| The woman said, "I know the Messiah is coming - the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." Then Jesus told her, "I Am the Messiah!" John 4,25-26 |
| Jesus couldn't have put it more clearly! |
| You will be saved, if you honestly say, "Jesus is Lord" and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death. God will accept you and save you, if you truly believe this and tell it to others. Romans 10,9-10 |
| Don't be embarrassed by Jesus. He's not embarrassed by you. |
| "Those who declare publicly that they belong to me, I will do the same for them before my Father in heaven. But those who reject me publicly, I will reject before my Father in heaven." Matthew 10,32-33 |
| That's fair isn't it? |
| "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends." Revelation 3,20 |
| If you were to invite Jesus into your life and you grew to know Him better, you might be amazed. The way to find out about Him is to read either the Gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John in a Bible. It would take an hour of your time, the same as watching one TV programme. |
| For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
John 3,16-17 |
| Believe in Jesus and treat people with kindness, compassion and forgiveness and Jesus promises you life forever. |
| "Why are you so frightened?" Jesus answered. "What little faith you have!" Exodus 23,2 |
| Believing in Jesus involves trusting Him, just as a child trusts loving parents. Faith is another word for trust. |
| "God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven." Matthew 5,6-12 |
| Being a Christian does involve certain responsibilities. |
| "But now I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too." Matthew 5,39 |
| If you hit back a fight may break out. If you stand your ground you have kept your dignity and there is a greater chance of reconciliation. |
| "But when you help a needy person, do it in such a way that even your closest friend will not know about it." Matthew 6,3 |
| As far as possible, keep your acts of charity a secret between you and God. |
| "Do not judge, so that you won't be judged. For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use." Matthew 7,1-2 |
| The person who goes through life treating people kindly will be treated kindly when it's time for their judgment. Better still, they could become a follower of Jesus, do their best to be good to people and try to make the world a better place. When they die they will not have to face judgment, but be fast-tracked to Heaven instead. |
| "And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded." Matthew 10,42 |
| If you help a Christian in their efforts to save souls, you will be rewarded by God - if your help results in one person being promised a place in Heaven, you too will receive the same! |
| In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you. Matthew 7,12 |
| Jesus said this commandment was the heart of Christian behaviour. |
| "Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?" Jesus replied, "'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'" Matthew 22,36-39 |
| Love is at the centre of Christianity. |
| "He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'" Matthew 25,32-40 |
| Jesus is the judge for people who were not saved by faith in Him. He described Himself as being like a shepherd separating sheep from goats. Here He makes clear some of the qualities He is looking for. |
| Jesus took up the question and said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and fled, leaving him half dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way, a Levite, when he arrived at the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion. He went over to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. When I come back I’ll reimburse you for whatever extra you spend.’ “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” “The one who showed mercy to him,” he said. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.” Luke 10,30-37 |
| The Parable of the Good Samaritan |
| As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. "Teacher," they said to Jesus, "this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?"
They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, "All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!" Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, "Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?" "No, Lord," she said. And Jesus said, "Neither do I. Go and sin no more." John 8,3-11 |
| Stoning to death was a hideously cruel punishment, so the religious leaders knew Jesus would be opposed to it. But if He said they shouldn't do it, He would be condoning breaking their law. They thought they'd put Him in an impossible situation.
They were all sinners themselves. Perhaps some were unfaithful to their wives. Jesus simply highlighted their hypocrisy. In a few seconds He turned their smugness into shame. The woman knew that by being unfaithful she had sinned. Jesus didn't have to tell her that. Instead He told her not to sin any more. He was kind, but firm. I'm sure she never forgot the day she met Jesus. Be kind and considerate, but stick to your Christian principles. |
| Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
"And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea." Matthew 18,2-6 |
| Jesus has a high regard for children. Here He makes it very plain what He thinks of adults who try to take away the innocence of a child. |
| Two others, criminals, were also led away to be executed with him.
When they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23,32-34 |
| Sometimes we find it hard to forgive. When Jesus was being crucified He asked His Father to forgive the executioners. |