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- Herausgeber: IVP Bible Studies
- Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010
Jesus is the most influential person of human history. "Jesus never became a political, military or government leader; he never wanted to. He never owned a multinational corporation or acquired any wealth to speak of; he didn't need it. He never wrote a book, never staged a concert tour, never appeared on television and never had a radio talk show--or even his own blog. . . . What's so special about Jesus?" (from the introduction) Most of us know something about Jesus and are intrigued by him. Perhaps as a child we attended Sunday school, or when flipping channels we've heard TV preachers talk about Jesus. We may have even thought, I'd like to find out for myself what Jesus said and did so I can come to my own conclusions about him. But we haven't had the opportunity to take a closer look.The Essential Jesus by Whitney T. Kuniholm will help you discover who Jesus is and why he is so significant--even life-transforming. Through both Old and New Testament readings you will discover why God sent Jesus, what Jesus taught, how he treated people, why he did miracles, the meaning of his death, the significance of his resurrection, what the Bible says about his second coming and much more. Whether alone or in a group setting, you can discover for yourself what makes Jesus so special.
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THE
ESSENTIAL
JESUS
100 READINGS THROUGH THE BIBLE’S GREATEST STORY
INTRODUCTION
“If Jesus was the most influential person in history, I’d like to learn more about him.”
“I know people have strong opinions about Jesus, and that’s fine. But I’d like to find out for myself what he said and did so I can come to my own conclusions.”
“Of course I know who Jesus is; who doesn’t? I’ve just never taken the time to read all that the Bible says about him.”
“I’ve heard people say, ‘I’m a follower of Jesus.’ But what does that really mean?”
COMMENTS ABOUT JESUS
NO MATTER WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT JESUS, there’s no denying he is the most influential person in all of human history. And what’s truly amazing is that his path to influence was so unlikely.
Jesus never became a political, military or government leader; he never wanted to. He never owned a multinational corporation or acquired any wealth to speak of; he didn’t need it. He never wrote a book, never staged a concert tour, never appeared on television and never had a radio talk show or even his own blog. He was born in a barn, grew up as a laborer, remained single and childless his entire life, and was executed at the age of thirty-three.
Yet somehow Jesus became the reference point for life ever since—we mark our calendars by his death. He has inspired some of the world’s greatest art, literature, music and architecture. His ethical teachings have been hailed as the world’s greatest—even by those who aren’t his followers. He’s been the subject of countless books, articles, television programs and movies. Today his church has more members than any other religion in the world—and persecution only makes it grow larger. Not only that, the book that gives us the most information about him—the Bible—has sold more copies than any volume ever printed. What’s so special about Jesus?
That’s what I hope you’ll discover in The Essential Jesus. We’ll take an honest look at what Jesus said and did so we can determine who he really was and is. To do this, we’ll read and reflect on one hundred carefully selected passages from the Bible. And we’ll approach our journey not as theological experts but as open-minded seekers who want to get a true understanding of the most influential person in history. Are you ready?
THE BIBLE’S GREATEST STORY
Most people have a basic knowledge of the Bible. They know it describes how God created the world and how he has been involved with it ever since. Not only that, they’ve read some of the Bible’s most popular stories, like the account of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and of Abraham and the birth of Israel, and Moses and the exodus, David and Goliath, Jonah and the whale, Daniel in the lion’s den, Peter on day of Pentecost, and Paul on the road to Damascus.
But the one story people seem to know the best is the story of Jesus. Every Christmas we hear the familiar account of Joseph and Mary traveling to the little town of Bethlehem, of Jesus’ birth in a manger and of the angels singing “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14 KJV). But why is that story more important than all the rest? Because, as you’ll see, Jesus is the focal point of God’s plan to save the world from sin and to offer people eternal life. The greatest story in the Bible is Jesus; from Genesis to Revelation the Bible is literally “his story.”
So as we follow the story line of Jesus through the Old and New Testaments, we’ll not only get a clear understanding of the essential Jesus, but we’ll also get a good overview of the Bible. Here’s how the hundred readings are organized.
