That You May Believe - Week 8 Recap
Is it possible that we can become so familiar with Jesus that we forget who He is? That we only see Him in light of the stories we have heard of Him and what He has done?
Jesus makes the statement "a prophet has no honor in his hometown" in John chapter 4. What does that mean, and how does that apply to me? Does the statement mean that I can't be an effective disciple for Christ where I have grownup? Do I need to relocate geographically? Those that welcomed Jesus that day in Galilee welcomed Him only because of the miracle that He had done there previously where He had turned the water into wine. They were extremely familiar with what He had done yet had no desire to know Him past that. Their dishonor ventured far beyond this just being hometown friends. It was much more about how they viewed Jesus as the Incarnate Christ, sovereign and providential over all the creative order. So, yes, it is possible to become so familiar with Jesus that we fail to submit and surrender to who He actually is.
We awake each morning and exist in His creative order. Due to familiarity with the world that we inhabit, we fail to see His common graces. We gathered this week with family and friends and failed to see that Jesus, along with the Father and Holy Spirit, perfectly model community. We arrive at work, gifted skillsets that a loving God has gifted us with through grace. We attend church week after week and talk about the church being a safe space to deal with our issues, wounds, and our past. We have become so familiar with the language that we have forgotten whose presence we are in.
This Jesus, the incarnate Christ who, while surrounded by those hometown friends who only want what Him for what He does, in the middle of that atmosphere does what we might consider ridiculous. Jesus hears and senses the heart of a member of the wicked King Herod's court. He feels the brokenness of a Father concerned for the life of his ill son, and Jesus performs a miracle.
What happens when grace and faith collide could look absurd and bizarre outside of a desire to want to know who Jesus is in a greater way. It's the difference between just information and transformation.
Scripture
John 4:43-54
John 2:23-25
Hebrews 11
John 1:16
Let's Chat
Let's keep the conversation going. Use the following questions to discuss with your family, friends, or discussion group.
So, for a moment, use your imagination. Jesus shows up in your town, where He previously performed a miracle.
1. So, for a moment, use your imagination. Jesus shows up in your town, where He previously performed a miracle. What is your first thought? Can't wait to see another miracle, or I want to get to know the person behind the miracle?
2. If the point of miracles in the Gospel of John is that the point is not the miracle itself, but the source of the miracle, then how does that change how we approach Jesus? How does that change our prayer life? How does that change our worship life? How does that change our relationship?
Take a moment, a pause in your daily routine, and meditate on who He is. Miracles happen and will continue to happen, but the greatest of all miracles is to know Him.
Miss Sunday?
If you didn't get a chance to hear Sunday's message, check out the link below to watch. (Sunday message videos are usually available Sunday afternoon.)
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