You've heard about Jesus, read about him in textbooks, seen paintings of him, and even have seen movies and documentaries about his life. You may know a lot of facts about Jesus, but do you really know Jesus? For Christians, Jesus is more than a historical figure or a great moral teacher, he is someone who has the power to comfort, heal, teach and challenge us. When we know Jesus, we can better see him working in our lives and hear his words of direction and comfort. In this spring sermon series, we'll look at eight stories from the life of Jesus that will help us get to know Jesus even better. In this series you'll learn more than just facts about his life, you'll learn how his words can deepen your faith and make your life more meaningful.
April 11 • Jesus Before the Creation of the World
John 1:1-18 (Jesus as the Eternal Word)
If you know about the details of someone's birth, you probably know them pretty well. The writer John begins the story of Jesus' life, not by recounting his birth in Bethlehem, but describing his cosmic preexistence. This sermon will set the stage for our entire series and help us better understand that Jesus is more than a man, he is the divine one who reveals God to us.
April 18 • Jesus the Way to God
John 14:1-14 (Jesus celebrates the Passover)
How do you get to heaven? Many people believe that they can reserve a place for themselves in the afterlife by simply doing more good than harm. Jesus describes himself as the one who prepares a place for us in God's eternal kingdom. Knowing and believing this can make us better aware of the great things Jesus is doing through us.
April 25 • Jesus our God
John 10:22-28 (Jesus at Solomon's Colonnade)
Jesus certainly didn't stay in his "place" in life. He had a knack for getting important religious people angry at him because of his words and actions. Jesus claims to be God, and that claim either makes him a crazy eyed lunatic, or our main connection to the heart of our Heavenly Father.
May 2 • Jesus the healer
John 9:1-38 (Jesus heals a man born blind)
In the ancient world, they did not have the modern medical technologies needed to help heal those who were sick or make life better for those who suffered from some sort of disability. When Jesus heals a blind man, he channels the miracle power of God into his life. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we believe that Jesus still heals and make people whole. Knowing this can help focus our own prayers of healing.
May 9 • Jesus the son of Mary
John 2:1-12, 7:1-9 (The wedding at Cana)
Jesus belonged to an extended family which included his mother Mary, father Joseph, and brothers and sisters. Even though "family dynamics" come into play during Jesus' life, but he is able to keep his life focused on his calling to be the savior of the world.
May 16 • Jesus as a friend
John 11:1-44 (Jesus and the raising of Lazarus)
It's hard to believe but Jesus, the one who is God in the flesh, had friends he dearly loved and cared for. In the story of Lazarus, we see how much Jesus cared for this friend and the emotions he showed when he was confronted with his death.
May 23 • Jesus shows anger
John 2:13-22 (Clearing of the temple)
Jesus did not float through his earthly life as an emotionless robot. He experienced happiness, joy, sadness and anger. When he sees God's temple being used inappropriately by some people, his righteous indignation flows out in violent actions. If Jesus felt angry, then we are allowed to feel angry too. What we do with that anger is the key.
May 30 • Jesus serves others
John 13:1-17 (Jesus washes the disciples feet)
Even though Jesus was divine, he was not above showing his love for his disciples and being a model of service for them. When Jesus washes their feet he performs a dirty and menial task, but sets the tone for the way Christians treat each other.