Relating to the idea of Jesus can make you a smarter Christian, a nicer Christian, a more religious Christian, but it cannot make you a deeper, more joyful, or more authentically Christlike Christian.

Jesus is the “true and better” older brother.

Christians have a unique foundation for strength which has no rival. Christians can draw strength from the One with all strength, in whom there could be no true threat.

In our modern quest for identity, whether we know it or not, we are inserting ourselves into this thought experiment. We wonder, if my interests, passions, gifts, body, or relationships change, am I still me? Our thought process leads us into such confusion we can come to believe we can lose ourselves if we are unable to pursue our long-held desires. 

The greatest example of the compassion of the Messiah came at the end of His earthly ministry. Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross for sinners is the culmination of His compassion, an action that allows Christians to be confident in their standing before God.

What if a leader’s good idea for church growth or success was not the vision Proverbs 29:18 had in mind?

This real world is the one to which Jesus came. Jesus entered our humanity. He became one of us, taking on flesh and blood, partaking of the same things as you and me.

The King himself stands at the door with open arms, ready to run out and meet the prostitute, the tax collector, and prodigals of every sort—welcoming them into the feast of love, joy, peace, and righteousness.

There are a lot of people in Hebrews 11 who trusted God with the seeds he’d given them — people who waited longer than forty years to see a harvest. The seeds they planted weren’t so much oak trees as they were sequoias that took centuries to root and branch. 

The supreme and preeminent Lord of All is in fact the bread that is an everlasting meal, an eternal feast for the soul.