Jesus is radical, you might almost say fanatical about his equality with God the Father. It’s important to understand that Jesus didn’t just claim to be a good guy, a religious leader, a prophet. He claimed to be God, to have the ultimate power, willingly die, and then by His own power, come back to life. Only Jesus was crucified and was resurrected from the dead.
The other thing that stands out in these verses is that he wasn’t afraid of confrontation. He wasn’t afraid to put people in their place when their intent was to harm other people. Jesus wasn’t nice, calm, and limp-wristed. He had a strong will and was willing to confront when the truth was at stake, when lives were at stake. Getting Jesus right is everything. And everything else is secondary to that.
As you reflect on the study today, ask yourself these questions:
- Is Jesus Christ my God and Savior? Do I have a personal relationship?
- Is my profession of faith as a Christian a current reality, not just something in the past I refer to?
- Do I walk in the abundant life that Jesus dies to make possible?
- What is abundant life? How would I know it when I see it?
- If Jesus Christ is essential, what am I doing to make sure other people hear the story of the gospel and the claims of Christ?