There is so much to say about Jesus, the Christ. I cannot imagine what a preacher does in his/her preparation for a sermon presentation if his/her work fails to include information about Jesus and an invitation to come to know Jesus.
What does the Church have if we do not have Jesus?
Why do we pretend the Church matters at all without a keen emphasis on Jesus in all we do and say?
Here are some things we should know/say/teach about our Lord.
Jesus identifies positively with this world.
Jesus is Agent of Divine Creation. Jesus is the Living Word of God, the Logos, The Logos is eternal, present with the Father in a way common humanity cannot presume and, therefore, is present at the Creation as the Agent of Creation (John 1:1-3. Some modern scholarship removed the title Logos from Jesus as bastardized Platonism, but the Written Word of God (the Bible) does not shrink from this honorific, as aware of Plato as they may have been.
Why does it matter to announce Jesus is the Creative Agent?
I could use the authoritarian approach. I could just say, “The Bible says so, The Church says so. Work out the purpose of it for yourself.”
I choose instead to offer this explanation. Jesus is the Agent of Divine Creation and this matters because this teaching allows us to maintain this certainty; this is the best of all possible worlds, in its primal state.
Yes, humankind mars the world with our lack of stewardship over its resources. This in no way means the world we inhabit is less sacred in its inception.
Put it this way. God makes meadows, humankind plants mine fields.
Jesus identifies with our world as Creative Agent. This is the best of all possible worlds. The argument then follows this world and its inhabitants are lovingly, beautifully created because God does not make junk. God does not make a junk world or trash people.
What we believe/say/teach about Jesus as Creative Agent matters because it informs what we believe about the world, the human relationship to the world and humans in general. We set aside this teaching at our own peril.
Jesus identifies with this world as He illuminates the world’s inhabitants with his life light. His life light is so powerful the darkness of dismal sin cannot overwhelm Him, John 1:4,5. Jesus lights up a life when He enters.
I had a friend, Mr. Edward’s. Mr. Edwards was one of those people born to service. The first time I saw him, I thought he was a politician or an educator. I often described him as “the kind of guy who carried his own lights around with him.”
Jesus carries His own lights around with Him. He lights up the world, so great is He.
What does this matter?
Jesus identifies with this world as the Life Light of the World. I can faithfully say I do not know anyone who has ever declined because they have taken on the light of Jesus. I do know people who lose jobs, suffer discrimination and even persecution because they receive Jesus but I do not know the man/woman who has grown darker because of their love of Jesus.
Jesus is the Divine Agent of Creation but Jesus does not create, fold His rms and with draw. Jesus so identifies with this world He offers His life as the means of personal social and spiritual illumination to our world and to our human race.
Yes, it matters.
Jesus identifies with this world so strongly He makes His home among us, John 1:14. Jesus tabernacles among us.
Why is this important?
Biblical leadership, Christian leadership is this; to lead, to walk ahead of the people during the day (so to point the way, so to protect against dangers, so to detect safe resources) and then to dwell among the people come the night. Moses leads this way. Even Saul practiced this leadership when in his right mind.
Jesus leads the way during the day. Jesus dwells among us when the world turns dark.
When something goes amiss, one usually calls on the source of the element for repair. When life grows dismal and dark one looks for a suitable light to overcome the gloom
Do you ever feel a bit frustrated when you call for help and get a recording? I insist your frustration (and mine) is because you were sold the product on its reliability and the supplier’s accountability. You are frustrated because the widget does not widget and the supplier is nowhere to be found.
Jesus pitches His tent among us. He makes life bearable by His reliability and by His accountability.
The Church should not talk about something else when it can preach about Jesus.