Loving the Man
During His life on this Earth, Jesus did awesome, supernatural things. However, everything He did was within the confines of his humanness.
Don't get me wrong: Jesus was/is/will be 100% God.
However, when Jesus came to Earth, He chose to limit Himself to human form and abilities. He became 100% man, born naturally, living naturally, and (although a bit more gruesome than some) he died as a man would die.
Jesus wasn't a superhuman, but His life was full of the supernatural, because everything He did, He did in God's will, with God's power, and under God's authority.
Jesus says this:
"Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." --John 5:19
Jesus, even as the Son of God, recognized that He could do NOTHING on His own.
So what did He do?
He laid down His human will, and did what God wanted.
"Being in very nature God, [Jesus] did not consider equality with God something to be grasped; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!" --Philippians 2:6-8
And what did this accomplish?
Endless miracles...
Salvation for everyone who believes...
Eternal life for millions, even billions, of people...
In essence, following God's will allowed Jesus to accomplish not just something, but EVERYTHING.
Loving the Vine
No, we're not talking about a six-second video (although I'm loving the ones you all post about @UnitedRefuge).
The Vine is an illustration used by Jesus to depict how Christians stay alive.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." --John 15:5
In the same way that Jesus was reliant upon the Father, we are completely dependent on Him. We can do NOTHING without Jesus.
And it makes sense, doesn't it?
Jesus is God. (A=B)
God is love. (B=C)
Therefore--by the transitive property and according to Scripture--Jesus is love. (A=C)
And, without love, we can do nothing. Remember?
"If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have LOVE, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have LOVE, I gain nothing." --1 Corinthians 13:2-3
The truth is that we can do nothing without love, without Jesus.
And in order for Jesus to let us do awesome things (and greater things than He did, according to John 14:12-14), we must live like He did--totally tied into our vine, our source of life: Him.
Read these words carefully:
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love... My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you... I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other." --John 15:9-17
Ready.
Set.
Love.
You'll be surprised what God will do through you.
