The Popular Savior Didn’t Work
The Personal Savior Did
Jesus was and is a personal Savior.
Not a celebrity Savior. Not a professional Savior.
You don’t need an appointment with Jesus. You won’t need to locate Jesus or travel to where He works because He’s never far away. He doesn’t maintain office hours and He isn’t limited to one location.
He’s mobile. He finds you and hangs around.
He’s very hands-on. He ministered to people individually in the New Testament and still does that today. Mass meetings weren’t His style. He spent most of His time teaching small groups of people. Often it was just the 12 disciples.
He drew big crowds but not on purpose. Even when surrounded by masses, He remained focused on individuals.
- He spoke to and healed the man born blind in Jerusalem.
- He healed the Centurion’s servant, and although He never saw or spoke directly to the Centurion or the servant, the healing sent a very personal message to the Centurion.
- He healed Peter’s mother-in-law while staying in Peter’s house. The place of healing can’t be more personal.
- Jesus touched a leper to signal a healing. That was seriously personal. Lepers were touch starved. It couldn’t have been more psychologically (personally) medicinal.
In some cases He took individuals away from the crowd to do His work.
- The deaf mute along the Sea of Galilee is a good example.
He was celebrated but His celebrity never influenced how He conducted His ministry. He could work quietly in the background or in the middle of a crowd. He maintained focus in all situations. When surrounded and pressed by onlookers, He managed to single out the needy person and minister to them individually.
Crowds were a barrier but not for Jesus. They got in the way of individuals seeking for Jesus.
- The woman who suffered with a medical problem for 12 years. The crowd was so problematic, her only option was to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment.
- The bed bound cripple carried by four friends who was barricaded from Jesus by the crowd.
- Zacchaeus whose short stature made him climb a tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus as He walked by.
The crowd isn’t an intermediary. In fact, salvation requires no intermediaries. Jesus doesn’t work from a distance. He doesn’t save in person but He always saves personally.
THINK!AboutIt
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