The invitation is issued... how will you come?

The determination of people will define how they come to Jesus. Our text records: “When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof…”

For some people reading this blog, if you had been one of those carrying a paralyzed friend to Jesus, and when you got there and saw the place was too crowded, would have just shrugged and said, “Oh, well … maybe another time.” Some people have no problem taking “no” for an answer.

But not these guys. These friends would not take "no" for an answer. They hit a traffic jam … and they simply shifted into four-wheel drive.

They climbed up on the roof, ripped up the sticks, straw, and mud between the beams and lowered their paralyzed friend into the room where Jesus was teaching. I want you to notice that … it didn’t … bother … Jesus.

Jesus didn’t say, “Whoa, whoa, I’m in the middle of something!” He didn’t call for security.

He apparently stopped what He was doing and gave the paralyzed man His attention.

Don’t miss that. Jesus, the Son of Man, is infinitely approachable.

What made those men think they could do this?  What made them go to such trouble?

What made them keep going? I believe that’s in verse 20: “When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

They had faith. They believed Jesus would see them. They believed He would notice their friend. They believed He could do something no one else could do. And Jesus hasn’t changed. In all these years, Jesus hasn’t changed. The Son of Man is infinitely approachable.

He will not turn you away. He will not laugh in your face. He will not turn up His nose at you. But He also won’t force Himself on you. He will wait for you to come.

So come. Whatever your past, whatever your issues, whatever your excuses or obstacles or objections may be, just come to Jesus in faith. Let nothing stand in your way. Let nothing keep you away. Come to Jesus….

You know I love ya, Don

Jesus the Son of Man... infinitely approachable!

The sick, hurting, and dying need the SON of MAN…

You have probably heard it before. There is a saying commonly attributed to Marie Antoinette,  the Austrian princess who became queen of France after marrying Louis the Sixteenth.  Legend says that when she was informed that her subjects, the French peasants, were starving because they had no bread, she naively answered, “Let them eat cake!” While there is no evidence she ever said those words, she was nonetheless beheaded in the early days of the French Revolution.

But the legend lives on, and has come to symbolize a person who is spoiled and privileged, and out of touch with common people and everyday life—like a queen who would assume that someone who has run out of bread could eat cake instead.

It is a common failing of the rich and powerful. Someone who has been raised in a wealthy family may have trouble understanding what it is like to work hard and still not be able to make ends meet.  …a person that cannot relate to the people they lead.

Politicians and presidents are sometimes lampooned because they don’t know how to use a grocery store scanner, or because they’re caught without cash in a sandwich shop or don’t have to pay their own insurance premiums.

And then there’s the rest of us. We get an overdraft notice or a shutoff notice, and we wonder if there’s anyone who really knows how bad that feels. Someone treats us like dirt, and we sense there’s no one else who truly understands how that feels.

We doubt ourselves, disappoint ourselves, and think that no one could possibly identify with us. This past week, I played keyboard in the Orchestra Pit for the BEA Production of Shrek…that music is fast, detailed and HARD…I had to take it to the woodshed a few times. My fingers have not done that type of playing for a long time…I started to doubt…be disappointed…alone. With a little hard work…and a lot of prayer…it was a good show and a memory that many will never forget…my fingers finally caught up.

If any of that is close to what it feels like to be you, you are not alone today.

In fact, you couldn’t be less alone because of what God has to say to you through His Word today. Today we begin a series of sermons and worship experiences examining the questions concerning “Who is Jesus?”

Jesus called himself the Son of Man. In fact, He is called “Son of Man” eighty-eight times in the New Testament. He said: “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” —Matthew 8:20, NIV He also said: “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” —Matthew 12:8, NIV

And so on. Many would have recognized it as a reference to the prophecy of Daniel, from hundreds of years earlier, who wrote:

I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. —Daniel 7:13–14, NIV

When Jesus called himself “Son of Man,” He was making a clear reference to His identity as the promised Messiah. But the phrase “Son of Man” also refers to the fact that Jesus shares in our humanity. Jesus could relate to our human-ness.

Of course, the Jews of Jesus’ day expected the Messiah to be fully human. Jesus did not surprise anyone by being human; He surprised them by being much more than fully human.

And so the title, “Son of Man,” means that Jesus is not out of touch…more in touch!

He knows what it’s like to work hard; He knows what a blister feels like.

He knows what it’s like to have bills to pay; He helped support his family.

He knows what it’s like to face disappointment, rejection, betrayal, and grief.

He knows what it’s like to be you. He is able to identify with you in your sorrows and sufferings, as well as in your pleasures and successes. Who is Jesus? He is the Son of Man. As the Son of Man, Jesus understands our human nature. Because the proof overwhelming shows God’s desire to know us and our human nature, we are able to embrace Him.

He knows us better than you we know ourselves...you know I love ya, Don