While I know that many people have very strong opinions on ‘the Chosen’ streaming TV series, I want to springboard from their recent ad campaign for a puzzle. Although some folks get really offended by what they see as ‘gimmickry’ and commercialization – as a content creator, I see what they’re doing and I respect their efforts. Regardless of how you feel about it, they get this one thing really right: understanding Jesus is a big puzzle.
I know I just lost some people with that – especially those who think it’s just a list of do and don’t instructions. But, the truth is that many struggle to all the pieces of the Bible together.
The truth is that it takes time, and a willingness to be taught by God. When you are willing, the Holy Spirit guides you. If you have worldly or humanistic filters, then you will get it wrong. If you have cultural or religious filters, you will get it wrong. Many religious people get sections of it right, but never put the whole puzzle together – because they reject the essential paradigm.
What is that paradigm? You have to put Jesus in the center of it all. That’s right, Jesus is the entire point. Until you see Jesus as the point of the whole puzzle, it remains a mystery. The whole enchilada: Moses, the burning bush, tablets of stone, the prophets, Kings David and Solomon, Visions of Angels, the cross and the empty tomb of the resurrection; including the revelation, the end times, false prophets, mark of the beast, and the antichrist? All of that is a mystery – a giant puzzle – that doesn’t come together until you put Jesus in the center as the focal point of all of it.
Jesus said, “the volume of the book is written of me” (Hebrews 10:7). Jesus also said that Abraham rejoiced to see His day (John 8:56), that Moses wrote of Him (John 5:46). So it’s all part of the larger epic story of Jesus of Nazareth, who is both son of man and son of God. Until you begin to see Jesus Christ who is the son of David, son of Joseph the Carpenter; as also the son of God and the Lord of Glory (James 2:1) who saves us – you can’t really begin to put that mysterious puzzle together.
When you do put Jesus at the center, all of it begins to come together in a beautiful work of art. What Jesus is saying to us all, is that the entire 66 books of the Bible must be about Him, or it’s all one big pile of random pieces. When we begin to put those pieces together, all fitting with Jesus at the center – then we also find our own place in the grand epic.
You can never find yourself, until you first put Jesus at the center of the puzzle.
Join us at Mission 17:11 as we seek God through Jesus, with the Bible as our treasure map and the Holy Spirit as our guide. Follow our podcasts, interact on our social media groups, join us on a virtual Bible study & fellowship group.
Working out the Puzzle of Jesus
I know I just lost some people with that – especially those who think it’s just a list of do and don’t instructions. But, the truth is that many struggle to all the pieces of the Bible together.
The truth is that it takes time, and a willingness to be taught by God. When you are willing, the Holy Spirit guides you. If you have worldly or humanistic filters, then you will get it wrong. If you have cultural or religious filters, you will get it wrong. Many religious people get sections of it right, but never put the whole puzzle together – because they reject the essential paradigm.
What is that paradigm? You have to put Jesus in the center of it all. That’s right, Jesus is the entire point. Until you see Jesus as the point of the whole puzzle, it remains a mystery. The whole enchilada: Moses, the burning bush, tablets of stone, the prophets, Kings David and Solomon, Visions of Angels, the cross and the empty tomb of the resurrection; including the revelation, the end times, false prophets, mark of the beast, and the antichrist? All of that is a mystery – a giant puzzle – that doesn’t come together until you put Jesus in the center as the focal point of all of it.
Jesus said, “the volume of the book is written of me” (Hebrews 10:7). Jesus also said that Abraham rejoiced to see His day (John 8:56), that Moses wrote of Him (John 5:46). So it’s all part of the larger epic story of Jesus of Nazareth, who is both son of man and son of God. Until you begin to see Jesus Christ who is the son of David, son of Joseph the Carpenter; as also the son of God and the Lord of Glory (James 2:1) who saves us – you can’t really begin to put that mysterious puzzle together.
When you do put Jesus at the center, all of it begins to come together in a beautiful work of art. What Jesus is saying to us all, is that the entire 66 books of the Bible must be about Him, or it’s all one big pile of random pieces. When we begin to put those pieces together, all fitting with Jesus at the center – then we also find our own place in the grand epic.
You can never find yourself, until you first put Jesus at the center of the puzzle.
Join us at Mission 17:11 as we seek God through Jesus, with the Bible as our treasure map and the Holy Spirit as our guide. Follow our podcasts, interact on our social media groups, join us on a virtual Bible study & fellowship group.
Published in Commentary, Media, Prepared Warriors and Teaching