When I was in college, I took a preaching class. One of the assignments for that class was to preach 3 different times outside of class. It could be for church, youth group, a nursing home, or any other opportunities for a ministry. One Sunday morning, I preached at a nursing home. I couldn’t tell you exactly what I preached on, but I do remember a conversation I had with a woman after the service. She asked if I knew this certain man named Jim, as I had shared an illustration involving a man named Jim from my home church. It was a different Jim, as it turned out. However, she told me that the Jim she knew just loved Jesus. She said that every time Jim talked about Jesus, he would get teary eyed. At the time, I honestly thought that was weird. But I didn’t know Jim. I didn’t even know Jesus as well as I should have at that time in my life. I was still a naive 22-year-old. I wondered why someone would get so emotional over Jesus. But I suppose the question I should have been asking is why don’t I get so emotional over Jesus.
Ironically, just a year or two after this, Brooke Ligertwood and Hillsong Worship released the song “What a Beautiful Name,” emphasizing how great Jesus is. I worry at times that we as a church get tired of hearing more about Jesus. I think that’s because for a time in my life, I got bored with Jesus. I knew the stories. I knew what He did on the cross. I wanted more. I wanted to know more. I felt that I’d “graduated” from Jesus. I was ready for deeper doctrine. How foolish I was!
As Jesus pointed out in John 6:29, the will of the Father is to believe in him whom He has sent. That’s the goal! Doctrine is important, but if you don’t know Jesus, it’s pointless! I’m reminded of the story of the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet in Luke 7. Jesus is having dinner at Simon the Pharisee’s house, and this sinful woman came in with perfume and anointed his feet and dried them with her hair. Simon then judged Jesus for letting this sinful woman do this. Jesus followed up with a parable of 2 people who owed money. One owed 50 denarii, the other 500 denarii. The one who loved the moneylender more is the one who was forgiven the larger debt. The woman probably wouldn’t have known much doctrine about God, certainly not as well as the Pharisees. But she understood who Jesus was. She understood His power to forgive sins. She understood that Jesus could change everything for her. That was something that at least some Pharisees missed, perhaps including Simon.
Now, I’m not suggesting you go on a sinning streak to understand the power of God to forgive your sins. Romans 6 warns of doing this. But let us not fall into the trap of thinking that Jesus’ story is basic. It is anything but basic. It’s the cornerstone. To know Jesus is the greatest thing in the world. It’s what we were created to do. I’m thankful to my New Testament professor in college that retaught me Jesus. His name is Freddy Johnson. We just called him Freddy J. He radiated Jesus more than anyone I’ve ever met. He understood the power of Jesus. Maybe that’s why he was so joyful all the time. I don’t think he ever stopped smiling. That’s the power Jesus can have on our lives.
So, what power does Jesus have in your life? Is He just someone we talk about at church? Is He someone you know a lot about from the Bible? Or is He someone you walk with every day? Is He someone you don’t just know a lot about, but someone who you know intimately? That’s what Jesus wants for us. He wants to know us intimately, and that is a beautiful thing when you think about it. This Jesus, who was on His throne in heaven, came down for us. Paul describes it beautifully in Philippians 2:5-11, which says, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
I hope you don’t miss this, because I did in my younger years. Once you realize the greatness of what Jesus did, it becomes easy to shed a tear or two when you talk about Him, just like Jim did. And the words, “What a beautiful name it is, the name of Jesus Christ my king” become much easier to use and to love.
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” -Acts 4:12 (NIV)