Who is Jesus? We’ll begin our journey with five readings from some contemporaries of Jesus: two of his disciples, Peter and John, and the apostle Paul, a man who had a unique encounter with Jesus soon after his resurrection. Each of these five readings gives us a soaring description of Jesus and his significance. They are some of the most inspiring and memorable passages in the Bible, and together they form a sort of prologue to our exploration of the essential Jesus.
The Old Testament. Our next twenty-five readings take us to the Old Testament, because the story of Jesus began long before the manger. In the very first book in the Bible we get our first indication that God was planning to send a Messiah, a Savior for the world, which raises an obvious question: Why do we need a Savior? Once we come to grips with the answer (hint: the answer is sin!), we’ll then trace what the Bible says about this coming Savior in the Psalms and in the Prophets. You’ll be amazed at how much the Old Testament has to say about this coming Savior and how perfectly Jesus matched the picture God had been describing for centuries.
The New Testament. The longest part of our journey, sixty-five readings in all, will follow the story about Jesus in the New Testament. We’ll read the accounts of Jesus found in the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We’ll examine his birth, ministry, teaching, miracles, death, resurrection and the church. And we’ll explore the unfinished part of his story, that is, the time in the future when Jesus will return to earth for all those who believe in him. By this point in the journey, you’ll have a complete picture of the essential Jesus.
Who is Jesus… to you? In the final five readings, you’ll get an opportunity to do something really important: form your own opinion about Jesus. To help, we’ll consider several people who came face to face with Jesus. Some rejected him; some embraced him. But in each case you’ll see that Jesus challenged people to respond. Why? Because his desire is to have a relationship with every human being, including you. That was God’s plan from the beginning, and it’s why Jesus came to earth.
MY STORY
Before we go any further, there are two things I want to clarify. First, even though I am a committed follower of Jesus Christ myself, I’m not going to force my beliefs on you. What you believe is your responsibility. What I hope to do in this book is guide you through the Bible so that you can come to your own conclusion about Jesus. Second, as we take this journey together, I’m also going to share some of my personal experiences and observations. I’ve learned that both the Bible and all of life can teach us about Jesus.
So now that you know where I’m coming from, let me tell you how my relationship with Jesus began.
I grew up in a Christian home and spent lots of time at church, Sunday school and Christian camps, so I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know about Jesus. But I can remember the first time I consciously said yes to being his follower. I was six years old and sitting in a Sunday night church service led by my father. At the end of the program he asked everyone to close their eyes and then said something like, “If anyone wants to give their heart to Jesus, I want you to raise your hand right now.” I didn’t really understand everything he was saying. All I knew is that I wanted to give my life to Jesus. So I raised my hand.
By the time I got to college many years later, I began to wonder, Do I really believe what I accepted as a child? One thing that especially bothered me was that I seemed to know a lot about the Christian faith, but I didn’t seem to feel much. How could I determine if my faith was real? During that time, I went to a week-long series of evangelistic meetings. At the end, the preacher asked people to come forward and make a public commitment to follow Jesus. This created dilemma for me. I was now old enough to make my own decisions, but I already believed in Jesus, or at least I thought I did. Can a Christian get saved? I wondered.
Feeling unsure, I walked to the front hoping that some wise person would counsel me through my question. But no one joined me at the altar rail. Everyone was busy praying with others. So I quietly whispered the shortest prayer I’ve ever prayed: Thank you, Jesus. That’s all I said, and then I began to cry, to really sob, and it lasted for quite a while. Again, I didn’t really understand what was happening, but I believe that God, in his mercy, was letting me know that he could not only touch my mind, but he could touch my heart as well. Today, whenever I take Communion in church, I always whisper that prayer as I walk back to my seat, Thank you Jesus. It’s my way of affirming that I’m still his follower.
