It's personal, man...it's personal

You know what is blowing me away...again...this week? In fact, it has been weighing in on my spirit the last 10 days or so - ever since Caroline [our youngest] asked me to preach on what it really means to follow Christ. This is it - this whole Jesus thing is absolutely personal. I've known that. Of course I've known that. I suspect you have known that. But I feel like I'm getting to know it the last couple weeks in a deeper, more desperately personal way.

Last week, in preparation for the "Caroline sermon", I did a word study on the Greek word for "disciple" [mathetes]. Actually I read the article on "mathetes" in the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament - and I was astounded to read once again [I've read the article before - but this part didn't really click in] that following Jesus was unique in the ancient world - because it was so personal. The Greeks had the concept. Their philosophers had "disciples" - but the connection between "master" and "pupil" was around ideology. Jewish culture also had its version of the concept - but again, the connection between rabbi and follower was "content" - the Torah. But with Jesus the connection was personal. Sure, He taught like no other - He communicated the Kingdom of God with power in His parables and sermons and personal dialogue - but when someone decided to become His follower - the content of Jesus' message seemed to be secondary. It isn't that His message or His Word wasn't important. Of course it was important. But clearly what was MORE important was the personal connection His followers had with Him. His message was important not only because it was truth - but primarily because it came out of HIS mouth. His followers embraced the Sermon on the Mount mostly because they embraced Him!!

Think about it - Jesus told His followers He loved them. [John 15:9] He called them His "friends". [15:15] He told them He was going away but would come again because He wanted to take them to be "with Himself." [14:1-3] He said that in the meanwhile He would "not leave them orphans but would come to them and be in them". [14:18] He even said that if anyone would keep His Word - it would primarily be because "they love Me." [14:23]

Then, the next generation of Jesus' followers - Paul, for example - are ALL about the personal. Take Galatians 2:20 where Paul says, "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live - yet not I, but Christ lives in me!" No Jewish rabbi [not one of the prophets, even Moses!] or any Greek philosopher would ever claim to have that kind of personal connection or personal power over a follower - let alone claim to "live in" a follower. In Colossians Paul talks about "Christ in you, the hope of glory" [2:27] and "Christ who is our life" [3:4] - this is the most mystically intimate language concerning masters and disciples in the ancient world. For Paul, it was first about his intimate relationship with the God-man, Jesus...and of course, THEN about the Word that came out of His mouth. It was the same for Peter, who talks about "Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, you love..." - and John who said of Jesus, "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us...". I'm telling you - in a new way this week I'm seeing it - it's personal. It is deeply, profoundly personal.

And this is what occurs to me - maybe some of my struggle [and maybe some of yours] with following Jesus has been, at times, because I have made it a little too much about "the content" - and in the process, neglected Him. It is so easy as a Westerner, as a guy who loves to study, grow and learn - to make it all about the Bible - ALMOST as an end in itself - instead of the Bible being a Book that is given to us to lead us to Jesus. Even Jesus Himself told the Pharisees [John 5:39-40] and the two guys on the Road to Emmaus, "Hey, the Scriptures are all about Me." [Luke 24:27] Maybe my daily journey as a believer has at times been about "mastering the content" or "perfecting certain behavior patterns" or "obeying the rules" or almost anything BUT personal intimacy with Jesus - which is the primary characteristic of being His disciple. Maybe that is why at times I lose joy or peace or fulfillment. Maybe the doctrines and behaviors and practices - as important and helpful as they are - maybe they were never meant to fulfill me. Maybe the Psalmist had it right when He said - about the Father - but I suspect, prophetically also about the Son, "In Him is fullness of joy" [16:11] and "My soul waits for the Lord...for my heart shall rejoice in Him" [33:20-21].

One thing I know - even as I write these words, I can feel my spirit taking off - I really love Him so very much. I've got baggage and issues and I have bad days and occasionally struggle with this and that - but the constant in my life is Him. I can't imagine getting up in the morning and thinking, "Wow, I'm excited about the Christian life. I've got 27 major commands I'm working on today and 34 lesser commands - and of course there are 3 doctrines I want to master and 4 new Hebrew words I want to study...". But I about go nuts with anticipation when I think that my Savior Jesus is waiting for me in each new day, to walk beside me, to guide me and lead me - often into enemy territory - to use me, to launch me, to challenge me, to shape me...but the point is, whatever He has for me - we'll be in it together!! And His Words, His commands, His character and behavior - all of that will be downloaded into my spiritual DNA, into my life as I continue to hang out with and do life with Him.

I encourage you today - whatever else your faith is about for you, whatever struggles or tensions or issues you are facing - know this: Jesus Christ loves you...personally...with an everlasting love. He's waiting for you right now...believe in Him, then follow Him by walking with Him, talking with Him, listening to Him, spending time in His Word to you...in other words, do life in relationship with Him...because it really, really is personal.