Jesus.  Jesus came to earth as Son of Man and fully Son of God.  He is not like other men.  He earns his keep, speaks of God intimately, mentors others who follow Him as he walks through the countryside.  He is in constant communication with His Father who sent Him.  Jesus often goes to a quiet place to speak with the Father and then listens to what He is to do next in His mission.  Jesus knows God will provide all He needs to fulfill the promises of God written centuries ago and passed down the ages in the lives of God’s people.  Jesus was with God when He created the world so He knows what God can do!

For generations, the prophets foretold of “something new” that will happen.  This something new is Jesus.  Jesus, the promised Messiah, has come and moved into the neighborhood of humanity.  He has come to teach with a higher authority unassigned by humans and speaks in ways that amaze all who listen.  He has power to heal and restore lives to wholeness quickly and completely.  Jesus is not popular for His good looks, success in business, or for political charisma.  Jesus exudes a love and compassion above all others in the world and goes to depths unlike the other prophets or priests.  Jesus draws crowds just by who He is—And He has come to save us.  All of us.

May the celebration begin and never end because this “something new,” spoken of by Isaiah and other prophets is a brand-new way of life that no longer fits into our old way of life.  The old is used as a backdrop to announce the new way, to prepare mankind for a new Kingdom of God thinking and behaving while fulfilling every detail that was told by God through His prophets.  The law helped mankind stay on the right path to God. Jesus now reconciles (connects) us to God in a relationship that will last forever. 

Matthew 9:14-17, The Message

Kingdom Come

¹⁴ A little later John’s followers approached, asking, “Why is it that we and the Pharisees rigorously discipline body and spirit by fasting, but your followers don’t?”

¹⁵ Jesus told them, “When you’re celebrating a wedding, you don’t skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to exercise moderation, but not now. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!”

^16-17 He went on, “No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. And you don’t put your wine in cracked bottles.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Jesus speaks of this “something new” Kingdom thinking and behaving way of living that leads to eternal life with examples in people’s lives He knows that will understand.  To the winemakers, He says, “you wouldn’t put new wine in old, used up wine skins that are cracked and can’t take the pressure of the reaction that wine will have as it ages, would you?”  Of course not, the winemakers are thinking. 

To those who repair their clothing with patches of material, Jesus says, “you wouldn’t patch your garments with cloth that doesn’t match what you are trying to repair, would you”?  Of course not.  You want the new to match up with the old so that it will last!

Therefore, Jesus is not merely an “add-on” or a “patch of goodness” to our old way of living.  We are “reborn” with new life.  Jesus give us new ways of thinking, new ways of loving, new wisdom, new mercies, new compassion for others—everything is changed!  Every detail has a new perspective. Upon rebirth into the Kingdom of God—we no longer fit into that old way of life.  Our identity has changed.  Our new identity is in Christ, our Savior and now our Lord who guides us into all things new.  Wow! 

“Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.”  Isaiah 43:18-19, NIV

“So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!  This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”  2 Corinthians 5:16-17

New lives have a new purpose!  We represent Jesus to others who are lost, confused, perplexed, who are wandering aimlessly through life.  We who have been reconciled (reconnected) to God in relationship with God by believing and following Jesus must tell others how to seek and find the One who loves us most.

New lives have a new message to tell!  “And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.  2 Corinthians 5:18-21 NLT

Made right.  Made new.  All because of Jesus.  As we “age” like a fine wine, may we grow in our loving relationship with God as God expands His love in us to others. 

Lord,

Thank you for forgiving us of all our sins, setting us free to enjoy a new life with you!  Lead us not into the temptations of looking back to our old life that no longer fits into our new life forever with you!  The old is gone, the new is here.  May we rejoice in You!

In Jesus Name, By Your Power working in us, For Your Glory, Amen!

I have decided to follow Jesus

I have decided to follow Jesus

I have decided to follow Jesus

No turning back, no turning back.