That’s how it happened for me. But the fact is, everyone has a different experience. Some people struggle with the decision to follow Jesus. Others come to it more easily. The most important thing is that you find out who Jesus is and then come to your own conclusion about him. I believe that’s the most important decision you’ll ever make.
HOWTO USETHE ESSENTIAL JESUS
At this point you may be thinking something like this: Hold on. I’m interested in Jesus but I can’t read the Bible! It’s too long and confusing. If so, don’t worry; most people feel that way. That’s why I’ve designed this book to make your journey through the Bible easy and meaningful. Let me begin by making a few suggestions that will get you off to a good start.
First, The Essential Jesus is designed to be used—with a Bible. It tells you what Bible passage to read and then helps you reflect on the main points. Obviously without reading each Bible passage, The Essential Jesus won’t make much sense. Also be sure to use a translation of the Bible that is easy for you to read. Although the King James Version (KJV) is beautiful and widely available, it is often difficult for modern readers to understand since it was translated into the language of 1611. I recommend that you use one of the many excellent modern translations such as the New International Version (NIV), New Living Translation (NLT) or the Contemporary English Version (CEV). If you are still unsure about which Bible translation to use, you might want to check with a pastor, minister or priest.
Second, The Essential Jesus guides you through one hundred short Bible passages, all of which relate to Jesus. The readings are undated, so you can complete them at any pace—one hundred days, six months, a year or more. But whatever schedule you pick, don’t feel guilty if you miss a day (trust me, you will). Just do the next reading whenever you have time, and before you know it you’ll make it through all one hundred. I’ve also grouped the readings into sets of five that begin with an introduction that alerts you to important themes. You might try to do one set of five readings each week.
Third, you will notice that for each reading I’ve followed a five-step format—Pray, Read, Reflect, Apply, Pray—one you can use anytime you read the Bible. In the Bible, God speaks to you. In prayer, you can respond to him. So by integrating the two, you can have a regular dialogue with God. Here are some additional ideas on how to get the most out of the five steps:
Pray before you read, asking God to help you understand his Word to you. The written prayer will get you started, but feel free to add thanksgiving, confession, praise or whatever you’d like to express to God. Remember, you’re beginning a dialogue.
Read carefully the Bible passage. If you have time, you may want to read the passage more than once or review the surrounding passages for context. Also keep a pencil or highlighter handy so you can make notes or underline key phrases or verses.
Reflect on what you’ve read. First, summarize your own observations on the passage either mentally or in a notebook or journal. It may help to ask: What was the main point of this passage? Which verses relate to my life now? Then think further about the passage by reading my reflections.
Apply what God teaches you from his Word to your life. Take some time to think this through. Did the passage contain an example to follow, a warning to heed, a promise to claim? How should this affect your thoughts, words and actions? You might want to jot down how you’d like to apply these things in your life.
Pray again, asking God to help you live out his Word. This time, turn the things you’ve learned into prayers. Also pray about your own needs and the needs of others. And be sure to thank God for any answers to prayer.
DON’T GO IT ALONE
At the end of each section, I’ve included a page of discussion questions. Why? Because the best way to use this book is to read it with another person, or to use it as the basis of a group study. Each week, try to complete a set of five readings on your own. Then get together with your friend or group to talk about what you’ve learned. Start by encouraging each person to share their own insights from the readings. Then use the discussion questions to help you continue your conversation. You’ll find that reading the Bible with others creates a positive motivation to keep going and makes your experience of God’s Word more meaningful.
Another idea you may want to consider is “The Essential Jesus Challenge,” a program from Scripture Union that enables an entire church or group to read what the Bible says about Jesus using this book together. (To learn more, see page 199 or go to www.EssentialJesusChallenge.com.)
YOUR HIGHER GOAL
From beginning to end, the Bible tells the story of how “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). So as you begin your journey through the greatest story in the Bible, keep in mind that your goal is not just to make it to one hundred or to gain more Bible knowledge or even to develop greater spiritual discipline. Those things are important, but your higher goal is to get to know Jesus. The secret to making the Bible come alive is to view reading it as an opportunity to have an encounter with the risen Christ, the one who loves you, who died for you and who desires to have a living relationship with you.
