Jesus is the Point

Sermon Reflections from Jesus is the Point | Alex Hardt | April 28, 2024

Pastor Alex’s sermon this Sunday had many places where your heart and spirit wanted to shout “Amen”. This month Pastor Alex sought to imprint upon us that in various ways the truth of our memory verse from Matthew 16:15-16. “He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” If you were asked today, who would you say that Jesus is? Would you agree with Peter and recognize him as the Messiah, the Christ who came to save you? Or would he be just a good man to be looked up to? In Sunday’s sermon, the case was made that Jesus is who he says he is and did what he said he did for you and me! He wants us to be able to live for Him with God honoring lives and to be in relationship with Him.

Pastor Alex started in Matthew 5:17-20 where Jesus states why he came and proclaims that all scripture points to Him. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” Jesus came to fulfill every single bit of the law leaving nothing undone. Later in Matthew 11 where John sends his disciples to question Jesus whether or not he is the Messiah, the Christ, Jesus tells them to look and see what he is doing or has done and match it with prophecy of what the Messiah would do. Exodus 4:11 “Then the LORD said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?” Later in Isaiah 29:18-19 it was foretold what the Messiah would do, “In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see. 19 The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.” Jesus was saying, look at what I’m doing and you’ll see that I’m doing exactly what it was said I would do. Seeing is believing- look and see!

In Isaiah 53 Isaiah writes about the suffering servant, Messiah who would suffer and die to save us. “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” All these ancient words describe in detail who Jesus was, what he did and why he came. All scripture points to Jesus as 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.”

Do you ever ask yourself, what do I know about God? Who is He, what is He like? Jesus points us to God. I love Hebrews 1:3 and the description the writer gives of Jesus. “ He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” Jesus embodies the very nature of God and reveals God to us in all he says and does. God’s Word is filled with the examples of who Jesus is, what he did here on earth. The Word tells us Jesus came with God’s authority to act and reveal more about God to the world. Jesus spoke of his authority often, John 12:49 as he sought to help his followers see who he was more clearly. “For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 14:10 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.” Jesus embodied the authority of God as well as all His character. He was longsuffering, loving, kind, gracious, merciful, forgiving and wise. He totally reflects God the Father in his character while reaching out to us with love.

Jesus revealed God to us while here on earth. He often spoke of the oneness he shared with his heavenly father. He even prayed for us to be united with him as he is with the Father in John 17:20-22 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,” Jesus wanted us to be a part of Him and know that connectedness to the Father. He desired that we know Him and take refuge, hope, strength, courage…. From the Father. Most importantly Jesus wanted us to believe in Him so that we would be saved eternally and joined to His family. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 1:12 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” Are you a part of God’s family yet? If not, why not? Jesus is waiting for you to come to him. His arms are open wide to surround you today.

Linda
Thank you Pastor Alex for a clear sermon that points us to JESUS!

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