He Knew His Purpose

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“Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”"  – Luke 4:20-21

His mother was Mary and his father was Joseph.  They were from Nazareth, in Galilee, and were known by the Jewish leaders of the day.  His father was a carpenter and was known in the villages around the Sea of Galilee – Tiberius, Capernaum and others.  His mother was likely known amongst the women of the villages and surrounding cities as she was seen carry for her children including Jesus.  There are records of their trip to Jerusalem during the Feast of the Passover when Jesus was 12 (Luke 2:41-50), and Jesus was observed studying in the temple with the elders and teachers.  This boy was known in and around the area.

I picture in my mind, Jesus running through the streets of Nazareth, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Tiberius playing with the other boys.  I can picture him playing with a stray puppy in the market, laughing and giggling as they would wrestle.  I imagine him skipping stones at the Sea of Galilee, while his parents shopped in the marketplace, and I see him lying on his back in a pasture of green staring up at the soft puffy clouds as they float by on a bright summer afternoon.  Jesus was a boy from Galilee who studied alongside the other boys and learned the Torah (first four books of the Bible) from the elders in the Synagogue of Nazareth.

I picture Jesus as a strong, well defined young man working alongside of Joseph in the family business of making furniture from wood.  Sweat upon his brow, calloused hands, covered in sawdust and dirt from the day’s work.  I picture him coming into his mother’s home, sitting for the evening meal and tending to the chores of the home as necessary in those days.  He grew up in Nazareth, was known by the people in town, the leaders of the Synagogue and the Pharisees of the day.  He was no stranger in Galilee by any means.

At some point He came to realize His true identity as the Son of God.  Did He realize this fact since His birth?  Did He come into this knowledge through a revelation from above or from His mother?  We don’t know.  What we do know from scripture though is that His ministry started around the age of 30 and lasted but only a few years.  As we discussed yesterday, He came into the calling of His Father in Heaven and was baptized by John in the river Jordan where God acknowledged him as the “My Son….”  We pick up in Chapter 4 with Jesus being tempted by Satan in the wilderness for 40 days.  If we were to focus on Jesus’ responses in that dialogue alone, we could solve many of today’s problems.

Then we watch as Jesus separates Himself from the village of Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30), having been rejected by the elders there for claiming to be the fulfillment of the prophecy from Isaiah 58:6.  He knew His purpose on this earth and spent His final two years of life pursuing nothing but that purpose – to bring salvation to the world.

Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, came to the earth to bring salvation for the lost.  He did not come to bring peace or to reign on earth, but to provide a way for mankind to be redeemed once again to the intended right standing with God the Father.  Many still chose to reject Him because they knew Him as the boy from Nazareth, the son of Joseph.  Even, today there are many who reject Him for that same reason, and ask – “Why would God choose to save the world through the son of a carpenter?”  There is only one way to answer these skeptics; “Because He is God and you’re not.”



© Sondove Enterprises, 2018
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What Will It Take?

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“For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God.”    –Isaiah 58:2

After the ash had fallen and the echo of cries had softened, there was an urgency about the streets of the city and the nation for that matter.  An urgency to understand more about  the vulnerability of life and the reality of death.  It became obvious and real to all of us that we aren’t in control, and that at any given time it can all be taken away.  Anyone age 19 or older can tell you exactly where they were on that day, and most can give you a deep understanding of what it meant to them spiritually, emotionally and even physically. For weeks following 9/11 the pews in every church in America were filled, some sanctuaries to standing room only.  People were suddenly faced with dealing with grief, fears and the realization that the world will end one day.  Some were brought to their knees once again after many years, seeking what they knew in their heart, but had forgotten in their mind.  Guilt and confusion brought some to the church fearing their lack of an eternal plan.  A wave of God’s spirit consumed the thoughts of millions around the world and we rose up as one.

The human will is strong, filled with pride, confident and determined though.  It took less than 6 months following this tragic, horrific event for people to once again find comfort in their place in the ecosystem of life.  Time heals wounds and creates a comfort level within the human spirit, thereby weakening the dependence upon God.  Since that time we have continued to drift farther from the fears that shook us, and the urgency to get right with God.  We have once again allowed our busy life to consume our purpose and our daily walk.  The wakeup call that shook our confidence is now a distant memory and the self-confidence is back and stronger than it ever was.

What will it take to rattle this confidence again?  We are frequently asking to better understand God’s purpose in our life, yet are we changing our life to pursue the answer?  For many there was a hunger for His comfort on that day which has been replaced once again with the same unrighteousness that has always been.  In words some will say, I believe, yet actions will say otherwise.  The tragic events in life often draw one to a place of seeking God, but often times the individuals who find Him, don’t really want to stay there.

Folks, God hasn’t moved.  His love, His purpose, His plan of salvation is no different today than it was 11 years ago or 2000 years ago.  You have to make a choice to pursue it though.  It’s not just a check box on the welcome card in a pew, it is a life changing acceptance that we are sinful, and we deserve the horror, hellfire and damnation that will come to this earth.  In totality we have turned out back on God and taken up our own path in life, keeping Him on the shelf for those times when we are scared or in need.  That’s not who He is.  He needs to be the purpose you wake up in the morning, and occupying your every thought throughout the day.  He needs to be your first love, more important than any other; even your spouse, your parents, your children and your siblings.  He is not your co-pilot; He is the pilot, you are a passenger.  Don’t wait for the next tragic event to rattle your world in order to realize who He is, seek Him earnestly and with a passion to truly discover what He wants for your life.  Only in this way will you truly come to know who He is.

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
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