My prayer is that over the next few months the Bible’s greatest story will come alive for you as never before. But don’t let The Essential Jesus be the end of your engagement with the Bible. Let this journey become the beginning of a lifetime adventure of meeting God every day in the Bible and prayer.
PART ONE
Who Is Jesus?
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION in all of human history?
Of course, everyone is curious about their own existence: Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? In addition, many wonder about the great challenges in the world today: How can we stop war and maintain peace? How can we cure various diseases? How can we eliminate poverty? How can we protect the environment?
But I’m convinced there is one question more important than all the rest: Who is Jesus? Why? Because Jesus claimed he was God on the earth. That’s right; he said he was God’s promised Messiah, the one and only Savior of the world. And if that’s true, really true, then everything else is secondary.
When you think about it, our world is full of information about Jesus—in movies and plays, on television and radio, and in magazines and books. Some of it is accurate, some not. Often he’s positioned as the founder of a religion—Christianity. Other times he’s portrayed as a moral teacher, a miracle worker or a martyr. Some see him as a revolutionary, a charlatan or a curse. There are even some who don’t think he existed at all; they think the stories of Jesus are legends and myths.
So how do we find out who the essential Jesus really is? The best way is to go to the most complete source of information we have about him, the Bible. As you read through the hundred passages about Jesus that I’ve selected, you’ll quickly see that the story line of Jesus is the “scarlet thread” that runs through the Bible from beginning to end. Jesus is what the Bible is all about.
In our first five readings, we’ll consider the thoughts of three people who were close to Jesus: John and Peter, two of his key disciples, and Paul, who had a unique encounter with Jesus. Each of these readings describes Jesus in the loftiest terms. Later in our journey we’ll get to the particulars of his life. But for now, we need to get the big picture, and that’s where we’ll start.
1 } TRUTH BEYOND FACTS
PRAY: Dear God, I’m on a mission to find out who Jesus really is. Please open the eyes of my heart so I can take an honest look at him.
READ: John 1:1-18
REFLECT: Journalists think of their profession as a quest for truth: If they accurately report all the facts of a story, then they believe they’ve told the whole truth. But as John begins his account of the life of Jesus, he realizes the truth goes far beyond mere facts. The man he lived alongside for three years was divine and human at the same time. How do you describe a truth like that?
The other Gospel writers start with the practical details of Jesus’ life—who his ancestors were (Matthew), how his public ministry got started (Mark) and how he was born (Luke). John starts by calling Jesus “the Word,” a curious phrase but one that captures something important. Jesus was a statement from God to humankind: If you want to know who I am, look at Jesus. Why? Because “the Word was God” (v. 1). Not just a great teacher or healer, celebrity or leader. The essential truth about Jesus is that he was God on earth (v. 14).
That’s a pretty bold claim. But if it’s true, what difference does it make?
First, Jesus is a new source of light in the world (vv. 5-9). John uses the image of light and darkness to describe Jesus’ mission. A world without God is a sinful, dark place. If you need proof, just turn on your television. When Jesus appeared, it was like a candle in a dark room; people could finally see a way to God.
Second, Jesus is the source of new life (vv. 4, 12). If there is no God, if there is no afterlife, then there is no meaning; death is the end. But Jesus offered a way out of such futility. He invites everyone to be part of God’s family forever (v. 12). How sad that some aren’t interested (vv. 10-11).
As we begin to explore what the Bible says about Jesus, we need to remember that the facts tell only part of the story. The truth about Jesus doesn’t contradict the facts. It’s just far, far bigger.
APPLY: Has God ever communicated with you? How? How did you respond?
PRAY: Jesus, as I learn more about you, I’d also like to experience more of you in my life. I ask for your help with…
2 } LIVING LIKE JESUS
PRAY: Heavenly Father, in the midst of my busy, stressful life, I want to be still, just for a few minutes so I can hear from you.
