A Man for the Ages

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."

Up until the year 1999,  Time magazine had devouted the cover of one of its magazines to the "Man of The Year" for that particular year.  The run started in n1927 with aviator Charles Lindbergh and ended in 1999 with Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos.  Along the way, men of stature such as Yuri Andropov, Ronald Reagan, Pope John Paul 2 and Winston Churchill have made this illustrious list.  I guess after 1999 the people at Time Magazine decided on making the award their "person of the year."  Were worthwhile men that hard to find?  Hardly.  Personaly, I feel this list was nothing more than a way to stroke someones ego, but that's just one persons opinion.  One thing is for certain, this "Man of the Year" list would never publish the name of one man who truly deserves the honor above every person who ever won the award.  That man was Jesus of Nazareth.
Wherever he would go, Jesus would draw crowds that would be the envy of any modern celebrity.  Trouble is, Jesus was as far away from someone seeking celebrity status as the night is from the day.  No, this man Jesus had a message from God for all of us.  Everywhere Jesus went, the grace and love of God would be on full display.  He ministered, he healed, he taught but he also angered more than a few Jewish leaders of the day.  I would wager that there was not one person who had an encounter with Jesus who would ever forget him.  Even those who were caught in their own sin were shown the grace of God through Jesus.  He told a woman caught in adultry to "Go and sin no more" after shaming those who were accusing her.

And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, "why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"  When Jesus heard that, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need for a physician,  but those who are sick.  But go and learn what this means; 'I desire mercy and not sacrafice.'  For I did not come call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Matthew 9: 11-13 NKJV

This was the message of Jesus.  All around him were people who were in desperate need to hear the saving message of Gods love, grace and forgiveness.  This was not the "Fire and brimstone" God that many people thought he was.  No, God had a new message for his precious creation, and this is what Jesus brought into the world.  As he made his way to the cross, Jesus prepared to suffer and give his own life so that we might live.  He never once sought glory for himself, but chose to do the will of his father.  He knew the suffering and humilation that he would face, and yet he still followed the path set before him.  Our very lives depended on him, and he gave himself up for each of us.  This didn't qualify Jesus for "Man of the Year" but a Man for the ages!

~Scott~