Monday, January 30, 2006

Why Jesus?

Theologians call it the "scandal of particularity." Why incarnation? What does it mean to call Jesus the Word made flesh? Well, before diving into the many why's, how about just a few "who's" to begin with.

Who is this One called savior and lord,

Who was from the beginning, eternal Word?

Who is this One whose birth angels would foretell?

Who is this One in whom the fullness of God was pleased to dwell?

Who is this One?

Who is this One who touched and healed?

Who is this One in whom God is revealed?

Who is this One who calls us here,

Who gathers us in from far and near?

Who is this One?

Who is this One riding in on a colt?

Who is this One, the king of kings?

Who is this One called prince of peace, the hosannas sing?

Who is this One hung on a tree,

Whose life and death and life again somehow set us free?

Who is this One?

Who is this one with a table spread,

Who offers us this daily bread,

Who pours this cup and shares this wine, and calls us out to spread the vine?

Who is this One?

Who is Jesus -- for you?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jesus is the man who taught us how to live by living as a human himself. He is also God, somehow, so can walk with us on our journey along with God the creator of this wonderful world and the Spirit who sustains us through it all. While the details of his birth are unimportant to me the way he lived his life, the way he calls us is very important. He is our human/God link to that which is to huge to fully comprehend. He is the one who brings faith down to human size and models how to live. He shows us unconditional love.

Anonymous said...

Jesus, Wow!
Jesus, has always been a bit of a mystery to me. On one hand he is divine and on the other hand he is human. How can this be? I know that we have to accept his birth on faith alone but it is a puzzle. I have trouble sometimes when I read his comments about being the Son of God, the Light and the Way it makes me feel like he's conceited. But then when I read about his love and compassion for the poor, the oppressed, the sick and all those that grief I am filled with hope, with awe and a deep sense of being called by Him.
It took me years to accept the fact that He was calling me, calling me into a deep and loving relationship with Him and his beloved people even as I was being rejected by His followers for all sorts of reasons, which in the end really did not matter, because He was always there, letting me know that he loves me unconditionally.
So, Why Jesus?
Because He is the Way, the Light and the Truth. He was fully human , and so could really understand how hard it is to live in the world with all its
brokenness, power struggles and hate. But because He was fully devine He was able to assure us that we could have enternal life by following Him, God the Son.

Anonymous said...

James here... Jesus is so essential to my faith and my understanding of God. God is so mysterious -- who is he, what is he, why does he do the things he does? We have to do so much imagining to picture even a conception of what God could be. Jesus, on the other hand, was a vison of God manifested to look like us -- much more emotionally and physically imaginable vision of God. In Jesus, we have been given an example, a living example, of how God could appear on earth among us. Jesus makes the whole idea of God more real, and the stories about the things he did and the people he touched, give life to the idea of God's love for us. I keep thinking of how Jesus always went to the outcasts, the poor and the afflicted and it is such a visible lesson that these are the people God loves. And, if nothing else, it solidifies in my mind that the restrictive, judgemental and limiting approaches of some "Christians" and some denominations are so wrongheaded. That would not be so clear without Jesus. And, of course, he made the ultimate sacrifice for us. The actions of Jesus and who he touched underscore for me every day that I am attending a church that truly exemplifies God's love.

Anonymous said...

Jesus was an ordinary person just like you and me, who suffered, cried, bled, laughed, loved, celebrated people, called people to accountability, made God real for those who couldn't find God.

I think Jesus is different for each person. However I feel that the bottom line for us is that Jesus extended such a wide and deep grace to us, that we too are called into a ministry of wide and deep grace to people around us.

I think if Jesus were here today, he'd wear a bandana...He'd be radical, and stir the church our of complacency, to do ministry differently.

Like maybe with the poor, the sinner and the sick...

Anonymous said...

From Bryan: Jesus is the reason for my being. He is my protector. He comforts me. He guides me. He consols me. He beckons me to learn and grow. Jesus is awesome! He is my mother, my father, my brother...He is my rock.

Jesus is Lord. He is God made flesh. He is the part of God that emotes humanity; one to which we, as humans, can relate.

When I think of Jesus...and I mean really think about Him and everything He stands for....I want to cry...and sometimes I do...and it's a cry mixed with sadness and happiness because I feel so unworthy, and at the same time I know that how worthy I am is unimportant because I am forgiven becuause He loves me so much. I love Jesus! I mean come on. God (made flesh) came to earth and let humans mock Him and kill Him and he still loves us. That's pretty darn forgiving. Anyway...Jesus is the coolest.