10 November 2021

Is Jesus a reality or just an idea? Surely this is the key question for anyone searching for spiritual truth, living in the 21st century. What do we base our faith on? Music? Reading sacred texts? Spending time with each other? Belief becomes compromised when it’s based on just an idea or activities. And the idea of Jesus can become very compelling because we can’t ‘see’ Jesus physically here and now. We can end up going to church for a spiritual massage, nothing more. And so-called faith then builds itself on fanciful notions of Jesus; whilst the world outside looks at the church and pities us.

It’s a disturbing fact that when Jesus physically walked around the regions of Israel, some 2,000 years ago, some people didn’t believe in his reality. He was right in front of them and they didn’t see his divinity as real. Even when he did miraculous things, they just didn’t ‘get it’. They had an idea of the Messiah but the person in front of them didn’t meet their standards. A Messiah who conquered would have been welcomed but a Messiah who forgave… that was baffling.

Let’s beware of the idea of Jesus. It’s a heresy, don’t go there! Christ is a fact, the source of reality – not a myth. His resurrection from the dead turned the world upside down and it’s dishonouring to treat the risen Lord as a fairy tale. As one of the Apostles wrote: “For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. (2 Peter 1:16)

We enjoy what has been called ‘a living faith’ because of God’s love revealed by the Holy Spirit. The reality of Jesus stands above our spiritual activities – singing in church, reading the Bible (although that helps to guide us) or listening to other Christians. We can’t base our faith on things but on Jesus himself. Whether we stand on mountains or walk through valleys, His own voice calls us. As He said himself: “My sheep know my voice.” (John 10:27)
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Father God, Thank you for your reality. You are not an idea but a real living being. The first and the last. The door. The gate. The way, the truth and the life. Your Holy Spirit is so welcome in my life. Help me to share not an idea of you, but the reality of you, with others. For the glory of Jesus. Amen.