June 14, 2020
Back in my younger days, way back as a matter of fact, there was a show on TV called To Tell the Truth. Three people would come out on stage, claiming to be a certain person (John Smith for our purposes here). The three were questioned by a panel of celebrities. The panel would then individually vote as to which of the three people in question was the real John Smith. After the voting was complete, the host would say, “Would the REAL John Smith please stand up.” More often than not, I would be wrong, but hey, I was only five! While on Facebook the other day, I came across the title of a book that got me pondering this whole To Tell the Truth thing. The name of the book is Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up. Curious, I went to the Amazon website and read the blurb about the book. Now, I don’t know if the book is any good or not, but the point the author makes is a valid one. There are a lot of “Jesuses” running around today. Jesus the political activist, Jesus the social justice warrior, Jesus the wonderful moral teacher, Jesus the Genie who gives anybody who “likes” him on Facebook a gazillion dollars…you get where I am going. This whole issue is nothing new, in fact, it was debated when Jesus was alive on earth. The question is even asked by Jesus to His disciples in Matthew 16. Stop; go get your Bible, read it for yourself to make sure I am not making this stuff up. Jesus asks, “Who do folks say that I am?” The disciples reply, “Some say John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” Jesus then asks,” But who do YOU say that I am?” Peter replies, “You are the Christ (Messiah, Anointed One), the Son of the living God.” Jesus then tells Peter that he not only gave the correct answer, he gave the INSPIRED answer. It was God’s answer. While Jesus may have indeed addressed political issues, social justice, taking care of the poor, and many other moral concerns, who Jesus IS goes so much deeper. Just as God revealed to Peter who Jesus actually is, a search through the books that make up the Bible, God’s inspired revelation to man, God reveals to us that Jesus is the world’s Creator, Redeemer, and Savior. God also reveals to us that the only way to get to Him (God the Father) is through Jesus (God the Son). Our world is in desperate need of the REAL Jesus. I might have been wrong a lot, back when I was five. Come to think of it, I am still wrong a lot. About Jesus however, I am right. The REAL Jesus has already stood up, allowed Himself to be hung on a tree so that you, me and the rest of the world might make peace with God, through Him. Aren’t you glad? Now, go tell somebody about the REAL Jesus.
Be blessed and be a blessing…Brother Andy
