Walking with Jesus
“Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer”
Wow, what a week it’s been!
We've have gotten to see and learn some incredible things about Jesus. He is unlike anything or anyone we can imagine! But for us, moment by moment we each have opportunities to follow and trust him. As we’ve used our imagination to travel all to way across the world and back to when Jesus walked on this Earth, we’ve accepted the invitation that God has been giving to all of humanity; “Come, follow me!” This is how covenant relationships are built; one foot in front of the other as we trust Jesus as our shepherd and Lord.
On day one, we saw the incredible moment of the announcement of Jesus’ birth to Mary and witnessed the birth of the promised messiah, Emmanuel, God with us. We learned not only was Jesus the coming messiah, the one who would save the people from oppression, from fear, from diseases, but he is the Son of the Most High! This is where our invitation to follow Jesus begins. He is not like any other god, he is the one true king, he personal, and he calls each one of us to follow and trust him.
On day two, we saw how Jesus began to trust in the Father even as a young boy. He devoted so much of himself to knowing God through both prayer and study that even his understanding and answers amazed the teachers in the temple. (Luke 2:47). We are reminded that God doesn’t look at the things we look at.
God looks into our hearts. Age doesn’t matter to God, and we can love the Lord and show other about Jesus by how we live no matter what our age is.
Day three we learned about the true servant heart of Jesus and how after his baptism and time in the wilderness, his life was completely devoted to the Father and serving the people. He healed the sick and set people free from diseases. He ministered to them and taught them a better way, the way of true life by laying down our lives for others. We also learned what was celebrated at the Passover each year when the communities would get together.
Today was a very special day as we learned about the "gift" of foot washing. In their culture, a servant or a slave of the house would wash the feet of the owners’ guests. The servant was not part of the meal or their gathering, but someone who was to be seen and not heard. The roads in the towns were dirt and clay filled with dust mixed with all the mess that their animals created. The people wore sandals where feet were exposed to all these elements. Washing someone’s feet was not a job anyone volunteered for, yet today we did what Jesus did to his disciples. He took on the lowly position to wash the filth of the world off their feet. This is something we do not view as leaership, especially the God of the cosmos! He truly is an incredible King.
Not only that, but the last supper when he washed the feet of his disciples was a Passover meal. Yesterday we discussed the four different cups that were represented at a Passover meal and what they meant, but what the disciples of Jesus were about to find out is that Jesus is the Passover lamb. He is the perfect sacrifice that cleanses the space that has separated our hearts from God’s. Today as we read in Matthew 26, Jesus is sharing a Passover meal the night he would be arrested and sent to the cross the following morning. Not only is he the one who saves us, but he shows us the way to true life by being the one who is willing to serve each other through humility, even if it means washing feet. Jesus did it by not only washing feet, but by laying his life down on the cross.
Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:3)
Today families, we simply invite you to consider what Jesus may be asking of you. Our King has shown us over and over his desire to be in a deep, covenant relationship with us. Not only so, but he has set forth as an example the life that we are designed for. He isn’t asking us to only believe in him, but he’s asking us to believe in him enough to completely trust his ways of doing things. He has already done the work to gives us freedom both now and eternally. He truly is our savior and redeemer, the Passover lamb, and the Son of the Most High.
Take some time.
Parents, your children this week have been taking back to truly see the heart of our amazing King and they have been taught how to know him, trust him, and follow him.
Take some time to talk through your faith commitment as a family.
1. Do you see any changes you may want to make?
Be honest with each other. Share parts of your own faith journey.
2. How was your faith experience as a child different than your own children’s?
3. Do you have any challenges or questions about faith that you can work through as a family?
We are so grateful for your time with us this week. Many of us have been praying for you and your children for this time. We have asked that God would reveal himself in a brand-new way and a joyful fire would well up within each of you to love and serve the Lord in all things.
May the Lord bless you and keep you!!
