Understanding God's Nature Through Jesus' Example

Devotional

Day 1: Jesus Reveals God's Character

Jesus is the image of the invisible God, making the unseen God known to us. His life and teachings provide a clear picture of God's nature, emphasizing that our understanding of God must be shaped by Jesus. This revelation is crucial for a true understanding of who God is. Jesus' actions, words, and very being reflect the heart and character of God. When we look at Jesus, we see God's love, compassion, justice, and holiness. This means that any misconceptions we have about God can be corrected by looking at Jesus.

In John 1:18, it is written that no one has ever seen God, but Jesus, who is in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known. Similarly, Colossians 1:15 describes Jesus as the image of the invisible God, and Hebrews 1:3 calls Him the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being. These scriptures affirm that Jesus is the perfect revelation of God. [18:13]

Colossians 1:15-16 (ESV): "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him."

Reflection: How does knowing that Jesus perfectly reveals God's character change your perception of God? What specific attributes of Jesus can you focus on to deepen your understanding of God today?

Day 2: Gentleness and Strength

Jesus' gentleness is not a sign of weakness but a reserved strength. His humility and meekness show that He is unassuming and not entitled. This gentleness is balanced with righteous anger against sin and injustice, demonstrating that God's gentleness does not mean He tolerates sin. Jesus' actions, such as His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, symbolize humility. Yet, He also demonstrates righteous anger, as seen when He clears the temple of money changers. This duality shows that true gentleness includes strength and a commitment to justice.

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus describes His own heart as gentle and humble. This gentleness is evident in His interactions with people, where He shows compassion and understanding. However, His clearing of the temple shows that He does not tolerate sin and injustice. This balance of gentleness and strength is a model for us to follow in our own lives. [23:18]

Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV): "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to balance gentleness with strength? How can you demonstrate both compassion and a commitment to justice in your daily interactions?

Day 3: Accessibility of Jesus

Unlike worldly figures who are hard to reach, Jesus is always accessible. This accessibility is a profound aspect of His humility, making Him available to all who seek Him. This stands in contrast to the Old Testament, where God's holiness made Him unapproachable. Jesus bridges this gap, making God accessible without compromising His holiness. His invitation to come to Him is open to everyone, regardless of their status or past.

Jesus' accessibility is a reflection of His humility and love for humanity. He does not place barriers between Himself and those who seek Him. Instead, He invites everyone to come to Him and find rest. This accessibility is a stark contrast to the Old Testament, where God's presence was often seen as distant and unapproachable. Jesus changes this by making God accessible to all. [27:59]

Hebrews 4:16 (ESV): "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Reflection: How does Jesus' accessibility impact your relationship with Him? What steps can you take today to draw nearer to Him and experience His presence more fully?

Day 4: Invitation to Come and Rest

Jesus invites us to come to Him, especially in our weariness and sinfulness. He offers rest for our souls, emphasizing that we don't need to fix ourselves before coming to Him. This invitation is a call to experience His gentleness and humility firsthand. Jesus' invitation is open to all, and He promises to provide rest and relief from the burdens we carry. This rest is not just physical but also spiritual, offering peace and comfort to our souls.

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus extends an invitation to all who are weary and burdened. He promises to give them rest and to take their burdens upon Himself. This invitation is a reminder that we do not need to carry our burdens alone. Jesus is willing to share our load and provide us with the rest we need. [34:18]

Isaiah 40:29-31 (ESV): "He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

Reflection: What burdens are you carrying today that you need to bring to Jesus? How can you accept His invitation to find rest and relief in Him?

Day 5: Lifelong Learning

Being a follower of Jesus means being a lifelong learner. We must unlearn the ways of the world and relearn the ways of God. Despite our slowness and failures, Jesus is patient and offers us grace and rest. This process of learning and unlearning is essential for spiritual growth. Jesus invites us to take His yoke upon ourselves and learn from Him, promising that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Learning from Jesus involves a continuous process of growth and transformation. It requires us to let go of old habits and ways of thinking and to embrace the teachings and example of Jesus. This lifelong learning journey is marked by patience, grace, and the promise of rest for our souls. Jesus is our teacher, and He is committed to guiding us every step of the way. [42:14]

Proverbs 9:9-10 (ESV): "Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to unlearn old habits and relearn the ways of Jesus? How can you commit to being a lifelong learner in your walk with Christ?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Tonight, we gathered to explore a profound question: "What is God like?" This question, simple yet deeply complex, can be answered by looking at Jesus of Nazareth. The New Testament consistently reveals that Jesus is the one who makes God known. In John 1:18, we read that no one has ever seen God, but Jesus, who is in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known. Similarly, Colossians 1:15 describes Jesus as the image of the invisible God, and Hebrews 1:3 calls Him the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being.

