165
TRANSCRIPT
People all around the world know the emergency phone number for their country. It is 911 for those of us in North America, I believe it is 999 in the UK, and 112 in Europe. We know that you only dial those numbers when you need emergency services like an ambulance, or the police, or the fire department. Unfortunately, many people have a 911 relationship with Jesus. They only call on Him when they are in an emergency. Yes, Jesus will be there for you when you are in a crisis, but He is much more than a 911 Jesus.
I’m Lee Whitman with Restoring the Foundations and I welcome you into this Hope Healing and Freedom Podcast. Cindi and I have a friend who only calls us when they are in a crisis. And they call to ask us to pray for them. When there is not a crisis, they tend to ignore Jesus and live life the way they want to live it. But when the crisis comes, they are putting in a call to 911 Jesus. The verse for today is John 10:10 which says, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” I am really glad that this friend recognizes that in a crisis the best friend you can have is Jesus. My concern for them, and for many like them, is that they are missing out on so much more that is available in their relationship with Jesus.
My wife Cindi also says that many people have a drive-thru Jesus mentality. Those are the people who pick and choose the part of their relationship with Jesus that they want and ignore the rest of what is available. In this podcast I am going to look at some of the stories about Jesus, stories that you are probably very familiar with, and talk through them to help us recognize and appreciate the gift we have in Jesus.
This podcast is definitely coming from where I am right now in my relationship with Jesus. I found myself getting into a rut of sorts in my walk with Jesus where my relationship became a routine. It was becoming void of that special intimate experience that Jesus offers and desires to have with us. What helped to snap me out of this was a conversation I had with our 911 Jesus friend. I began to realize that I was getting into a routine that was devoid of relationship. Cindi is great about spending time each morning reading her bible and worshiping with her friends on YouTube. I found myself getting up in the morning and going to the gym and then heading straight into the business of our workday. And of course I would talk to Jesus during my day, but it was becoming more of a 911 Jesus conversation rather than an intimate encounter.
Let’s look at a couple of the famous stories in the bible about Jesus to see more of who He really is. I want to begin with Jesus’ baptism. It is written about in three places in the bible, Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, and Luke 3:21-22. I am looking specifically at Matthew 3 because it gives more of a description. It says in verses 13-17, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”
But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.
When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Notice first of all the humility of Jesus. He was the very Son of God, yet He presented Himself to this bug eating wilderness preacher to be baptized by him. John was a wildman. He did not fit in with many social circles, in fact he offended many of the religious leaders of his day. But here we see that Jesus was willing to allow John to baptize Him. Some people have a hard time connecting to Jesus because they believe He is too good for them. This is a picture of the Son of God, a member of the trinity of Father Son and Holy Spirit, making Himself of no reputation and allowing John to baptize Him. John is right, Jesus should be the one baptizing John, instead of the other way around.
When Jesus came up out of the water, a voice came from Heaven (I’m sure the voice sounded just like James Earl Jones) and said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” What an incredible statement of intimacy. Father God is so excited about His Son Jesus, that He speaks from heaven and lets the whole earth know of His love for His Son. God wants to have that same intimacy with you and me. In Galatians 4:6 it says, “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out “Abba Father.” The Trinity, Father God, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are saying the same thing to you that they said to Jesus, “This is my beloved son or daughter, in whom we are well pleased.”
