Jesus is so many things to me. My Saviour, my Lord, my friend just to name a few. One thing is for sure He gave me -or I should say He gave all of us the biggest and best gift of all! His love, His life, forgiveness and Eternal life!
- Jesus came to earth to show us how much God loves us and to show us what God is like. There are many names for Jesus and "Immanuel" is one of them. "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, "God with us." Matthew 1:23.
- Jesus gave up so much to come down here for us. Think about it God the son left Heaven a perfect, beautiful place.(John chapter1) He left His Father and all that went with being God and came here for us to be born a baby in a world that would treat Him cruelly and eventually crucify Him. And, all this because He loved us.
- He left Heaven because He knew what He had to do in order for us to be able to be with Him again. "And, she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:21
- Someone had to take our place- our punishment. Someone perfect, and that's where Jesus comes in, the perfect sacrifice- with His perfect unfailing and everlasting love. "...I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you." Jeremiah 31:3
- There is no greater love than the love that God and Jesus have for us. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:16-17. Can you imagine having to give up your child like that? And, think about the love Jesus has for us to give up all He had and come here and die for us!
- Jesus showed us how much He loves us. He also showed us what God is really like. "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14
- We notice in the verse above that "the Word" refers to Jesus. Jesus is also called the Lamb of God. "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29
- He took on our punishment for the Bible tells us what the penalty is for sin. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteem Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities;The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:4-6. This was their plan to reconcile us with them- they both gave so much - What an amazing love!
- We are told we can have peace. "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You. Because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you, not as the world gives so I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27
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He cares about us and He tells us to give all our cares to Him. "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7 We don't have to handle things on our own- that is very special to me.
- He tells us that sometimes in this world people can forget about others- even their family- but He will never forget about you. "Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you." Isaiah 49:15. He never forgets us. This world can be very cruel and so can people, but Jesus never forget us.
- He knows what we want or need even before we ask. "Before they call, I will answer, And while they are yet speaking, I will hear." Isaiah 65:24 This is how much He cares and how much He cares about what is going on in our lives.
- "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19
- The Bible also refers to Jesus and a Shepherd and we are the sheep. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want...Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me." Psalm 23:1,4. ( you can look it up and read all of it if you like) Jesus will take care of us.
- In John 15:4 & 5 Jesus tells us that we need Him. We can't do things by ourselves, but with Him we can. It uses the example of Jesus being the vine and us being the branches. We all know that the branches of a vine need the vine in order to get nourishment and to grow. We get our strength and nourishment from Jesus, we need Him. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." John 15:4-5. Verse 16 tells us that Jesus chose us. That makes me feel good to know that Jesus chose us. "You did not choose Me, but I chose you..."
- When Jesus was here He prayed for us. He prayed for those alive then and for others to come - us. John17:20 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word."
- Jesus wants us to have peace. John 16:33 " These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
- Jesus want us to be with Him and has a special place for us. John 14:1-3. "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And, if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." The Lord of the whole universe loves us and wants us with Him!
- Jesus is very compassionate. Here is an example of it: Matthew 14:14 " And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick."
- Even when Jesus was on the cross suffering and bleeding He was still thinking of others- very compassionate. He looked down and saw His Mother and wanted to make sure she would be taken care of. He also saw his disciple was there too. Jesus knew his disciple would take care of Mary like he would his own Mother. John 19:25-27 " Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!"And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home."
- The same amazing love God has for us also comes from Jesus and nothing can separate us from that love. Romans 8:38 & 39 "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."