From the Pulpit ................................................................Pages

Owner/Publisher: Rob Wood

John 14:6: "Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

I love this chapter and verse, it says so much about who Jesus is to all of us, or at least, it should. When we are born, we are actually born on the road to hell, and the only way off that road is by giving our lives to Jesus; it's the only way to be saved. What is Jesus saying here? He is saying that He is the only way to Heaven; He is the truth. There is no lying in Him, because He is incapable of lying. He is the life, only through Him do we have eternal life in Heaven. "No one comes to the Father except through Me,"

Who is Jesus to you?

Are you in a personal relationship with Jesus, or just know of Him?

He says. This means that, if we have a loving personal relationship with Him, then we will go to Heaven. Where is the Father? He is in Heaven, so the only way to the Father, who is in Heaven, is through Jesus Christ.

My question to you is simply this, "Who is Jesus to you?"

When I was a little boy, Mom used to tell me who Jesus was and what He did. When I got older, I never pursued it any further than that. I just figured that because I know about Him; I'm going to Heaven. But as I found out years later, that just wasn't true. I was given a Bible by a co-worker and was told to read it. I did a few months later and it changed my life completely and at that moment, I gave my life to Jesus Christ and started to follow Him; it's made a huge difference.

When you give your life to Him, it has that effect on your life; you will at that moment never be the same again. If your life hasn't changed at all after becoming a Christian, then there is a problem and you need to fix that before it's too late. It reminds me of this little story, well maybe it's more of a joke; it's a funny, cute story.

A man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy street. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.

As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and there looking into her window was the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit the car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, finger printed, photographed and placed in a holding cell. After a few hours, a policeman walked up to the cell and opened the door. She was then escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting for her as he had her personal effects with him.

The officer then said to her, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, and flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the 'What would Jesus Do' bumper sticker,

the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, the 'Follow Me to Sunday School' bumper sticker and the chrome plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk." The officer then said, "After seeing all this on the car and noticed the way you were acting against the man in front of you, Naturally...I assumed you had stolen the car."

That was a cute and funny story, but how true is that when we really think about it. How many times do we get mad over things or mad at people when we are driving or even at home with family or friends, and that includes myself. We really have to think before we act. Proverbs 14:29 says, "He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly." How many times have we been so mad at someone, then realize afterwards that we were in the wrong, and you feel the Holy Spirit convicting

Who is Jesus to you?

us right after? John 16:8 says, "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement." We need to control ourselves don't we; we need to be more like Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."

Our Messiah...John 4:25-26 says, "The woman said to Him, 'I know that Messiah is coming' (who is called Christ). 'When He comes, He will tell us all things.' Jesus said to her, 'I who speak to you am He.'" Our Salvation...Romans 10:9-10 says, "That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." And He loves us...1 John 4:19 says, "We love Him because He loved us first." But He is also our judge and will come back one day soon, and He will judge the world. Isaiah 33:22 says, "For the Lord is our Judge, The Lord is our Lawgiver, The Lord is our King; He will save us." Jesus is King...Revelation 17:14 says, "These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called chosen and faithful." Jesus is also called

Emmanuel which means, God with

us...Matthew 1:22-23 says, "So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel' which is translated, 'God with us.'"

Jesus Christ is the Son of God... Matthew 3:17 says, "And behold, a voice out of the heavens said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." He is also God in the flesh...John 1:1314 says, "Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we behold His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

Jesus is the Son of God, equal with God, and with authority

from the Father... Luke 22:70 says, "Then they all said, 'Are You then the Son of God?' So He said to them, 'You rightly say that I am." Also Matthew 28:18 says, "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." And John 5:17 says, "But Jesus answered them, 'My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."

The enemies of Jesus, namely the Pharisees and Scribes attested to the fact

that Jesus claimed to be God, John 10:2931 says, "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him." Also, Jesus said to Philip, he who has seen Me, has see the Father. John 14:8-9 says, "Philip said to Him, 'Lord show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.' Jesus said to him, 'Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father?'" As we can see from the scripture given, He was able to back up the claim that He is God born in the Flesh.

Jesus lived a sinless life; He was tempted in all things in the desert by satan, and yet He did NOT sin. Hebrews 4:15 says, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,

Who is Jesus to you?

but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin."

From the beginning of time, God knew that we couldn't stay away from sin as Adam and Eve couldn't, and He also knew that He would have to come down from His spot in Heaven to be that perfect sacrifice, because He never sinned. 1 Peter 3:18 says, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit." Also 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Jesus also had the power to forgive sins and provides us with eternal life, to be with Him in Heaven. Luke 5:20-21 says, "When He saw their faith, He said to him, 'Man, your sins are forgiven you.' And the Scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, 'Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?'" John 11:25 says, "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.'"

Also, John 6:47 says, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life."

Jesus knew He was all of the above, the Lamb of God, the Messiah, God in the flesh all spoken of in the Old Testament. He knew He would live with no sin and be the perfect sacrifice; He knew He was born to die this terrible death on the cross. And yet, He did all this for you and me. That goes to show you how great His love is for us. He is a God of love, but He is also a judge and will come back to judge the world one day very soon. Are you ready? You need to be ready. It's simple; give your life to Jesus. Tell Him that you know He died on the cross for you and all your sins, and three days later He rose from the dead, conquering death and giving us eternal life. That's it; then give your entire life to Him and serve Him everyday for the rest of your life. He will change you.

WOOD Ministries

Publisher/Sales/Graphic Designer/Writer: Rob Wood

wood.ministries.2020@gmail.com Editor/Writer: Donna Wood

wood.ministries.2020@gmail.com Writer: Lynne Wood

wood.ministries.2020@gmail.com