“Is not this the
carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and
Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.” –
Mark 6:3
Jesus was and forever will be the only man that
was God and God that was man. The
scripture tells us that he willingly left heaven and was “made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he
humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” He was/is the redeeming instrument, he was
the son of man, and he is the Son of God.
We must believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God to be saved. We must follow the commandments of Christ to
be sanctified.
I will never forget the first time I read the
name Jesus in a history book. It was a
World History class in high school, studying various religions and cultures. There, tucked in the bottom of a paragraph
occupying only the bottom third of one page was the name Jesus. Though painfully obvious, it struck me, that
he was a man; and in this history book, he was portrayed as a man like any
other. There was a Jesus of
Nazareth. He walked this earth, he had a
home, a mother, a family, brothers, sisters.
He had a job, he was flesh and blood.
Something about reading his name in a history book brought about a
strange realization that he was a human being.
There is no question about this.
It takes nothing to believe this and many still, thousands of years
later, look on Jesus as some of those Jews of old did. “Is not this the carpenter? We know this man, we know his family, his
deeds, his background, and he is just a man.”
We believe men can heal our hurts, we believe men can help our
marriages, we believe men can help our happiness, our finances, our safety, our
children. When you look at Jesus as you
would a doctor or psychiatrist. A life coach or personal trainer. Someone who can help you get
better or be better. You are only still
looking at Jesus the man, and thereby restricting the power of God. Jesus can help, heal, guide, and direct; but
only as the Son of God, and not simply the son of man. When you see Jesus simply as the son of man
the unbelief shackles him. It keeps him
from doing miraculous things in your life.
The first of which, saving you
from your sins. Which is something only
Jesus Christ can do. Jesus Christ is
not, just another man, he doesn’t want money or tokens. There is no amount of tribute that can be
paid to call down his healing. It is not
barter, or another avenue for self-improvement.
You must believe that Jesus is the Son of God, have faith, and follow
Him. If to follow him, you must lose
your life.
Some of the Jews thought Jesus had nothing to
offer them, because they knew what kind of man he was. They didn’t need a carpenter. When you believe that he is the Son of God,
the bread of life, the living water, the resurrection, the truth, the King of Kings;
when you truly believe this, all things are possible. In believing Jesus is the Son of God, you
commit to follow the teaches of the Son of God.
Laying down your life and asking Christ to fill you with His Spirit. Jesus the Son of God can save and sanctify
you, but only if you believe Him to be just that. As long as you see him as just a man, and
treat him as such, then you will never be free from the bondage of sin.
