3 Questions about Jesus: Jason Evans
Yet another installment of our latest series is provided by Jason Evans, who tackles 3 Questions About Jesus: Who is Jesus the Christ? What has he done? And why does it matter? (Previous installments: Jason Coker| Jesse Schroeder | Cari Jenkins | Jason Clark | Ben Sternke | JR Rozko | Amy Rozko | Steve Burnhope).
____________________________________________________________
I don’t think you make up a story like Jesus’ and hope it convincing. Gods aren’t to be born in barns, to peasant girls and laid in feeding troughs on the edge of empire. You have to really believe this to be true to write it down for others. And I guess that is why I believe. It is so ridiculous, that it just might be true.
There’s no pretense. There’s nothing trying to convince me. Yet, I’m convinced.
I think Jesus was on to something. Jesus got it. He saw how the world was intended to work. He could see that in our broken, feeble attempts we-meaning humanity-had missed the point. He knew what it would take to set us straight. The way he lived his life, the things he said and did showed us a way of living which would draw us back into a way we were intended to. Yet, I think he knew that the death we let enter into our lives had to be removed. And we couldn’t do that on our own. So, he defeated death for us.
I think that is something only God could do.
I have found this to be so in my own life. I look at the Gospels’ account of how Jesus lived his life, and I see a way to live my own. Yet, I quickly find that I am quite incapable of living as I want to. Jesus said he was “the way, the truth and the life.” And as mystical and ill-defined as that may seem I find it to be true. When I conclude that I cannot do it on my own, and I submit to this God-made-flesh I find life.
Some would call this, a crutch. I prefer, a stretcher.
______________________________________________________________
Jason is currently a student at Fuller Theological Seminary and has a certificate in Urban Ministry from Hesston College. Before joining our team, Jason was a church planter and church planting consultant. These efforts have been documented in several books. He and his wife, Brooke, have three children, Paige, Matt and Sam. They live in the South Park neighborhood.
“Gods aren’t to be born in barns, to peasant girls and laid in feeding troughs on the edge of empire. You have to really believe this to be true to write it down for others. And I guess that is why I believe. It is so ridiculous, that it just might be true.”
Haha. Not to mention the fact that the “peasant” girl was a virgin when she conceived and gave birth.:-)