Another wonderful story about Jesus is found in Luke 8. It is the story of the woman who could not stop bleeding. In that day, she would have been an outcast and forbidden to be in public because of her bleeding. Jesus was on a mission to get somewhere and was being pressed on all sides by the multitudes. This woman could not walk up to Him, so she crawled on her hands and knees and simply touched the hem of Jesus robe and she was healed. Jesus felt the power leave Him and stopped and asked two times, “Who touched me?” I am sure this woman was terrified about what Jesus was going to say to her since it was forbidden for her to touch Him. Let’s look at what Luke 8:46-48 says. “But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” Jesus had places to go and people to see, in fact He was on His way to raise a little girl from the dead but look at what happens here. This desperate woman touched Him and was instantly healed. Even though Jesus was busy, He stopped to talk to this woman. I can only imagine the fear this woman felt because she had been shunned and rejected by the Jews for twelve years. She knew she should not be seen in public, much less touching Jesus. But He stops what He is doing to meet with this woman. Remember, she had already been healed by touching His robe, so there was no need for Him to stop. He could have just continued his way. Yet there was a very important reason that he stopped. He stopped so He could look this rejected and despised woman in the eyes and tell her of His love for her. “Daughter”, He calls her. What a statement of intimacy. Jesus is never too busy to share intimate moments with His children.
Peter is one of my favorite people in the bible because he is so real. Peter makes a lot of mistakes, yet Jesus continues to show confidence in him. I love that because I make a lot of mistakes, and I am so glad that Jesus continues to use me anyways. We know that Peter is about to deny Christ three times, yet Jesus makes an incredible statement about Peter. The story is found in Luke 22:31-32. “And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” Jesus knows that Peter is going to mess up big time. He knows that Peter is going to turn His back on Jesus and deny him even going so far as to curse and say he never knew Jesus. Look at the incredible love and confidence that Jesus shows for Peter. He says, “and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brothers.” Wow! Jesus is looking beyond Peters failure and is speaking destiny into Peter. When you return, not if you return. He knows that Peter is going to fail. Yet instead of focusing on Peters failure, He is focused on Peters destiny. When you have returned, strengthen your brothers. And that is exactly what Peter did. Peter became the Rock that the new church was built upon. Peter preached one of the greatest sermons of all time that kicked off this new church. What I see in this story is that Jesus does not focus on our past, but instead He is focused on our future. What an amazing friend who can look beyond our failures and continue to speak destiny into us.
One more story, and this might seem like a strange story to include. It is the story of Jesus crucifixion. I am not going to rehash all of the incredible brutality that Jesus suffered before He was nailed to the cross. If you have not seen Mel Gibsons The Passion of the Christ, it is a very good but very graphic depiction of what Jesus went through in going to the cross for you and me. I want to focus on what happened while He was on the cross. There were three men being crucified that day. Two of them deserved this horrible punishment. One did not. While they hung on the cross, the soldiers and officials ridiculed and made fun of Jesus. Even one of the criminals that hung next to Jesus on the cross blasphemed Jesus by saying “If you are the Christ, save Yourself.” The account goes on in Luke 23:40-43. “But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Even on the cross while Jesus’ life was being wrongfully taken from Him, He shows mercy to a man who deserved this punishment. There are a couple of interesting aspects to this story. First the man didn’t do all of the things we say are necessary in order for someone to be saved. He didn’t repent for his sins. He didn’t get baptized. He didn’t publicly acknowledge his belief in Jesus as his savior. He simply said, “Remember me when You come into Your Kingdom. “Yet Jesus knew that this man’s heart had changed and He told the man that he will be with Jesus in paradise. Jesus was being wrongfully murdered, yet His thoughts were on this sinful man. That is an amazing Jesus.
I publish this podcast in an attempt to help us not miss out on relationship with this amazing Jesus. I don’t want you to fall into the rut that I was in of living my life with Jesus out of a routine. This life we have in Christ is not a routine. It is an active, intimate adventure with twists and turns all along the way. As Jesus said, I came to give you life and that life more abundantly!
PRAYER
Father God You are so good to us. You have invited us to be adopted as Your children into a life that continues to get better and better as we grow along. Would you forgive me for getting into the rut of routine and not allowing myself to experience the excitement of our relationship. Would You help each one of us to not settle for less than all that Jesus came to give us. Your Word calls Jesus the friend that sticks closer than a brother. Thank You Father God and Thank You Jesus for never giving up on us.
Thank you for joining us on this Hope Healing and Freedom podcast. We look forward to being with you again next week.
