Who is This Jesus?

• How can I come to know Him?

My friend advised me to read the Bible, but start with the New Testament.  It is Jesus’ biography written by those who followed him during his life on earth.  Jesus never wrote anything, but he had a special way of fulfilling his journey on earth that included a lot of people.  He gave hope to his followers, healed the sick, restored hurting minds and wounded hearts, and comforted the poor.  Reading the book of Mark will give you a good idea of who he was and what was his mission.

That’s nice my friend, but how does that affect me today in my life with all of my troubles, wants, needs, desires, hurts, and insanity?

Jesus is alive!  He is able to help you through this earthly journey just as he helps all those who have faith in him.  His stories will invite you to come and sit with him as you would with your best friend.  Jesus is full of wisdom, kindness, and most of all, love and acceptance of you as a person.  There is no condemnation of your past, only forgiveness.

My friend, forgiveness of my past would be a great gift, but what about my daily wrongdoing?  Sometimes I can’t seem to escape my own misdeeds and they are repeated again and again without my intention, sometimes with my intentions, which I regret later on.   These misdeeds have a way of piling up again higher and higher.

In scripture (the Bible) Jesus calls all misdeeds or wrongdoings sin. You, I, and everybody else do not live perfectly in a loving and compassionate way.  I think most of us would like to, but our capacity to do so is a little shaky.

Jesus has a plan to help me and you live our lives helping and accepting others and ourselves as he does.

“For I know the plans I have for you – – – – plans to give you a future and a hope.”  (Jeremiah 29:11 RSV)