These past few weeks I have been watching this documentary series on CNN called Finding Jesus. This series provides widespread information of the life of Jesus based on what the Gospel says about Him as well as other monastic gospels and records not included in the Bible. Each documentary tells the story of people who related to Jesus in some way, like John the Baptist, Judas Iscariot, and his brother James. With each person of study reporters talk about the findings surrounding the supposed relics of Jesus’ time, like the ossuary of James, the Shroud of Turin, and the disputed Gospel of Judas.
Even though I do not buy into all of what is being said about the findings and discussions of Jesus, I am impressed of how CNN went about their research and reports on people, places and objects related to Jesus. They did no discredit to the faith and provided many valid facts on the findings and interviewed pastors, professors and many people who are experts and leaders in the Christian realm. If anything, I would say that they did more to confirm that Jesus is who He said He is.
I find it ironic that the name of the series is called Finding Jesus. It seems like a valid statement to say that people all over the world are looking for someone or something to follow and to have fill a gap in their lives. People devote themselves to a religion or an ideal to pacify the demands of whoever of whatever they are following. They make a pilgrimage to a place of significance of that religion; they fast days and nights separating themselves from the world; they decorate their homes or attire with things resembling the ideology.
Indeed most religion is about people trying to find something to fill some void in their heart. The good thing about Christianity is that people don’t have to go far to find the answer. As a matter of fact, the answer actually came to find us.
When I was in fourth grade, our teacher had us had us memorize the verse Isaiah 53:6 through a silly hip-hop-like song that went like this:
We all like sheep have gone astray
Baa baa doo baa baa
Each of us turned to his own way
Baa baa doo baa baa
But the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all, sing
Baa baa doo baa baa
Isaiah 53:6. Huh!
Even though I memorized this verse in a funny way, I like how it emphasizes our waywardness and desperate need of a Savior. I have heard it said time and again that sheep are among the dumbest animals on the face of this earth. They continually wander with their heads down and if they are not careful will fall in a hole or get caught in a bush or something. They aren’t very fast, so if a predator appears they are in trouble. They constantly need the care of a shepherd over them. As insulting as it sounds for people to be compared to sheep in reference to this kind of behavior, that is exactly how we are. We can easily lose sight of where we are going and fall into problems.
There are a lot of times where the Bible uses sheep to describe people, and Jesus even used sheep as a reference to people to explain His purpose on earth. He described an attribute of God that other religions cannot imitate by telling the story of a sheep that got lost. It was one out of a hundred, and it probably would not matter to the owner if one sheep went missing as long as he could make a profit out of the other ninety-nine. But the shepherd did something unimaginable and went out of his way to find that one sheep.
What makes this story amazing is that this is what God sent Jesus to do. He was God, and still He came to be born as a baby and grow up into a human being, and a carpenter’s son at that. And let alone having to bear the torture and death of a criminal convicted in the Roman Empire and face the wrath of God with our sins upon Him. And He did it for the sake of each individual sinner on earth no matter his or her age, race, nationality, stature or how many sins committed in the past, present or future. To think of it is amazing beyond description. There are no words to describe who incredible this sacrifice was.
And not only that, but He did not stay in that grave. He rose from the dead so that we may now have ever lasting life in Him.
Whatever you might be seeking now, just know that God is seeking you. He is waiting for you to answer His calling. Will you go to Him?
Happy Easter. He is Risen.
Life Among Lions 