Approaching Jesus With Humility
If you hope to gain an understanding of Jesus Christ and the purpose of the Savior's life, death, and resurrection, it will be necessary to approach the Lord in a spirit of humility. You know, an attitude that is opposite of how many religious leaders in Christ's day approached the Messiah. Their hearts were full of pride, and they often tried to prod the Lord into saying something erroneous.
But no matter how hard they pressed, those religious leaders always came out on the short end of the stick. They never succeeded in getting the Lord to contradict Scripture. In fact, Jesus responded to their insincere comments and questions with far more wisdom than they were capable of grasping due to their dark hearts and evil intentions. And so those religious "big wigs" were typically left with their mouths hanging open as they stood there dumbfounded.
What about you? If you were to approach Christ today, would it be with a humble heart? There are many today who approach Jesus out of pride, antagonism, and even some resentment toward the Savior of the world. But what about you? How humble are you in Christ's presence?
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The bottom line is that "pride goes before a fall," (Proverbs 16:18) and the pride of man remains a dominant feature of the human heart. This is why many people today do not view Jesus with an attitude of humility. Instead, they look at the Savior as being on their level, or even a little bit below them.
Most of the religious leaders of Christ's day saw themselves as being superior to Jesus. And in their arrogance, they looked down on the one person who could have delivered them from their sinful pride, and even from death itself. But they wanted no part of it. They were too good for such a thing, or so they thought. And this stubborn refusal to humble themselves before the Messiah is what secured their demise, both in this life as well as in the world to come. Other than a few of them who escaped their self-made prison of pride, the vast majority of them became victims of an inflated ego.
And man's heart has not changed over the past 2000 years. Man still tends to view himself as being "too good" to humbly bow at the foot of the cross. Many refuse to "repent and believe the good news." (Mark 1:15) It is thought to be "beneath" man to do such a thing. After all, who died and made Jesus king?
Well, that is an interesting question. You see, Jesus died, but then the unthinkable happened: He rose from the dead. Can you name another king who has been able to pull off such an amazing feat, or another religious leader who has risen from the dead?
And is there another prophet or religious leader, other than Jesus, who has the ability to enter the human heart and actually live there? Of course not, and this is one reason a wise person approaches Jesus with humility.
Many people don't realize who they are dealing with when, for example, they use the name of Jesus as a curse word. Such behavior is the opposite of humility. It demonstrates a total disregard and complete disrespect for the Messiah.
And when people treat Jesus the way many religious leaders did 2000 years ago, it leaves a person with a cold heart toward Christ. Obviously, there are even plenty of people who go so far as to hate Jesus. This of course is why the Lord told the disciples: "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." (John 15:18)
Arrogance and hatred, or humility and a gentle spirit. Which of these attitudes describes the way you approach Jesus? It's not natural to trust Christ as Savior and follow the Messiah as Lord. This is why a person must first be spiritually reborn. It brings a person into a supernatural and eternal relationship with the King of Kings. Once the new birth takes place, a person's relationship with God is secure. And you wouldn't dare approach Jesus with pride once the King has come to take up residence in your heart.
After coming to know Jesus, you start to see where you fit in the grand scheme of things. And you recognize that it's not all about you. It's all about the King. It's all about "Christ, the Son of the living God," (Matt. 16:16) which is exactly what Peter said when Jesus asked him, "Who do you say I am?" (Matt. 16:15)
Without humility, it's impossible to see Jesus in the correct way. The human heart is not capable of being ruled by both pride and Christ. There can be only one King on the throne of your heart and soul, and only one captain at the helm.
Who do you say Jesus is today? How are you approaching Him? And if I may be so bold as to ask one more question: How is that working out for you?
If your current approach isn't working, then it may be time to try a different approach. And this is where history is so critical to the quest. Throughout history we can see who actually made a connection with Christ, and who didn't. For example, compare the attitude of the religious leaders in Christ's day to the attitude of those fishermen who became the Lord's first disciples.
And if you, like those first disciples, want to become a beneficiary of the Savior's sacrifice on the cross, then humility before God is needed in order to get there.
As you humble yourself at the foot of the cross and admit your sins to God, you are heading in the right direction. And then simply trust Jesus to wash away your sins. After all, this is why the Lord died on the cross. It was because of our sin, our pride, and our separation from God. No matter how great your sin may be, the blood of Jesus and the cross of Christ is far greater.
"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)
The gap between you and God can be closed today. Simply cross the bridge of Calvary so to speak by placing your confidence in the Savior's sacrifice for your sins. And then walk humbly with Jesus everyday as you seek to do His will and serve others with God's love. This is why you were created, and this is the only place you will find ultimate peace in this world and in the world to come.
A proud and self-righteous attitude, or the humble faith of a child. Two different ways to approach Jesus, but only one of them leads to a loving and lasting relationship with the King of Kings.
In the words of the prophet Zephaniah: "Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land; you who do what He commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord's anger." (Zeph. 2:3)
As you decide for yourself how you will approach Christ, just remember: whatever you do with the Lord today won't change the fact that you will definitely stand before Him on Judgment Day. He came in as a lamb, but He is coming back as a lion. The "Lamb of God" (John 1:29) is also the "Lion of Judah." (Revelation 5:5)
Will you receive Christ today as your Savior, and then walk with the Lord daily in a close personal friendship? You won't regret it if you choose to approach Jesus with humility. Today is the day. Now is the time. Seize this moment as you come to Christ with a humble and repentant heart, and as you believe for yourself the wonderful promises of God contained in the Gospel.
The most famous Jew to ever accept Jesus as Messiah was Saul of Tarsus, who became the apostle Paul. And this apostle who wrote much of the New Testament boldly penned these words: "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." (Romans 1:16)
With that same miracle of salvation being available to you right now, this could be the day you humble yourself before your Creator as you repent of your sins and believe the good news.
