Scratching the Surface of the Gospelers

Kopp Disclosure

(John 3:19-21)

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Scratching the Surface of the Gospelers

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    What is Christianity all about?

    That's simple.

    Jesus.

    How do you know what it means to believe in Him and behave like you believe in Him?

    That's simple.

    Read the red letters in the Bible - the words of Jesus Himself.

    What's the best book to read to learn more about Jesus?

    That's simple.

    Read the book/Bible and not books about the book/Bible.

    Where should I start?

    That's simple.

    Read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

    What's the difference between those gospelers or good-news-reporters?

    That's simple.

    Not much.

    They complement but never contradict each other.

    Lots of details in Matthew and Luke.

    John goes deeper.

    I kinda like how Mark gets to the point(s) so quickly; especially when it comes to what it means to behave like you believe in Jesus: "...immediately...they followed Him."

    How come there are so many books about the book about Jesus with so many different opinions about who He is and what it means to believe in Him and behave like you believe in Him?

    That's simple.

    Paul wrote, "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths."

    Many books about the book about Jesus twist what the book reports about Jesus to satisfy less than the truth about Jesus: "I know that's what the book says Jesus said but I think..."

    Is Jesus difficult to understand?

    That's simple.

    Jesus is difficult to understand, as the book reports, for people who have "ears that don't hear" and "eyes that don't see."

    The report: "When Jesus finished speaking, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, for He was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes."

    Note it does not say, "They were confused."

    No, it says they were "astonished...for He was teaching...as one who had authority."

    But, no, Jesus is not difficult to understand unless you're dense by design or decide to shut your eyes and close your ears.

    What does it mean that they were "astonished...for He was teaching...as one who had authority..."?

    That's simple.

    Question: "Who does He think He is...God?"

    Answer: "Absolutely!"

    What kind of authority does He have?

    That's simple.

    Jesus, as God, is the gatekeeper of heaven.

    The good news is, as He said so many times and Paul told Timothy as His purpose, "God wants everybody to be saved."

    What does it mean to be saved?

    That's simple.

    He said, "I have come so that you may have life and have it abundantly...Anyone who believes in Me will never die."

    Simply, knowing we're going to live forever with Him in what He called paradise - the permanent heavenly life-place another apostle referred to as having no more pain or crying or bad stuff anymore - we live confidently or with strong calm sanity in the meantime(s); or as Adamson once said, "Because of Jesus, we live triumphantly through the meanness, madness, and misery of the modern world in knowing the best comes the first nano-second after the last breath in time."

    How can I be saved?

    That's simple.

    Starting shortly after He rose from the dead to certify His divinity guaranteeing all of His promises, people who know Him have said, "Believe in Jesus and you will be saved."

    In short, admit He is who He said He is and you won't have to worry about anything ever again: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life."

    Does being saved make any difference?

    That's simple.

    He said, "If you love Me...[another way of saying that is, 'If you're saved'...]...you will do what I've told you to do."

    Paul explained, essentially, if we are saved, we show the signs/proof/evidence of being saved; which includes character traits like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, humility, and self-control.

    Jesus was even more clear, concise, conclusive, and commanding: "If you love Me, you will love like Me."

    What does Jesus expect me to do with what I know about Him as Lord and Savior?

    That's simple.

    He said, "Go everywhere and tell people about Me...Proclaim and perform as I empower/enable/grace you...Remember, I came to save not condemn...Following Me means getting that good news to as many people as you are empowered/enabled/graced to reach..."

    Yes, it's that simple.

    He is simply as well as sovereignly Lord and Savior.

    That's why we say with Paul, "I am not ashamed of Jesus.  He is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes."

    Yes, it's that simple.

    And once we've scratched the surface, we can go deeper and learn more about believing in Jesus and behaving like we believe in Jesus by reading what comes before and what comes after those red letters in the book.

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    ...to be continued...

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Blessings and Love!