Day 1
If you have not read or listened to the scripture passages for this section,
there will probably be content below you will not totally understand, so scripture videos are included.
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What Jesus Did Do
Matthew Chapter 1
Matthew Chapter 2
Matthew Chapter 3
If you have not read or listened to the scripture passages above for this section,
there will probably be content below you will not totally understand.
Jesus did have a family tree, with imperfect people.
Ok – So maybe reading and hearing all of those names did not seem very important to you, and that is ok. All of those people are people just like you and I. If we were to look into their lives, we will find that some of them had some crazy things happen in their lives, and it would be easy to understand how them may have felt their lives did not matter much. (Yet here they were recorded in the Bible.)
Many, many years later, here we are reading about them.
Things/people that seem insignificant to us, still have significance to God.
Their lives mattered. Our lives matter. Your life matters as well.
Deep down every person wants to feel special. Deep down everyone wants to be loved. This is because those desires were put into humans when God created us. He created us to be loved. He created us to know we are special to Him.
(To read about creation, go read Genesis. It is the first Book of the Bible.).
If you do not want to believe in creation, that is your choice. If you watch movies, and read different books, well then why not check out what was written in the Bible. People are always talking about it, yet a small percentage has actually even read the whole Bible.
(The site comments, are to let everyone know they are welcome researching this information.)
Do not stop reading, even if you are not ready to believe this yet, because there are lots interesting stories of thing people did. Some messed up pretty bad, yet God valued them. Each one was important for what God had planned. No matter what ‘bad stuff’ they had in their lives.
We’re all perfectly imperfect.
We all have struggles,
& make mistakes.
Even if we do not see how God will use us (or others within our family), that does not mean God cannot. God is always looking for people who will let Him love them.
Later in the New Testament, Paul was greatly used by God and he had been someone who was out killing Christians, because he thought he was doing “good” by his religion.
The Family tree of Jesus was not made up of perfect people.
If you want to do more research in the Old Testament you will learn …
- One man thought he was hiring a prostitute, but made his widow daughter in law pregnant – Genesis 38:15-19
- One woman was a prostitute – Joshua 6:22-23
- One woman was a Moabite, then widowed, and then remarried. – Ruth 1:1-18
- One couple had affair – 2 Samuel 11:2-5
- One man murdered another man. – 2 Samuel 12:9
Looking at that list of people, you can see there were a few people who lived less than perfect lives, yet God still brought His only Son through this messed up family line.
God still used them in His Plan to bring His son to earth.
In the end …
Everyone one has reasons as to why they react to different situations. These people all made choices that messed up their lives.
Yet God sees things differently, and used them anyway.
God knows everyone has a pass … yet that does not limit God from having a relationships with people who choose to want to have one with God.
- Abraham – was called a friend of God, and received great promises from God
Gen 12:2-3 - Jacob wrestled with God, and God changed his name to Israel
Gen 32:22-32 - Rehab, was promised protection and deliverance
- Ruth
- David had the heart of God, and got great promises from God, 1 Sam 13:14
- Solomon
- Josiah, an 8yr old king w a pure heart to do good
God took imperfect people who let God Love them, and God Blessed them! Some God did great things to them, others within their family lines.
There are many blessings God has for you, if you just let God love you. He loves you no matter what. You can choose to ignore God, but you won’t feel loved and accepted. Who you are in your family can not keep you away from God, unless that is what you want.
Before Jesus was born, an Angel of the Lord spoke about his birth. After his birth, and Angel came and told the head of their family it was time to leave to protect the child’s life.
After the birth of Jesus and before they left Bethlehem, Wise Men, the Magi came from a faraway land to worship birth of the new King, who is Jesus. They gave Jesus gifts of royalty. They showed up in their fine cloths as they were going to meet a new King.
They had no idea they were going to meet a family who had to give birth in a stable, nor did they know that Joseph was a carpenter, not a current ruler of a mighty nation. Yet they gave Jesus the respect he was due, because of his birth right.
Jesus never tried to be anything more than just an average child. He knew who he was and that he was going to be have a huge call to fulfill one day. Yet he never tried to get others to accept him as anything more than just another person within their culture.
There may be greatness within you. Jesus understands what it is like to live with big ideas within your head. Jesus also understands what it is like to be just the average person whom many people pass by as just another somebody who was a nobody. Yet Jesus never proclaimed to be something he was not. And the security he had within his identity was found within who God the Father saw him as. Jesus knew how God saw him.
It does not matter if you are like some of the people within the family tree of Jesus or if you are like Jesus, where as there is greatness within you that no one else sees, or if there is just basic ordinary stuff within you. Tamar, is only recorded of because she gave birth to twins, and details about that birth. Yet she still mattered! David went from watching sheep to be a great King. Because he still mattered. YOU matter as well.