Jesus reveals God's character, and in Matthew 11:28-30, He explicitly describes His own heart as gentle and humble. This gentleness is not weakness but a reserved strength, a humility that is unassuming and not entitled. Jesus' gentleness is evident in His actions, such as His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey, symbolizing humility. However, this gentleness does not mean that God is a pushover. Jesus also demonstrates righteous anger, as seen when He clears the temple of money changers.

Jesus' humility means He is accessible to all. Unlike important figures in society who are hard to reach, Jesus is always available. This accessibility is a stark contrast to the Old Testament, where God's holiness made Him unapproachable. Jesus bridges this gap, making God accessible without compromising His holiness.

Jesus invites us to come to Him, take His yoke, and learn from Him. Coming to Jesus means acknowledging our need for Him, especially in our sinfulness. Taking His yoke means submitting to His lordship and living according to His ways. Learning from Jesus means being lifelong learners, unlearning the ways of the world and relearning the ways of God. Despite our slowness and failures, Jesus is patient, offering us rest for our souls.

###

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus Reveals God's Character: Jesus is the image of the invisible God, making the unseen God known to us. His life and teachings provide a clear picture of God's nature, emphasizing that our understanding of God must be shaped by Jesus. This revelation is crucial for a true understanding of who God is. [18:13]
2. Gentleness and Strength: Jesus' gentleness is not a sign of weakness but a reserved strength. His humility and meekness show that He is unassuming and not entitled. This gentleness is balanced with righteous anger against sin and injustice, demonstrating that God's gentleness does not mean He tolerates sin. [23:18]
3. Accessibility of Jesus: Unlike worldly figures who are hard to reach, Jesus is always accessible. This accessibility is a profound aspect of His humility, making Him available to all who seek Him. This stands in contrast to the Old Testament, where God's holiness made Him unapproachable. [27:59]
4. Invitation to Come and Rest: Jesus invites us to come to Him, especially in our weariness and sinfulness. He offers rest for our souls, emphasizing that we don't need to fix ourselves before coming to Him. This invitation is a call to experience His gentleness and humility firsthand. [34:18]
5. Lifelong Learning: Being a follower of Jesus means being a lifelong learner. We must unlearn the ways of the world and relearn the ways of God. Despite our slowness and failures, Jesus is patient and offers us grace and rest. This process of learning and unlearning is essential for spiritual growth. [42:14]
### [42:14]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[16:34] - What is God Like?
[18:13] - Jesus Reveals God
[19:45] - Jesus as the Image of God
[21:32] - Jesus' Heart: Gentle and Humble
[23:18] - Understanding Gentleness
[24:53] - God's Judgment and Gentleness
[26:26] - Jesus' Righteous Anger
[27:59] - Accessibility of Jesus
[29:07] - Old Testament Accessibility
[30:23] - Jesus' Humility and Accessibility
[31:37] - The Nature of Jesus
[32:57] - Misconceptions About God
[34:18] - Invitation to Come to Jesus
[35:49] - Jesus' Exalted Nature
[36:42] - Jesus' Invitation to All
[37:37] - Sharing the True Jesus
[38:44] - Taking Jesus' Yoke
[39:43] - Example of the Adulterous Woman
[40:30] - The Pattern of the Gospel
[41:19] - Living Under Jesus' Yoke
[42:14] - Learning from Jesus
[43:22] - The Challenge of Learning
[45:03] - Jesus' Patience with Us
[45:58] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

According to John 1:18, who has made God known to us? How is this significant in understanding God's nature? [18:13]
In Colossians 1:15, how is Jesus described in relation to God? What does this imply about Jesus' role in revealing God to us? [19:45]
What does Jesus invite us to do in Matthew 11:28-30, and what does He promise in return? [21:32]

Interpretation Questions

How does Jesus' description as "gentle and humble in heart" in Matthew 11:28-30 challenge common perceptions of power and authority? [21:32]
What does it mean for Jesus to be accessible to all, and how does this contrast with the Old Testament depiction of God's holiness? [27:59]
How does Jesus' righteous anger, as seen when He clears the temple, fit with His gentleness and humility? [26:26]