READ: Philippians 2:1-11
REFLECT: During the 1960s there was something of a revival of interest in Jesus in the West. In a decade of radical change, he seemed like an ideal role model. Young men even tried to look like him; they had long hair, grew beards and even wore leather sandals (a classmate of mine called them “Jesus boots”). But what does it mean to live like Jesus? That’s the issue we’ll consider today.
Actually, there was a specific situation the apostle Paul was addressing in this passage: he wanted the Christians in a first-century city called Philippi to be less selfish and more loving, compassionate, joyful and united (vv. 1-4). Good advice for Christians in any town, at any time. But the question was how? Paul’s answer was simple: live like Jesus. He proceeds to give one of the most soaring descriptions of Jesus in the entire Bible (vv. 5-11). Let’s unpack what he says and how we can apply it to our lives:
Jesus is God (v. 6). Ever since Paul had an encounter with the risen Christ (Acts 9:1-9), he was a fearless witness for his Lord. Are you?
Jesus became a human being (vv. 7-8). He wasn’t a spiritual Casper the Ghost. He came and lived with us (John 1:14). How real is Jesus to you?
Jesus humbled himself (v. 7). The Creator of the universe was willing to serve his creatures. Are you willing to serve those “lower” than you?
Jesus obeyed his Father (v. 8). For him it meant death on the cross. What does obeying God mean for you today?
Jesus was exalted by God (v. 9). The way God did it was to bring Jesus back to life. Are you convinced that Jesus is alive today?
Jesus will be acknowledged by everyone (vv. 10-11). No matter what you believe about him now, one day you’ll come face to face with Jesus. What will you say when you do?
Whether it’s the first century, the 1960s or today, living like Jesus begins with a decision to follow the One who “became obedient to death—even death on a cross” (v. 8). Now that’s a radical idea.
APPLY: What is one thing you could do to sacrificially serve someone close to you this week?
PRAY: Imagine that you are face to face with Jesus right now. What do you want to say?
3 } IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS
PRAY: God, I ask that you would open my eyes to see something new about your Son today.
READ: Colossians 1:15-23
REFLECT: For a long time, we had several cans of concentrated grape juice in our pantry. It looked like regular grape juice, but if we forgot it was concentrate and tried to drink straight from the can, we’d have a hard time swallowing it.
In a way, that’s what our passage today is like; it’s concentrated truth about Jesus, and you may have had a hard time swallowing everything you read. That’s okay. The reason we’re covering this passage now is that in just a few verses it introduces us to several of the major themes about Jesus that we’ll be exploring in our journey through the Bible.
The book of Colossians was written by the apostle Paul to counteract the impact some false teachers were having on the new believers in the city of Colossae. These teachers had devised complicated schemes to describe how people should relate to God. It sounded impressive, but something important was missing: Jesus. Theology, teaching and our view of the church are vital to Christian faith. But if Jesus is not at the center of them all, they’ve missed the point.
To correct the problem, Paul offers a concentrated description of Jesus that echoes some of the things we’ve already discovered. The main point is that Jesus is God (vv. 15, 19; see also Colossians 2:9), and he is woven into the fabric of all creation (vv. 16-17). Paul builds on this foundation with two new insights that add to our picture of Jesus. First, Jesus is the head of the church (v. 18). If you eliminate the head, the body dies. Second, Jesus is the key to the good news (vv. 20-23). Without him, we are still alienated from God.
Churches today are still plagued by false teaching. Instead of wasting energy attacking or arguing, we would do well to follow Paul’s example; he started with the positive (Colossians 1:3-14), and then says, in effect, “Let’s get back to basics. It’s all about Jesus.”
APPLY: In your opinion, what are “the basics” about Jesus? Are there any claims about Jesus that you’ve found hard to swallow?
PRAY: Thank you God that you made a way for me to have a relationship with you, and that way is Jesus.
4 } WHAT IS GOD LIKE?
PRAY: Dear God, I’m hungry to know you better, thirsty to experience you more.