If you do not know how God see’s you, As Him!
He will answer you just as he spoke to many who are listed in Matthew Chapter 1
Take notes as to what is special about you, because of how God sees you, and keep those notes and remind yourself about them. That is important, because it will help you understand how beyond your imperfections, God still appreciates you.
Have you ever wanted someone to appreciate you?
Well here is your chance … find out how God appreciates you and why God sees value in you.
Then accept it, embrace it and cherish it!
Jesus did.
(never boast about it.)
Jesus did have mean and jealous people around him.
Do you know what causes Jealousy? Or what inspires someone to have control issues? It is all based out of insecurities.
When someone is secure in who they are they do not act like that. Jesus had people who were jealous of him when he was only 2 years old … just a little toddler.
Herod was the top ruler in that area, because of the political strife that was going on at that time, people were getting killed and new rulers were put into their place.
Although Herod was the ruler in that area at the time, he did not have a secure feeling about his position of power, and worried someone coming up and taking it away from him.
Think about what must have been going through Herod’s mind when the Magi showed up with all of these great gifts fit for royalty, yet did not give them to Herod. Scriptures record that Herod was furious when he was not told who the child was that they gave the gifts to. Not just upset, or mad, but beyond mad. He was so mad he went out to kill all of the little boy babies who were the same age a Jesus, but many more. He also ordered not just for the boy babies in Bethlehem, but also in the surrounding areas.
Now that Herod has been dead for a few thousand years, what good did his fears do him?
All the things he tried to hand onto, what good are they now?
Reality is the only guarantee we have after birth is death.
When people write our life’s story down what will it talk about?
No matter what you lived through so far, you are still alive now, and although tomorrow is never promised, if you never let go of your past, it will never let you move beyond where you were.
Maybe you have done some damage to other people around you because of struggle within yourself. Will you even try to say you are sorry or as for forgiveness? You are capable of it.
We all are. We all want others to say that to us, but when it is our turn what will we do?
Jesus did live within political strife.
There was much governmental strife when Jesus was born. There are still political leaders who are not perfect. On smaller scales, there are people within the work place who bring strife and there is always a political aspect when dealing with co-workers in the work place, students in educational systems, and leaders within our communities.
The strife here, we will see later as we keep reading through the gospels. So if you (or someone you know) struggles with similar issues, pay attention when they come up later. Remember humanity is a constant.
The issues these people had with others who were or were not good humans are similar to how people still act as humans today. Yet in the mist of their struggles, there are always deeper issues, just as we have them within our deeper issues.
We cannot live life on the surface and wonder why there is no depth, when we ignore our own deeper issues. God never expects our broken leg to support the weight of our body. Yet we cannot be healed and restored without removing a cast, or by insisting to walk with crutches. That is not being healed. Yet so many of us walk through life like that, and fear the process to total recovery.
You will see how in the mist of the political drama, Jesus still loved and accepted others with kindness and gentleness, because he loved them anyway. He also loves you just as much, and he will treat you with kindness and gentleness. Read on, you will see.
Jesus did fulfill prophesy.
God had a purpose and a calling on His Son’s life. There are so many prophecies that were told before the birth of Jesus, this will not be the only one we will find as we go through the Gospels. In the Old Testament Moses, Kind David and even (Queen) Ester all have a specific purpose. In the New Testament, John the Baptist, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, all had specific purposes. What if they did not do what they were supposed to do? We just read about how God sent an angel to speak to Joseph to keep baby Jesus safe. We will continue to read about the sacrifices Jesus is going to go through, but what if he decided he didn’t want to?
People matter!
You DO Matter!!
Even if at this point in time you may not agree with this,
it does not negate what is important to God.
(You are important to Him!)
Even if people did not prophecy about you before your birth, that does not mean that God does not have a special and specific purpose for you. It is ok if you do not understand what your purpose is at this time. But please realize if there was no need for you, than why is there a desire within you to find your purpose in this life? The answer to that question is because you were created with a purpose, and you purpose does matter. You are important to God, and there is no one else just like you in the mist of your uniqueness.
Deep down, everyone just wants to be loved and accepted.
- As you choose to let God show you how He loves you, then you will start to see more value within yourself.
- As you choose to love God more, then you will start to see more value within others.
- As you choose to Love and be Loved by God, then others will see God’s value within you.
- (and it is ok if you do not have that mastered yet)
That will fulfill your purpose. The other skills and talents you have will be used to reach those around you. Although it may seem too simple to make sense, why not try it anyway, especially if your heart is already broken and yearning to just be loved?