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you felt weary and burdened. How did you respond to Jesus' invitation to come to Him for rest? How can you apply this invitation in your current life situation? [34:18]
Jesus' gentleness is described as a reserved strength. How can you practice this kind of gentleness in your interactions with others this week? [23:18]
Considering Jesus' accessibility, how can you make yourself more available to those who seek your help or guidance? What practical steps can you take to be more approachable? [27:59]
Jesus calls us to take His yoke and learn from Him. What specific areas of your life do you need to submit to His lordship? How can you start this process? [38:44]
Being a lifelong learner means unlearning the ways of the world and relearning the ways of God. Identify one worldly habit or mindset you need to unlearn. What steps will you take to replace it with a godly perspective? [42:14]
How can you share the true nature of Jesus—His gentleness, humility, and accessibility—with someone who has misconceptions about God? [37:37]
Reflect on the patience Jesus shows us as we learn and grow. How can you extend this same patience to yourself and others in your spiritual journey? [45:03]

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "What is God like? It's a simple question, isn't it? Easy question to ask. What is God like? It's a question that a child could answer. We could ask any of the kids at Sunday kids in the morning what is God like and they'd come up with some sort of answer. But it's also an incredibly profound question and a complex question and a question that you could spend a lifetime thinking about and researching and answering and yet far from exhausted barely scratched the surface." [16:34] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "The consistent witness and the consistent theme of the New Testament is that Jesus is the one who reveals God to us. Not imagination, not speculation, but revelation. Jesus is the one who makes that clear. And what that means is the profound truth of that is that that means that all of our thinking about God, all of our speaking about God needs to be influenced and shaped by Jesus of Nazareth." [19:45] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "Jesus says come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light." [21:32] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Jesus is accessible. There are no lesser minions to navigate through, there are no boxes to tick, no hoops to jump through, he is available to all. He is gentle and humble in heart and this is what our God is like." [30:23] (15 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "Jesus says come to me and you will find welcome and healing and forgiveness and the slate wiped clean. That's what he's done for us. And then he, then he teaches us, this is what it is to live as my person, living under my yoke. That's the Christian life. To deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him." [41:19] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "How do we know what God is like? The key question that we all have to wrestle with at some stage is how much does Jesus of Nazareth reveal about God? How much does Jesus of Nazareth reveal about God? The Christians have an answer for this. We read at the start of John's gospel which we're going to be looking at together later in the year but in John chapter 1 verse 18 at the end of the kind of the magnificent opening to John's gospel we read that no one has ever seen God but the one and only son who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the father has made him known." [18:13] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "When Jesus says that he's gentle it doesn't mean that God is a pushover. It doesn't mean that sin gets a free pass. We know here if you've been with us here over the first part of this year when we're doing our overview of the Bible we've seen again and again that God judges and condemns wickedness and rebellion and sin and acts in punishment of that." [24:53] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "Jesus says now is the time to flee from the coming wrath, now is the day of God's favor, now is the time of salvation, today is the day to draw near. Our sin, our guilt, our shame, it will drive us from God. And there's something within all of our hearts that we need to be clear about and to be aware hearts that wants to say sometimes when we're conscious of our sin and and our fallenness we want to say I need to fix myself up before I go to God I've got to sort myself out and turn over a new leaf and get myself together and deal with my my messiness and my brokenness and my sinfulness before I come to God and when we catch ourselves thinking that we need to realize what it is which is a lie it's wrong." [34:18] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Jesus says to all of us, come as you are, but not stay as you are. When we come to him, we must take his yoke upon ourselves. And remember, a yoke is not a word we use often, but the yoke's that bit of timber that they would hook up to an animal so that it could pull its burden. And it's the yoke that stops the animal from wandering here or wandering there, but actually kind of says, this is the way, this is how we're going. And it sort of harnesses it and controls it." [38:44] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "Learning is hard. You know, when you try to learn a new instrument or a new physical skill or learn a new language or how to cook or a... I said to the morning congregations, a new bit of tech. But I can't say that to you because you don't learn tech. You just need to do it and have this magic osmosis thing where it just happens. But for most people, learning something new, it's hard. We try and we fail. We muck things up. We're slow. Our progress is never what we kind of expect it to be." [44:21] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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