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Draw Near To Jesus
He
Entered Your World
God drew near to us in Jesus, so why would
we not come to him with our challenges, troubles, and trials?
by Max Lucado
I once waded into the
Jordan River.
On a trip to Israel, my
family and I stopped to see the traditional spot of Jesus’ baptism.
It’s a charming place.
Sycamores cast their shadows. Birds chirp. The water invites. So I accepted the
invitation and waded in to be baptized.
No
one wanted to join me so I immersed myself.
I
declared my belief in Christ and sank so low in the water I could touch the
river bottom.
When
I did, I felt a stick and pulled it out. Well, what do you know — a baptism
memento!
Some
people get certificates or Bibles; I like my stick. It’s about as thick as your
wrist, long as your forearm, and smooth as a baby’s behind.
I
keep it on my office credenza so I can show it to fear-filled people.
When
they chronicle their anxieties about the economy or concern about their kids, I
hand them the stick.
tell
them how God muddied his feet in our world of diapers, death, digestion, and
disease.
How John
told Him to stay on the riverbank, but Jesus wouldn’t listen.
How he came to earth for this very purpose, to become one
of us. “Why, he might have touched this
very stick,” I like to say.
As they smile, I ask, “Since he came this
far to reach us, can’t we take our fears to him?”
“For our high priest [Jesus] is able to understand our weaknesses. When
he lived on earth he was tempted in every way that we are, but he did not sin.
Let us, then, feel very sure that we can come before God’s throne where there
is grace. There we can receive mercy and grace to help us when we need it.” (Hebrews 4:15-16 NCV).
Does this miracle matter?
It does
if you are bedridden.
It does
if you battle disease.
It does if chronic pain is a part of your life.
The One who hears your prayers understands
your pain. He never shrugs or scoffs or dismisses physical struggle.
He had a
human body.
Does this miracle matter?
If you
ever wonder if God understands you, it does.
If you
ever wonder if God listens, it does.
If you
ever wonder if the Uncreated Creator can, in a million years, comprehend the
life of a truck driver, housewife, or immigrant, then ponder long and hard the
promise of the incarnation.
God says: I understand you and I always
will.
Are you
troubled in spirit? He was, too (John 12:27).
Are you
so anxious that you could die? He was, too (Matthew 26:38).
Are you overwhelmed with grief? He was, too (John 11:35).
Have you ever prayed with loud cries and tears? He did,
too (Hebrews 5:7).
Some have pointed to the sinlessness of
Jesus as evidence that He cannot fully understand us.
After
all, if he never sinned, they reason, how could He understand the full force of
sin? Simple, He felt it more than we do.
We give
in! He never did.
We
surrender. He never did.
He stood
before the tsunami and never wavered. In that manner, He understands it more
than anyone who ever lived.
And then, in His grandest deed, he
volunteered to feel the consequence of sin.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for
us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV).
The greatest pain of the cross was the pain
of sin. Jesus didn’t deserve to feel the shame, but He felt it.
He
didn’t deserve the humiliation, but He experienced it.
He had
never sinned, yet was treated like a sinner. He became sin.
All the
guilt, remorse, and embarrassment — Jesus understands it.
Because
Jesus is human, he
understands you. Because
He is divine He can help you.
understands you. Because
He is divine He can help you.
Does
this miracle matter?
To the hypocrite,
it does.
To the
person who can’t remember last night’s party it does.
To the cheater, slanderer, gossip, or scoundrel who comes
to God with a contrite spirit, it matters.
It matters because they need to know:
“For we do not have
a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one
who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then
approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy
and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16 NIV).
Because Jesus is human, He understands you. Because He is
divine He can help you.
But He
does neither if you don’t go to him. He didn’t remain aloof; why would we? He
didn’t keep His distance; why would we keep ours?
Let this be the day you draw near to Him. He entered your
world so that you could enter His.
About
the Author
Max is
the best selling author of many many Christian books, a sought out speaker, and
loving husband, father, and grandfather. Max is in real life what you see in
his book -- someone who loves Jesus and loves the same kind of people that
Jesus loves! (Visit the Author's Website)
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