The Proof Is In The (Figgy) Pudding
December 1, 2020·TD Davis
Jesus’ leadership fascinates me.
Let’s practically frame this out for a second: After Jesus departed the earth, 11 uneducated and unsophisticated Jewish men were given the task to “make disciples” within the complexities of different languages and cultures across the 1st century world.
No money, no worldly power, no organization, and no leader. Outcasts in their own cultural society and Jewish religion.
Surprisingly, Acts 19:10 illustrates that within several years every Jew and Greek in the province of Asia had heard about Jesus. Approximately 15,000,000 people!
Today, nearly one-third of the world’s population identifies as followers of Jesus.
The early disciples had nothing, but they changed everything.
HOW?
In the letter of 1 John, something jumped out at me as a strong reminder in this week’s Pause Bible reading plan, specifically in chapter 2:
We know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commands. Whoever says, “I know Him,” but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys His word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did. — 1 John 2:3-6
No one would deny that the MESSAGE Jesus taught is of utmost importance, but the Apostle John is placing an additional emphasis on the METHODS of how He lived in reference to our own lives, obedience, and spiritual formation.
How did He spend His time as He walked this earth?
With whom did He spend His time?
What did His prayer life look like?
What did radical love look like when He faced His everyday moments?
All these questions have practical answers as observed in the Gospel accounts. And possibly the most important question for us today as His Church is:
How am I supposed to live obedient to His mission as a disciple-maker? (Matthew 28:18-20)
I gotta be honest: I love reading about leadership and ministry strategies, but often, to my own fault I can easily forget Jesus is the leadership “GOAT” (See: 11 to 2.3 Billion).
If you’re anything like me, maybe you needed this nudge as we observe the Christmas season and are reminded of the incarnational reality of Jesus:
How we are to live is not exclusively found in the message that Jesus brought, but also by paying close attention to the way in which He lived while He walked this earth.
Maybe how we are to live is found in the wisdom of the old saying (of course with a holiday spin): The proof is in the (figgy) pudding!
Pastor T.D. Davis
