By Staff
Jesus Christ is the most dominant person of all ages.
The New Testament book of Hebrews, chapter 12, verse 3, challenges us to consider Jesus. Only humans have the power to consider. To consider is to look closely, to examine, to think about in order to understand and make a decision.
We must consider that Jesus is a gift from God. The gospel of John, chapter 3, verse 16, declares, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Consider that Jesus became the Savior and Redeemer of mankind. The world was created with perfect order. God made man and woman and put them in a pristine garden, established especially for their full and complete enjoyment. God was there in personal presence and relished in the companionship of His creation.
The creation could not fully glorify God without the choice of an avenue to destruction. The man, Adam, chose the destructive route at the prompting of his wife, Eve, and of God's enemy, Satan. The result was that the perfect and comfortable creation was thrown into chaos-fallen.
Lest we jump to blame Adam, or Eve, or Satan, for messing everything up, we must consider that, had we been there, the failure would have likely been greater. The point is, mankind needs to be redeemed. Jesus Christ is that Redeemer.
God can do anything. But in His righteous and holy character, He cannot excuse sin. Adam sinned and sent mankind on a path away from God. God took initiative and sent His Son to be the required sacrifice for sin. Consider Jesus, “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).
Salvation did not start with us. We did not one day realize our dilemma and begin to seek a way out of eternal destruction. Salvation is God's idea. Jesus is the author of it.
God's holiness is violated by sin. Sin cannot be taken away except by the shedding of the blood of an appropriate sacrifice (Hebrews 9:22). The only appropriate sacrifice was Jesus Christ, the perfect, sinless Son of God; anything else or anybody else would not do.
Consider Jesus Christ who became the perfect sin sacrifice. In the New Testament epistle to the church at Philippi, chapter 2, verses 5-11, we are told that Jesus is equal with God; yet, He laid aside His reputation, took the form of a bondservant, and came in the likeness of men.
Consider Jesus who humbled Himself to become man. He did not come as an adult; He came as a baby, born to a virgin named Mary. Jesus could not be the perfect sacrifice had He been born through the normal union of a man and a woman.
The sin curse is passed through man. Jesus was conceived in the womb of Mary miraculously by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus became obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.
The Apostle Paul declares in 2 Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 21, “For He [God] made Him [Jesus Christ] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Jesus was the author and the finisher of our faith. He did it all. We can add nothing to the work of Christ; all we can do is accept by faith what He did for us.
We must consider Jesus Christ lest we let life and opportunity slip away and end up facing God on our own merit. We have no merit with God apart from Jesus Christ.
So, look closely at Jesus; examine Him. Seek to understand so you can make the right decision.