After practically three years of not going to a Bible class,
it is weird to be back in a classroom of my peers on a Sunday morning. Although I definitely miss the youth
ministry, I am really enjoying opening the Word each Sunday morning and
discussing with my class.
This morning our class focused on Jesus as the messiah and
the different images that people during Jesus’ time would have associated with
that word. Some thought the messiah was
going to come and rule over them as a king.
Some thought the messiah was going to be a military leader. Everyone had developed their own idea of whom
Jesus was going to be.
When Jesus showed up, He didn’t fit the mold that most people
had made for him to fit. Jesus wasn’t
what most people were expecting as a messiah.
In fact, Jesus was the complete opposite of what many of the religious
leaders of the day were expecting.
We talked a little bit about how we sometimes mold Jesus
into who we want Him to be. We mold Him
so that He is in support of everything we do or support. We read Him into the image that we want Him
to be. We view Him in a way that keeps
us comfortable where we are. We pick out
the scriptures about Jesus that keep us comfortable and we neglect the ones
that might step on our toes or call us to change.
So many of the old religious leaders missed the messiah
because he wasn’t what they expected. He
wasn’t enough for them. Today as we were
leaving class, Josh left us with one final question to ponder, “Is Jesus
enough?” Is Jesus enough, or do we have
other expectations that come along with Him?
That question led me to think about the Garden of Eden and
how the serpent deceived Eve. Satan is
really tricky. He likes to make us think
that God is holding out on us. The serpent
tricked Eve by convincing her that God was withholding good from her. I think He tries to do the same to us
today. He tries to convince us that
Jesus wasn’t enough and that God is withholding good from us.
We sometimes think that we deserve Jesus +
___________________________. Jesus + a
good job. Jesus + good health. Jesus + a
big house. Those things aren’t
necessarily bad, but my hope is that I learn to say no matter the circumstance,
Jesus you are enough. Jesus asked His
apostles to give up a lot to follow Him.
They gave up their homes, their families, their comfort, their normal
routine and followed our Savior. In the
storm, Jesus you are enough. On the
mountain top, Jesus you are enough. When
this world passes away and we see our Savior face to face, Praise God, JESUS
YOU ARE ENOUGH!
“I am THE way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me.”
John 14:6
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