READ: Hebrews 1:1-4
REFLECT: I once saw a video of young children being asked a simple question: “What is God like?” I chuckled when the first adorable child looked straight into the camera, smiled and answered, “I don’t know.” They asked another child who shrugged and said, “Don’t know.” And another, “Don’t know.” Several more gave the same answer. The last child just shook her head and looked down.
What is God like? No matter how old you are, that’s not an easy question. But the writer to the Hebrews (we don’t know who it was) has the best answer. If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus; he’s the “exact representation” of God (v. 3). Want to know what God thinks about the world? Look at Jesus. Want to know what God likes and dislikes? Look at Jesus. What to know what God thinks about people or about you? Look at Jesus.
The book of Hebrews will go on to cover all kinds of issues that were important to the first Jewish Christians, as well as to us. But it starts with an important fact: God has always wanted people to know who he is, and he’s been saying so for centuries (v. 1). But in Jesus, God goes even further. He shows up himself and says, “Look! This is who I am.”
And make no mistake. Although Jesus was human, he was no ordinary guy. He was an expression of God’s glory (also see John 8:54), who died for sins, came to life and returned to his place in heaven (Hebrews 1:3). That’s the gospel in a nutshell. As we pursue the essential Jesus through the pages of the Bible, we will confront a man like no other, who is a God like no other.
APPLY: How would you describe what God is like? How could you communicate that to someone this week?
PRAY: Heavenly Father, I’m so thankful that you want me to know who you are. In spite of all my distractions, that’s my heart’s desire.
5 } THE BIG CHURCH
PRAY: It’s so good, heavenly Father, to spend time reading and reflecting on your Word. Please show me something new about your Son Jesus today.
READ: 1 Peter 2:4-10
REFLECT: Have you ever heard someone say, “Jesus is my personal Lord and Savior”? No doubt people who say that are sincere and want us to know of their deep commitment to following Jesus. That’s a good thing. But to some, the statement sounds a little exclusive, as if the Christian faith is about “me and Jesus, and no one else.”
In our passage today, the apostle Peter opens our eyes to another important truth about Jesus: saying yes to following him makes us part of a big group called the church. We’ll unpack this idea later in our journey (especially in the section titled “The Early Church of Jesus”), but for now let’s try to get the basic concept.
To describe the church, Peter uses a picture of bricks and mortar, but gives it a new spiritual meaning. The church is like a “spiritual house” (v. 5) made up of Jesus (“the living Stone” [v. 4]) and his followers (“living stones” [v. 5]). In other words, the church is not a physical building; it’s a “people belonging to God” (v. 9), with Jesus Christ as its cornerstone (v. 6). And he’s not a lifeless, granite memorial from the past. Jesus is alive and present in his church today (v. 4). Those who reject that fact will stumble and fall (vv. 4, 7-8). But all those who choose to follow Jesus—past, present and future—become like him and are connected to each other (v. 5).
The church I attend used to meet in an old building of gray stone. Over the years the congregation has grown, so recently we had to expand the facilities. When the new building was finally completed we saw that one of the walls had been built around a large stone cross. It makes a lasting statement about what we believe: this church is built around Jesus Christ. That’s exactly what the apostle Peter is saying in this passage, only the church he’s referring to is much, much bigger.
APPLY: Are you one of “the living stones” in God’s “spiritual house”? How do you know?
PRAY: Spend some time praying for the church you attend most often. Ask God to give you a deeper understanding of what it means to be a “living stone” in the big church.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR “WHO IS JESUS?”
What would you say is the most common understanding about Jesus today? That is, what does “the average person” believe about Jesus?
What have you learned about Jesus from movies, plays, television or novels? How is Jesus portrayed in popular culture?
How and when did you first learn about Jesus? Has your understanding of Jesus changed over the years? If so, how?
How would you describe your view of Jesus today?
Do you think it matters what people believe about Jesus? Why?
Do you think Christians should actively try to persuade non-Christians to believe in Jesus? Why or why not?
