A New Start Through Jesus
Dave became a Christian 2 years ago after studying the Bible and admitting, “I can’t deny this anymore.” This was after he had repeatedly said Christianity was “not for me,” even though his wife Nancy had been praying for him for over 35 years.
After Jesus had died on the cross, two of his disciples walked away from Jerusalem, confused and disillusioned. A stranger joined them, but they didn't notice it was Jesus. They told the stranger that a powerful prophet had been killed, whom they'd thought would defeat those in power, making the world a better place. The stranger explained how they'd missed what the Holy Bible predicted: that Israel needed a king who had to die and be resurrected to set them free from sin. When they reached their destination, the stranger joined them for a meal, and their eyes were opened, and they finally saw it was Jesus. (Luke 24:13–35)
How hard it is to see who Jesus is. How could God's love be shown through a shameful execution of Jesus on a cross? How could a humble man become the king of the world through weakness and self-sacrifice? But that’s the message. It's upside down from what we expect.
Dave is like many people I’ve known, believing ' it's not for me ’. What changed? Old ways of thinking are challenged. There is usually a journey of discovery, like those disciples walking with Jesus. A time to learn more about who Jesus is and why he came. But this isn’t just another lifestyle choice. Jesus says that we need to be “born again” (John 3). A radical change: a relationship with God based on surrender and confession of what’s wrong in our lives (our sins).
To explore what it means to become a Christian, why not come along to church one Sunday? We would love to meet you. Or join our next Alpha in the New Year? www.hsb.church
