Our Advocate
"Jesus wept." John 11:35
This is the shortest verse in the bible. Yet it is one of the most profound. It's impact is both universal and personal.
Jesus is not a robot. He was not sheltered. He became flesh and blood, like the rest of us.
Jesus is a Man of Sorrows
He lived a life liked everyone's. He was misunderstood. He was despised. He was hated. He was rejected. He was judged. He was betrayed. People who were scared of Him or do not know Him, formed very strong opinions and even spread rumors against Him.
He was slandered. He had false witnesses stand against Him. He was abandoned. He was beaten up. He was shamed.
His life was filled with sorrow and terrible suffering.
He didn't have to go through all of that. But He did, not for Himself but for each one of us.
And not so that He could say, I did it.
No, but because He not only wanted to put Himself in our shoes but also to walk in them. He wanted us to know that He knows what each one us are going through.
And He knows how difficult it could be. He understands. And when we stumble He never condemns*.
Empathy
He has not just sympathy, He has empathy. Truly He can say "I know what you have gone through (or are going through)".
Remember that woman caught in sin, what did He tell those who wanted to stone her?
“Let him who is without sin among you be the first one to cast the first stone.”
Everyone eager to condemn her left.
And more importantly, when the last person had left because all of them was without sin, He said to the woman:
"Neither do I condemn you. Now go and sin no more.”
And this coming from the only One who was without sin.
No Condemnation in Christ
The lesson for us today, is that it is really very difficult to judge or condemn someone of something they might have done, especially when we really know nothing about what they have gone through or what their conditions are.
Who are we to know if we were going through the same situation, if we would have stumbled** ourselves. For our sake, I hope, we never would need to know. For that would mean that we would need to walk that proverbial mile in someone else's shoes, to even start to understand.
But Jesus knows. He wore those shoes and walked on them, so that He can tell us: "I understand, I know how it feels. I've gone through it."
And more importantly: "I do not condemn you, but sin no more".
Blows my mind, all the time.
The LORD does not look at each one of us as mere man does. For man sees outward appearances, we look at the outside. While the LORD looks in the inside, past what's in the outside and looks at the heart.
Our prayer for today is... change my heart oh God, may I be like You.
*Condemnation - we have discussed this in a previous message:
The Accuser
**Stumbled - "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!." 1 Corinthians 10:12
This is the shortest verse in the bible. Yet it is one of the most profound. It's impact is both universal and personal.
Jesus is not a robot. He was not sheltered. He became flesh and blood, like the rest of us.
Jesus is a Man of Sorrows
He lived a life liked everyone's. He was misunderstood. He was despised. He was hated. He was rejected. He was judged. He was betrayed. People who were scared of Him or do not know Him, formed very strong opinions and even spread rumors against Him.
He was slandered. He had false witnesses stand against Him. He was abandoned. He was beaten up. He was shamed.
His life was filled with sorrow and terrible suffering.
He didn't have to go through all of that. But He did, not for Himself but for each one of us.
And not so that He could say, I did it.
No, but because He not only wanted to put Himself in our shoes but also to walk in them. He wanted us to know that He knows what each one us are going through.
And He knows how difficult it could be. He understands. And when we stumble He never condemns*.
Empathy
He has not just sympathy, He has empathy. Truly He can say "I know what you have gone through (or are going through)".
Remember that woman caught in sin, what did He tell those who wanted to stone her?
“Let him who is without sin among you be the first one to cast the first stone.”
Everyone eager to condemn her left.
And more importantly, when the last person had left because all of them was without sin, He said to the woman:
"Neither do I condemn you. Now go and sin no more.”
And this coming from the only One who was without sin.
No Condemnation in Christ
The lesson for us today, is that it is really very difficult to judge or condemn someone of something they might have done, especially when we really know nothing about what they have gone through or what their conditions are.
Who are we to know if we were going through the same situation, if we would have stumbled** ourselves. For our sake, I hope, we never would need to know. For that would mean that we would need to walk that proverbial mile in someone else's shoes, to even start to understand.
But Jesus knows. He wore those shoes and walked on them, so that He can tell us: "I understand, I know how it feels. I've gone through it."
And more importantly: "I do not condemn you, but sin no more".
Blows my mind, all the time.
The LORD does not look at each one of us as mere man does. For man sees outward appearances, we look at the outside. While the LORD looks in the inside, past what's in the outside and looks at the heart.
Our prayer for today is... change my heart oh God, may I be like You.
*Condemnation - we have discussed this in a previous message:
The Accuser
**Stumbled - "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!." 1 Corinthians 10:12
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