COMING TO JESUS (2)

Last week we considered the importance of Jesus being real to us. We will never come to him for life and grace if we don’t know him – or at least, if we aren’t sure if he is real or not. A deeply assured conviction that he is a real, accessible person is basic to any relationship with him.

The Gospels, we noted, are central to establishing that conviction. That’s because they contain a record of his life among us on earth. Reading and reflecting on them constantly will make Jesus more real to us. It’s possible to become thoroughly acquainted with him as a person and friend, much as we get to know others we spend a lot of time with.

But the rest of the Bible contributes as well. In various ways it helps us understand his significance – why he came to do what he did and what the means to us today. That also helps us understand why we ought to go to him. Knowing that he is real makes it possible for us to approach him; knowing who he really is makes it imperative that we should do so.

Taking the Bible as a whole we see how Jesus fits into God’s great purpose for his world. Seen against the backdrop of the creation, the unique relationship God had with humankind, and then the fall of man through disobedience, Jesus makes sense. We see him as the One God sent into the world to undo the effects of the fall and to bridge the gap that sin created between God and humankind. We see him as the Lamb of God, the One who came to bear the sins of the world in his body on the cross. We see him as the light of the world, the One who show as us how to live as men and women in God’s world and before his face. We see him as the all-conquering King, the One who overthrows the enemies that hold us captive and threaten us with death. And we see him as the source of the life, power and grace we need to overcome our sinful nature and perform the good works God has prepared for us. In short, we see that everything we need for life and godliness is found in him.

That’s what makes “coming to him” such a necessary act. As the Lord himself said to the church in Laodicea, we are “wretched, poor, pitiful, blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17). He on the other hand has “gold refined in the fire to make us rich, white clothes to cover our nakedness, and salve to anoint our eyes to see” (3:18). In other words, he has (and is) everything we need. And he is eager to share what he has to give. He tells the church in Laodicea that he “stands at the door and knocks”, waiting to be invited to enter so that he may enjoy table fellowship with those who admit him (3:20). He doesn’t take that step for us – though through his Spirit he enables us to do so. He waits for us to come with the open hand of faith to receive out of his fullness what he has to give.

Typically our first meaningful approach to the Lord Jesus is to find forgiveness in him and reconciliation with the Father we have so terrible grieved. We may not fully understand what we are doing when we do so – not with all the theological richness that we do later – but nevertheless, the first move of the heart to Jesus is a move to get rid of our burden of guilt and sin. Aware of our debt and our alienation from God, we turn to him trusting in all that he has done as our Saviour. As undeserving as we are, we reach out to him, the Lamb God has provided to die in our place. And in doing so, we find ourselves embraced, loved and forgiven. The experience is unforgettable, a passing from death to life (John 5:24).

But our need doesn’t stop there. It begins with forgiveness but extends beyond that. As our eyes are increasingly opened to who we are and what God has provided in the Lord Jesus Christ, we find ourselves drawn to him again and again as our never-failing Friend, Companion and Guide. We find ourselves needing his wisdom in the midst of perplexities, his power in the face of temptation, his encouragement in times of loneliness and rejection, his hope in times of despair, his courage in times of danger, and his steadfastness in times of opposition. The fact is that we have none of these things in ourselves. They are all in him and are to be received from him through humble prayer. There’s not a moment in life when we don’t need his loving grace.

So the face of a Christian needs to be ever turned toward the Lord Jesus. “Coming to Christ” is not something we do just once. We never reach a point where we can do things on our own. Every action, no matter how small, needs to be undertaken leaning on him. That’s what Jesus meant when he spoke of us “remaining” or “abiding” in him (John 15:5-7). It’s a way of life. It’s what makes the analogy of a vine branch and its root stock so accurate. And it’s the reason that we can never minister effectively in Christ’s name apart from him.