Consider Jesus
I've been doing sort of a daily devotional type thing through Hebrews. On Day 3 of the journey, the scripture was Hebrews 3:1-6 and the writer tied it to verses in John 3 and Isaiah 9 and Romans 11 where all of these verses point to Jesus as the faithful Son of God. As I read the first verse words jumped off the page at me and said "think about this!!!". Ironically (but not) that is exactly what it says.
Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God's[b] house.
Now that was verses 1 and 2 of chapter 3 and they are all very important but it was only two words that almost literally jumped off the page at me. Two words... "consider Jesus". If you look at the same verse in the NLT translation that phrase is written "think carefully about this Jesus". That's exactly what consider means, to think carefully. Those two words were so convicting to me at that moment that I haven't been able to stop meditating on them since last week. The question occurs to me: how often do I stop and think carefully about this Jesus? The same Jesus who as we approach the ThanksChristmasgiving season I will celebrate the birth of?
Yes, I think about him every Sunday as I listen to Bro. Kyle preach. Yes, I think about him as I'm giving him my laundry list of wants. Yes I think about him when I plan the lesson each week for Kids Church and my Kids Life Group, but how often do I think carefully about him? How often do I just drink in the wonders of the manger and the cross? How often do I read the miracles he performed and just really let it sink in that he is teaching me some 2000+ years later what God's heart really is because his written words are still alive and active. How often do I carefully consider Jesus before I speak words to a stranger knowing that I can be the one who points them to him or turns them away from him? How often do I think carefully about the hell that he has saved me from and does it bring me to my knees like it should? Jesus is not a warm fuzzy feeling that we get by showing up for church and raising our hands during the praise songs (a former pastor of mine would say "that's enchiladas"), he is our Salvation and our Truth. Do we ever stop to carefully consider what that really means...not on a Sunday? I challenge you to take time to carefully consider this Jesus every day that he gives you breath.
Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God's[b] house.
Now that was verses 1 and 2 of chapter 3 and they are all very important but it was only two words that almost literally jumped off the page at me. Two words... "consider Jesus". If you look at the same verse in the NLT translation that phrase is written "think carefully about this Jesus". That's exactly what consider means, to think carefully. Those two words were so convicting to me at that moment that I haven't been able to stop meditating on them since last week. The question occurs to me: how often do I stop and think carefully about this Jesus? The same Jesus who as we approach the ThanksChristmasgiving season I will celebrate the birth of?
Yes, I think about him every Sunday as I listen to Bro. Kyle preach. Yes, I think about him as I'm giving him my laundry list of wants. Yes I think about him when I plan the lesson each week for Kids Church and my Kids Life Group, but how often do I think carefully about him? How often do I just drink in the wonders of the manger and the cross? How often do I read the miracles he performed and just really let it sink in that he is teaching me some 2000+ years later what God's heart really is because his written words are still alive and active. How often do I carefully consider Jesus before I speak words to a stranger knowing that I can be the one who points them to him or turns them away from him? How often do I think carefully about the hell that he has saved me from and does it bring me to my knees like it should? Jesus is not a warm fuzzy feeling that we get by showing up for church and raising our hands during the praise songs (a former pastor of mine would say "that's enchiladas"), he is our Salvation and our Truth. Do we ever stop to carefully consider what that really means...not on a Sunday? I challenge you to take time to carefully consider this Jesus every day that he gives you breath.