Jesus did get baptized as an adult.
In this scripture we read and hear about how Jesus was baptized as an adult by being fully submersed in water. Some religious traditions have baptisms of infants or sprinkling of water on their heads as a sign of dedicating the child to the Lord. This section is not to argue which way is best, we just point out how Jesus was baptized. There will be more going forward about getting baptized or not getting baptized.
In the Old Testament, water was used over and over again for cleaning, and in major events as separating the past from the future. When the Israelites left slavery, they passed thru the Red Sea. More than once the crossed thru rivers on dry land.
Everyone has a past, yet we need to be able to move forward without having our past holding captive. Toddlers fall many times before they master their balance so they can walk or progress to running. Yet as adults we lose that ambition to keep trying after we fall or get hurt, many just want to quit and give up. Don’t give up, God didn’t. Keep reading and you will see. You will see Jesus faced many situations just like what you are currently going through.
Jesus did hear God’s voice from Heaven say
He was Proud of His Son.
Jesus was baptized and a Voice Came from Heaven … HOW COOL IS THAT??
Ok, some may think that is scary, but still … let’s be honest, it is not a normal thing.
A voice from Heaven said This is MY Son in whom I am well pleased!
Ok, even if you have never wanted to believe that Jesus was God’s Son … What if this is true? Are you ready to face God after you die knowing this was what God said?
If you do believe that Jesus IS the Son of God, then does God feel as if you respect His Son as HIS SON? Many parents have memories or experiences when they see other people not respecting their children. Are you ready to face God if He feels like you have disrespected His Son?
No matter what has happened, you are still reading this now, so you can stop and quickly tell God you are sorry. Talk to Him just as you would talk to anyone else whom you have conversations with in your mind (or out loud).
God understands our pasts, our training, and the training of those who trained them. Yet again, where mistakes in the past have been made, let’s stop them here and change them moving forward.
And God then when you face God after you die, He will tell you Well done, and that you are His Child in whom He is well pleased.
Note – we cannot ignore the Holy Spirit who descended Like a dove. This is one of the few places in the Bible where we see all three parts of the trinity. God the Father, Jesus the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost (depending on the Bible translation).
Just as someone who runs like the wind is not wind, or someone who is as strong as a bull is not a bull, The Holy Spirit is not an actual bird. Yet it has many of the same characteristic traits of a dove. Doves are quick to fly away when something is not right. They will come around were they are welcome and safe. Your words and your thoughts matter, when you do what is not right, the Holy Spirit will not stay.
Conclusion
Have you ever has some people in your life who had some issues? Or have you ever had people be mean to you? And of course we are all living within times of political strife.
Jesus’s Father is The God in Heaven, and he also has a human mother. Yes, Jesus is part of the God Head, since he is the God’s only son. But Jesus also understands humanity and everything you are going through because he was born of Mary and he grew up with people around him who treated him the same ways people treat you.
This is Day 1, there is much more.
This is just a start. You had no influence your parents’ decisions nine months before you were born. Yet Jesus did know the life style he was going to give up when he left heaven, to come down here to earth to be born and to live on this earth as we do. He already knew what Heaven was like without you. Yet he choose to come here because of how much he loves you, and he hopes you will want to get to know him more, so when you leave this earth, you will be able to go to heaven with him.
Do worry about the secrets within your heart that you don’t want anyone to know. Remember the fishermen? They left everything to follow Jesus, but can you answer this? Which of the fishing nets ever caught clean fish? Didn’t every single fish caught need to get cleaned? Do not feel like you need to make a choice now, If you want to try better to learn more about God, GREAT! If not, then that’s your free choice. Yet if this rattles in your soul and you cannot stop thinking about it, then why not learn more?
Prayer is just talking to God.
- First – Thank him
- Be Honest with what is on your heart
- Tell him what your struggles are.
- Ask for what you think you need to get through this
- Ask for wisdom
- Thank God
~ Amen
Father God, Thank You for loving me and accepting me even though there are parts within me that need to be fixed and cleaned up. I am not sure how to go about all of this. Help me to understand who Jesus is better and how the situations he went through stem from the same principles I am currently going through. Help me to see the value within myself that you see in me. Please grant me the wisdom on how to handle what I am facing. Thank you for understanding things I do not understand. ~ Amen
If there is more you want to tell God, then tell Him.
If you are not sure how to tell Him, you can always get a piece of paper and write it out. You may be surprised how many hidden hurts are within your soul. (He wants to heal them for you.) You can also ask Him to show you in the Bible how He values you. He has beautiful things in there for you, about you and about His love for you.
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