Wednesday, April 11, 2012

A 3 Dimensional View

HA! As I was sitting here, thinking about crafting this post, I was struck with the title. It made me laugh right out loud. Forgive me for being boastful, but I LOVE IT when the little brain I have is able to produce something clever. The title here makes PERFECT sense - and you'll see why if you continue to read.

Whether you know this from reading my blog or from knowing me in real life, I have spent the last 6 or so weeks fasting Facebook. In addition to fasting it, I have been doing a '40 Days in the Word' challenge at church. It is an AWESOME program about different study methods that you can use while reading the bible. It's not just all about reading and letting the Holy Spirit guide you (although that works!), it's about carving time and space in your day and your heart to sit and meditate and pull apart the wisdom and beauty that you find there. As Pastor Dave says, this book is the ONLY book that you can ask the author questions as you're reading it and can also get answers :)

So - as a result of this 'challenge,' I have been in the word more. There were some suggested readings for our 'homework' but being the classic over-achiever, I always wanted to read more. I actually CRAVED reading more. When I learn something new, I want to keep doing it over and over and over until it becomes boring - and then I want to find something else to do over and over and over ... I'm sure you catch my drift.

Well.

In the past 6 weeks or so, I have been blown away by a new found understanding I have about Jesus. BLOWN. AWAY. There is a song that plays on the radio that says "My God is not dead, He is surely alive!" and every time I heard it (before), I would think that yes, yes He is alive in my heart ... but I never GOT it. Oh friends, I've GOT it now and I'm holding tight.

Throughout the readings we've had to do, I've spent a LOT of time with Jesus. With His bolded, red words telling me parables and truths that most of the time require me to think VERY hard; yet at other times cause my spirit to soar with the hope I find there. What I have never, ever, EVER realized, is just how emotional Jesus was. He is SO much more emotional than I ever saw before.

Go with me. In my mind, God is love (1 John 4:8), and Jesus is part of the trinity that IS God and the Holy Spirit and Jesus all in one. Three in one. Three dimensions of the same being (hence the blog post title!!! HA!) YET each serving a purpose YET each existing because the other ones do YET encompassing ALL power and ALL glory and ALL mercy. I could go on and on and on. But the point of this is, that in my mind, Jesus was ALWAYS love. When I think of Him, that is what I see. Love. And while I know He is MORE than that, I never really saw it.. until my time in the word.

Jesus was MUCH more emotional and complex than I thought. What started me off on this was when I was in Matthew 21:12 where Jesus clears the temple. He "drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned tables ... " Clearly, he gets angry - or perhaps anger is a strong word for that emotion - maybe frustrated? He OVERTURNED tables! He drove people out (which I'm sure he didn't do by asking politely and smiling). This king sent to earth to save ME, was acting... well... human? Go to this scripture. Read it. Mediate on it. This is Jesus in his MOST human form. Dealing with the emotion that so many of us have to battle on a daily basis.

Another thing I found was that Jesus grieved. Another VERY strong human emotion. When He was in the garden of Gethsemane, He said (Matthew 26:37-39) "37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Jesus knew the PROMISE of heaven. He KNEW it because all things He could see so could His Father God. He innately understood the HOPE of heaven - He knew the riches there. YET he STILL grieved? This was Jesus in his MOST human form. Desiring life, yet knowing that His life would save mine. 

One of the best things I found was that Jesus was truly honorable. I spent some time in prayer over Matthew 26-27 this Easter season, (the death and resurrection) and Matthew 26:10-13 jumped out at me and screamed just HOW honorable Jesus was. Jesus says “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.The poor you will always have with you,but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” Jesus wants to honor this woman (who is Lazarus' sister Mary) by using her example of worship to represent what is true, noble, and right. Jesus wants to honor her... I keep saying it and reading it and being blown away by it. If Jesus wants to honor her, how much MORE would he want to honor us? We should be at his feet. We should be doting on His word just as she had the privilege of doing to his flesh. We should be sitting with Him, worshipping Him, cleansing our hearts through Him... all the things she did. He chooses to honor her. We need to honor Him.

See friends, our God is ALIVE. When He was alive (in Jesus), He was human - and though he was (super)human, He was still able to live a fully righteous life FULL of trial and tribulation. What a responsibility He had. Imagine, shouldering the salvation of the world on your shoulders ... and having the help of 12 other men to get the word out before it was too late. Imagine, the weight of his human-ness bearing down hard against the Truth He knew was awaiting Him in heaven - despite KNOWING for SURE where He came from and where He was going, He STILL fought back panic and grieved. Just imagine...

I still stand in awe of His sacrifice, friends. I still stand in awe of the courage it took and the trust it took for Jesus to take the blame. I still stand in humbled adoration, covered by the blood...and my thoughts repeatedly sigh 'what can I do, Lord...what can I do that would EVER equate to Your contribution to my life.'  And in the still of His presence, the peace He gives me answers my heart is seeking for.