Throughout Christian history, there have been people who believed in Jesus and those who rejected Jesus. The same is true today. It is frustrating and heartbreaking to share the Gospel only to find that the message of love, hope, and forgiveness falls on deaf ears. Even when Jesus walked the earth, there were those who would not believe in Him; however, He never let the disbelief of some prevent Him from proclaiming the Gospel or the Good News! In the same manner, we need to proclaim the Gospel of Christ by words and deeds. Show More
Jesus came to save the lost.
When you are lost, you are seeking direction to get out of your situation. I remember being lost in the forest with no map, compass, or GPS. I was so confident in my own ability to find a way out. The deeper into the woods, the more concerned I was that I could find my way out. After a few hours, I realized I was totally lost. All I could think of was to find a road or path leading back to civilization. In other words, I was seeking physical rescue! The good news is that I did find my way, but the point is that I didn’t know I was lost. I leaned on my understanding and sense of direction. The truth is in the forest, all the trees and bushes look the same.
Before I was born again, I was an atheist. I gave up on God, but God did not give up on me. Jesus pursued me for five years before the truth became real to me; that I was lost! It is the very same with people we share Jesus with. Some accept gladly because they realize they are lost, and Jesus provides the way. However, some don’t realize they are lost; they trust in their own ability, talents, and resources. For them, they are not ready for the Gospel, but that doesn’t mean they will never be ready to hear the truth that Jesus saves.
In a sense, when I accepted Jesus, I was like a ripe fruit falling off the tree into my Savior’s hand. Before that time, I was like that unripe fruit, so difficult to pick. Often that is the way with people when we share the Gospel; some are ripe, and some are unripe. Our prayer should be that those who are not ready to receive Jesus today will be ready to receive Him tomorrow.
Remember that Jesus experienced the same hardships of rejection, misunderstanding, and persecution you may be facing today; however, Jesus never gives up, and neither should you!
Ways in which people come to Jesus
As we see in the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ ministry, some came to Him for different reasons:
- Some came because of the prophecies of the Old Testament
- Some came because they believed in the promises Jesus made
- Some came because they saw the signs and wonders Jesus performed
Whatever way people came to Jesus, they all had one thing in common, they all came by faith. Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
For the Jews, it was through the logos word of scripture, the written word of the Old Testament. Their righteousness came in following the Law of Moses. They believed that a Messiah was foretold and because Jesus fulfilled so many of the prophesies, they believed He was the Messiah or Christ.
For the non-Jews, that means us, faith comes through the rhema word of God, and rhema means spoken word of God; that is when the New Testament speaks to us through the work of the Holy Spirit. Because of the Holy Spirit living in the Believer, God can speak to us as believers. (Read 1 Corinthians 2)
Finally, Jesus also used signs and wonders to stir up faith in all peoples. A sign is something that points to something else. For instance, a stop sign points to an intersection, or a billboard points to a business. Miraculous signs point to the miracle worker, Jesus. Wonders, on the other hand, make people wonder about the things of God and desire to know more.
Let’s take a closer look at these three avenues to salvation
They came to Jesus because of Old Testament Prophesies.
Jesus fulfilled over 300 Old Testament prophesies about the coming Messiah (Gk. Christ). Some of the Jews in Jesus’ time knew the scriptures and gladly accepted Him as the Son of God. While others, especially the Jewish leaders, were concerned more about money, position, and possible retribution by the Romans if Jesus was ever proclaimed King of Israel.
Listen to what Jesus said to those religious leaders who rejected Him in John 5:39, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” Jesus was saying that although they were experts in the Old Testament scriptures, their faith was in the book instead of the author of the book, God. They worshipped the creation, the Law of Moses, instead of the Creator. This may sound strange coming from a Bible-believing Christian, but the Bible does not save, the Bible points to the one who saves, Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ words, “no one comes to the Father except through Me! (John 14:6)
They came to Jesus because of the promises He made
The Bible is a book of promises, and Jesus made many promises in the four Gospels, and I have taken ten of them to study. They are promises made by Jesus, the Son of God, God Himself; therefore, we can put our faith in His words. God cannot lie and has the power and authority to make every promise come to pass. The following are great memory verses to help you glorify Jesus in your life. From the time Jesus walked the earth until today, multitudes of people have been saved by trusting in the words of Jesus.
- Jesus promised that if we come to Him when we are weary and tired, He will give us rest. Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
- When you think you are facing the impossible, Jesus said in Matthew 19:26, “But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
- Jesus said when you’re ready to give up because of hardship or persecution, focus on Him; Matthew 24:13, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”
- Jesus said when you need encouragement, encourage yourself in the Lord, 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.“
- When your faith or confidence in the Lord is low, recall what Jesus said in Mark 11:24, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
- When you stray from the righteous path or backslide, remember what Jesus said in John 15:3, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” Jesus’ grace is always sufficient.
- When you don’t sense God’s calling on your life, remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:14, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
- When your priorities in life become confused, Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
- When you begin to doubt your value to God, Jesus said in Matthew 6:26, “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”
- When you are facing impossible odds or circumstances, remember that Jesus said in Mark 9:2, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
They came to Jesus because of the signs and wonders He performed.
Jesus said in John 10:37, “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” In this case, Jesus appealed to those who had doubts about His promises or did not know the prophecies concerning Him, but there could be no doubt about the miracles He performed.
Jesus performed so many miracles, signs, and wonders in the four Gospels. My favorite Gospel is the Gospel of John because you can sense how much John, the writer, loved Jesus and recognized that He was God in the flesh. John wrote in such a personal way. When Jesus was with His disciples at the Last Supper, John wrote about himself in John 13:23; “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.” Clearly, John was perhaps bragging a little about his favored position with Jesus.
My wife, Dee, often jokingly tells me that “God loves the world, but I am His favorite!” Now in truth, we know that God is not a respecter of persons; all Believers are on equal standing in His eyes. However, knowing God loves you because you put your trust in what Jesus did for you brings love, joy, and peace.
Over the next several episodes, I will be looking at the seven miracles, signs, and wonders found in the gospel of John, and they are:
- The turning water into wine (John 2:1-12)
- The healing of the royal official’s son John (4:46-54)
- The healing of a paralytic man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-17)
- The feeding of the five thousand (John 6:1-14)
- Jesus walking on water (John 6:15-25)
- The healing of the blind man born blind (John 9:1-41)
- The raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-46)
My Testimony About Healing
As I close today, let me tell you about a miracle and a sign I experienced as a new Christian. My father-in-law came to live with us after suffering a heart attack, heart surgery, and a stroke. He was partially paralyzed on the right side; as a result, he walked with a cane, and his right arm was useless; it would just hang by his side. While he lived with us, he came to know the Lord.
At the time, I didn’t believe that healing was for today; my background in science prevented me from understanding that nothing is impossible with God. Anyhow, my father-in-law heard about a healing service in a distant town and arranged to go with some friends; I chose not to go because I didn’t believe in healing. Well, when he came back that night, he walked into the room without a cane, shook my hand with the arm that was paralyzed before, sat down at the table, and signed his name on a piece of paper for the first time in several years.
You see, my father-in-law received a miracle, but I received a sign… God still heals today. From that day forward, I became a firm believer in the whole Gospel; Jesus heals the heart, the mind, and the body. My Father in -law’s total healing was a sign to me; it was a sign pointing to a God that heals even today.