You may not even know who the heck Jesus is or even care. Please don’t use that as an excuse to not be more spiritual minded in striving to become more the person you desire to be. I don’t know many people who don’t wish that were kinder and more encouraging, that they didn’t always respond to their partner negatively just because the partner did. We all though may need a source for encouragement so such behaviors become more action than talk.
We often say Jesus died for our sins on the Cross but draw blank or irrelevant looks. Jesus never said this was His purpose for living or dying.
We are told we must accept Jesus’ resurrection, but we have to rely on 2000 year old historical evidence because we weren’t there to possibly witness a man coming back from the dead. Heck, Jesus was performing amazing miracles and claiming to come down from Heaven but even His family and closest friends had doubts. They weren’t especially moved by Jesus and they walked with Him daily.
In the disciples defense they changed over time. My point is to not defend if Jesus truly came back from the dead, but something happened. Keep in mind no other religious leader has dared claim to come back from the dead. Suddenly, Jesus’ disciples were willing to be beaten, persecuted, and suffer a martyr’s death without renouncing their conviction that they had seen Jesus’ bodily resurrection. Some people will give their life for what they believe may be true in the future, but who gives their life for what they know is a lie?
It is understandable that it is difficult to relate to a God who according to tradition is portrayed as a blood-thirsty God who needed their child murdered to save face or have their honor restored.
If you think Jesus may have been representing God, I would encourage considering another viewpoint about the Cross. One may rightly wonder if God thought Jesus’ message was so important, why not simply seek confession which is the first step toward changing and becoming more the person Jesus spoke of.
The real story may be Jesus died not to change God’s attitude but our attitude toward God.
Soldiers die for one another for causes they believe deeply in. Jesus died to convince us of God’s incredible love in hopes we would let God empower us to strive more to be the people our world is in desperate need of. Jesus prayed God’s will be done on earth as in heaven (Mt. 6:10). Jesus wanted to convince us that God’s ways can lead to a world worth living in. Jesus said so many things we know true. Jesus encouraged us to go the extra mile in our relationships or healing can never take place. We must care for others like we would want if in that person’s shoes.
Do you want to show others the love you so badly wished they would show to you consistently, though not always deserving?
God’s love and mercy, not gloomy uncertainty of God’s favor, can be our necessary nourishment in being the kind of person we desire to be. Jesus’ simply message was God would love to help and encourage us in such a journey. Do you every think God needs a break from you at least for a day or God can’t possibly forgive you for the 10th or 100th time? Guess again! Actions have consequences but God doesn’t pour on the hate. Jesus died to convince us what God is really like, not what we may think God is like. If there is a God surely they can give inspire us to be more the person we desire to be and that our lives matters here on earth.
What God May Really Be Like - Misbeliefs About God 