The Way(s) of Jesus

Post date: Jul 23, 2017 6:20:21 AM

One of the most valuable things about the accounts of Jesus life (the gospels) is the glimpse we are given into the way Jesus lived his life. The gospels are indeed records of his speeches and verbal interactions with people and the miracles he did as a taste of God's Kingdom. But the gospels also paint a picture of the way he went about his days, his weeks and seasonal period. They show us the kind of people he chose to spend time with. The places he went and why he went there. Even the mindset behind why he lived the way he lived.

Its a little harder to observe the way of life Jesus lived when reading the gospels, especially in comparison to the miracles he did, the stories he told, and instructions he gave. However if we look more closely for these patterns, rhythms, 'ways of life' when reading the gospels, its all there. If we only read short chunks - a story here, a parable there - we'll miss it. But read through a whole gospel (or even 3 - 4 chapters) in sequence, and you begin to see how this incredible man lived.

At our church, we talk about the Words, Works and Ways of Jesus. His words (or message) are important, because we as his followers are to take this message and proclaim it in a way that makes sense in this day and age. His works (or miracles) are also important. Whether its supernatural works the Holy Spirit does through us as we have faith to believe he can and will, or the 'little miracles' through serving, love, caring for others - we carry on the works of Jesus. But those alone are not enough. His ways were a method we must take note of.

This blog is about exploring the gospels, because in them are not just 'gospel' (good news) for us but our best example of how to live a life that honours God. In future posts we'll explore a number of these 'ways of life' that Jesus modelled, and what it might look like to build them into the culture of our life. But don't hesitate to also read jump over to the book of Acts from time to time, because you will notice that the ways of Jesus did not stop with him. Paul and the other leaders continued the same rhythms, patterns, approach to people as Jesus did. Their method of bringing God's Kingdom to earth was the same as Jesus'.

So what were these ways? We'll begin to look at some of them one by one in this blog. But I encourage you to read the gospels for yourself and discover the ways of Jesus. What do you notice about the way he goes about his life that provides him with God opportunities? Where does his lifestyle differ to yours? What subtle hints to the gospels give about the method he had for showing people his Father's love?

Lets explore together the words, the works but most of all the life transforming ways of Jesus.