1/30/19 – Pastor Brian’s Blog –
So the battle begins:
“Obama is the best president ever.” “Trump? Well, he is the worst president. Period!”
As I was thinking about and praying for these two men this week, I thought, “They really do have a lot in common.”
Both men are very rich. Trump came into the presidency rich, Obama left the presidency rich
Both men have very expensive homes
Both men have been polarizing figures
Both men have people protecting them at all times
Both men know and hang out with the rich and famous
Both men at some point in their lives have been the most powerful and influential person in the world
Both men are unapproachable from strangers, unless of course they are running for office
Both men had to sell pieces of their soul to get to the highest office in the land
Both men are recognizable to people around the world
Both men have surrounded themselves with some of the best minds in the world
Both men have multiple staff available to defend and explain their actions
Both men have people heavily vetted before anyone is able to meet with them
Both men struggle with pride and arrogance
Then I thought, “What would it look like, if Washington D.C. had to plan the birth of Christ?”
First of all, His family would have to be “well connected.” Jesus would have to be born in a palace, or some private million dollar estate, within a gated community. Of necessity, He would have had to be in the family line of Washington, Lincoln, Kennedy or Bush. And of course, Jesus would have to have access to a lot of money.
If Washington D.C. had to plan the life of Christ, Jesus would have been a graduate of Harvard, Princeton or even Oxford University. He would have multiple degrees after His name, and would only have had the most famous and highbrow professors teach Him. He would have had His own public relations firm to orchestrate every life event to His advantage. Washington D.C. would make sure that there were people around Him to manage His every move, so that people would love Him, revere, and honor Him. He would have multiple speech writers, so that no one would be offended or upset with anything He said.
If Washington D.C. was in charge of the life of Jesus; He would only be allowed to travel in prominent circles, and spend time with the most influential, the brightest and the best people. Known murders, liars, rapists, felons, drunks, prostitutes, and the homeless… need not apply.
If Washington D.C. had to plan Jesus death; you can be sure that all His secret service men and personal lawyers would be on deck so that He would not be mistreated or die a humiliating death.
Yet Jesus Christ, the creator of the world, the Messiah, did not come into the world to be “well connected”. The God of the universe was the son of a servant girl, and spent most of His life helping Joseph, in his humble carpenter’s shop. Jesus lived in Nazareth… “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. John 1:46
There was no vetting before you came to Jesus; anyone could come… While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” Matthew 9:10-11
Did Jesus have great wealth? Well… Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Matthew 8:20
Was God incarnate arrogant? Not quite! And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross! Philippians 2:8
When falsely accused, Jesus had no Twitter account, He did not have a spokesperson come out to defend Him. Instead of fighting back… Jesus remained silent. Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him. Matthew 26:63,67
Lest you think that Jesus’ death, the most excruciating, embarrassing, degrading, painful, and cruel death known to mankind, was not planned; think again… From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Matthew 16:21-23
Jesus’ life would have been far different if Washington D.C. had planned it. If God had allowed Washington D.C. to be in in charge of the life of Jesus Christ, not one soul would be saved! Yet Jesus’ life was all about reaching lost people… Jesus said to him, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Luke 19:9-10
Obama, Trump or Jesus? At the end of your life, it really doesn’t matter what you think about former President Obama or President Trump, what really matters is what you think about Jesus Christ.
If you are more passionate about Trump or Obama than you are Christ, then in all likelihood you will live for the temporal, you will be motivated to live a “Washington” planned life. This kind of life wants to accumulate money, influence, and all the perks that the world has to give. But if your passion is Jesus, then your passions will be Jesus’ passions. Like Jesus, your life will be focused on the eternal… Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. 1 Timothy 1:15
10 years from now, chances are Obama and Trump will be a fading memory to most, yet 10,000 years from now, those people that we have led to Christ, will be basking in all of heavens glory.
Obama, Trump or Jesus? For any coherent, logically thinking person, it has to be Jesus!!
