Our Own Kind Of Jesus

Now Thomas, called the twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.  The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord."  So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."  And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them.  Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!"  Then He said to Thomas, "reach your finger here, and look at my hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side.  Do not be unbelieving but believing."  And Thomas answered and said to  Him, "My Lord and my God!"  Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed.  Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."  And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is tthe Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
John 20: 24-31 NKJV

I'll tell you just how I learned of the man Jesus.  I learned that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, that He endured horrible treatment and was crucified on a Roman cross for the

 forgiveness of my sins.  After that, Christ was resurected after three days, was seen by more than a few people, then ascended into heaven where He resides today at the right hand of God the Father.  We ourselves are here bound to our Lords earthly creation, while Jesus awaits us in heaven.  This was Jesus as I knew Him.  This was indeed the Jesus I was taught about.  I don't feel too alone, for this has been the teaching of Jesus for many years.  I have also heard of those who see Jesus as a sort of mystical  figure whom they mention whenever they can't explain something.  Somehow, it is Jesus who must reveal lifes mysteries to us.  He is a peace maker, a great negotiator, a healer, a champion  of social justice and a example of love for all to follow.  It seems that almost everyone has an idea of just who their  own personal Jesus is.  I did.  The trouble with this train of thought is that scripture tells us that Christ Jesus is much more than we've given Him credit for.  For years we have cherry picked passages from Gods word in order to explain our own kind of Jesus.  Whoever we thought that Jesus was, there must have been a scripture to support our idea.  

" I do  not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as you, Father, are in Me, and i in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which Yo gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that you have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I declare also that they also whom You gave Me may be with Us where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world."
John 17: 20-24 NKJV

One truth which turned my thinking about just who Jesus was came from Jesus Himself.  For as Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane prior to His crucifiction, His prayers were not only for Himself and His disciples, but also us, we who would believe in Him after He was crucified.  What was Jesus' prayer for us?  That we, the Father and Jesus WOULD BE ONE.  We know that Jesus and God the Father are one, but me?  Can I be like Jesus?  Can I indeed live as Christ, as one in He and the Father?  Well, the very same scripture which I would turn to explain the personal Jesus which I chose to believe in also described to me a different more personal Christ.  For this Jesus was not one who was seperated from me, but one whom I lived as each day!  There have been times when I have felt like the disciple Thomas, who knowing of Jesus, refused to believe in His resurection.  Thomas knew Jesus, he walked daily with Him.  That very same relationship which the disciples shared with Jesus is also available to us today.  For we also walk each day as Christ Jesus who is in us.  This is my Jesus.

~Scott~