Consider Jesus

I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.
–John 11:25

In Hebrews 3:1, the writer said to “consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.” Why we are to consider Jesus? Jesus is God’s Apostle. That word “Apostle” means “one sent forth.” Usually when “apostle” is used in the Bible, we think about the 12 apostles who were sent forth to be Christ’s representatives. Sometimes we think about Christians as a whole. We are called to be God’s ambassadors, His representatives on earth. This verse is the only time in the Bible Jesus is called God’s Apostle. He is God’s representative on earth. The writer was saying, “Before you give up your faith in Jesus, really think about who He is.”

I read a story about Antiochus Epiphanes, the king of Syria in the second century B.C. He was considering invading Egypt. The Roman emperor did not want him to invade Egypt, so he sent his ambassador, Popillius, to meet Antiochus Epiphanes. They met on the border of Egypt. Antiochus Epiphanes, the king, brought his great army with him to the border. Popillius, the ambassador from Rome, came by himself. The two men chit-chatted for a little bit. They had known one another in Rome. Finally, they got down to business. And the king of Syria said, “I’m considering invading Egypt.” Popillius took a stick and drew a circle in the sand around where Antiochus Epiphanes, the king, was standing. Then Popillius looked at him and said, “You consider it as long as you want to consider it, but before you step out of this circle, you better have a decision.” And after a few moments, the king of Syria said, “I have decided not to invade Egypt.” Now, what caused the mighty king of Syria to back down? He had an army with him. Popillius had no one, not even a guard standing with him. It was whom Popillius represented. He represented the emperor of Rome. And Antiochus Epiphanes knew he was no match for the emperor. That helps us understand what the writer of Hebrews was saying. Before you give up your faith in Jesus Christ, consider who Jesus really is. He is God’s emissary.

If I am honest, I have to tell you there are times that even I have doubts. There are times I wake up in the middle of the night and wonder, “Is there really a God, or is this all make-believe? Is there really such a thing as life after death, or is this world all that there is?” I have those thoughts occasionally. But every time I do, I come back to Jesus Christ and to what He said. It is Jesus who said, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). It is Jesus who said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). It is Jesus who said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies” (John 11:25). My faith rests on Jesus Christ. Everything in His life and His resurrection from the dead verified that He is the Son of God with power, so I can put my faith and trust in everything He did and in everything He said. And God is saying the same thing to you today. Before you give up your faith, remember who Jesus is.

***

Today’s devotion is excerpted from “A Savior For All Seasons” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2014.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.