DISCOVERING JESUS

WHEN Jesus was manifested on earth to save us from our sins, He was born a baby and grew up to be an adult (30yrs) to do His Ministry- The Ministry The Father gave Him. But how and when did various people recognize Him?

Some who were Spirit led recognized His Deity while He was in His Mother’s Womb (John the Baptist and Elizabeth. Luke 1: 41-44). Others being Spirit led recognized His Deity at Birth (the Shepherds. Luke 2: 8-20 and the wise men from the east. Matt 2:2). Yet others led by the Holy Spirit recognized Him as the Salvation of God to man while He was a Child (Simeon and Anna. Luke 2: 25-38). After being Baptized by water and by The Spirit, Satan now comes to test Him and Confess Him as the Son of GOD  saying “If thou be the Son of God (Mathew 4:3,6). In fact the Temptation by the Devil appear aimed at making HIM doubt HIS Deity (a replay of Genesis 3:1 - planting the seed of doubt. Eccl 1:9-10, 3:15. Indeed there is nothing new under the sun and that means the devil has no new tricks). When He started His Ministry, Demons recognized Him and confessed Him as the HOLY One of GOD - Luke 4:34, 41. Luke 8:28 among other Scriptures. After this, those who closely followed HIM recognized HIM (Matt 16:16 - And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God).

At death the gentile Soldiers recognized him as the Son of GOD (Matt 27:54 -Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God) After that many Jews and the gentiles believed in Him as Lord and Christ - one day peter preached without a Microphone and 3,000 received the Lord (Acts 2:41).

But who missed out on everything: the Religious class (Pharisees, Seducees, Teachers of the law), they interacted with Him, argued with Him, asked Him questions and even put Him on Oath to tell them Who He is (Matt 26: 63-64), but they never recognized Him- He was not revealed to them because they never received the Holy Spirit partially because they refused to be baptized by water - the baptism of John (Luke 7:29 (When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John,30 but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him).

Even after His Death, Resurrection and Accession; and when the Apostles and Disciples were scoring great exploits for the Kingdom of God in Jesus’s Name - Evangelizing the Gentiles to Christ, performing miracles in Jesus’s Name, raising the dead (Peter and Paul- Acts), bringing many to Salvation, and building the body of Christ- the Church - as the Spirit led them - the Chief Priest and the Sanhedrin never recognized the Deity of Christ nor recognized Him as the Messiah. At one point they took counsel to leave it to probability by adopting a wait-and-see approach saying: So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice -Acts 5:38.

The early church in which Peter, James, John, Paul, Philip and others ministered was called  “the Sect of the Nazarenes” by the High Priest and Religious fraternity of the day. Tertullus  the spokesman of the High Priest Ananias accused Paul to Governor Felix saying: For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. Acts 24:5. (See also Acts 24:14, 28:22). So Paul writing to the Corinthian church stated referring to the Apostles: We are treated as impostors, and yet are true – NIV. 2 Cor 6:8.

Being led by the Holy Spirit in our Salvation is therefore critical for us to recognize our Savior and Truly Receive Him in our Hearts. Jesus said that He would send us The Helper – The Holy Spirit. The Importance of the Holy Spirit in our Salvation is underlined many times in the Bible. I mention a few below:

Jesus Himself underscored the Importance of the Holy Spirit to a Believer. John 16:7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:

Rom 8:6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Rom 8:9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

In 1 Cor 2:11- 12 we see that there are 3 Spirits in operation: the spirit of man, the Spirit of God and the spirit of the world. It is important that we receive the Spirit of God so that we may understand what God has freely given us. For God is Spirit and those who worship HIM must do so in Spirit and in Truth (John 4: 23-24)

Repent and prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah and remember ‘without Holiness, Nobody shall see Him’ Heb 12:14.

Receive Jesus Christ Today by believing in your heart that He is the Son of God and God raised Him from the Dead and confessing with your mouth that Jesus Is Lord to the Glory of God; repenting all your sins and asking Him to take over your life and he will be the Savior of your life.  Romans 10:9-10.

Then turn away from your sins and separate from your sinful ways. Be baptized with water and with the Holy Spirit. Get a bible and read it daily to know His Will over your life. Start a Prayer life.

Amen. Amen. Amen

Compiled by: Brother Stephen Kamau