Goal: To deepen our relationship with God

Outline

1. What does it mean to “have a relationship”
2. Jesus became a human
3. Challenge

1. What does it mean to “have a relationship” with someone?

1. Have some understanding of how they are feeling and be able to have some empathy with them.

1. What does it mean to have a relationship with someone?

1. Have some understanding of how they are feeling and be able to have some empathy with them.
2. They understand how you are feeling
3. Two-way communication (more later)

2. Jesus became a human, in part, so that we could have a deep relationship with him

• Hebrews 4

15. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Matthew 9 CSB

35. Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.
36. When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.

Pictures of God:

• Speaking to the woman at the well
• Compassion on the hungry crowds
• Weeping over Jerusalem who rejected him
• Exhausted in the bottom of the boat in the storm
• stopping for blind beggars
• Weeping a Lazarus’ death as he saw people’s grief
• Angry with the hypocrites
• Tempted like us

Hebrews 4

15. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

%This is pretty strong! It says “every kind of temptation”. Temptation itself is not wrong.%

16. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Mark 1 CSB

40. Then a man with leprosy came to him and, on his knees, begged him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
41. Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched him.“I am willing,” he told him.“Be made clean.”

Outline

1. What does it mean to “have a relationship”
2. Jesus became a human, in part, so that we could have a deep relationship with him
3. Challenge: to deepen that relationship
4. Your destiny is to look into the eyes of Jesus and see them filled with love for you

2 Corinthians 3

18. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image…

1 Corinthians 13

8. Love never ends. …but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away…
12. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
13. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Mark 4 Exhausted

35. On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.”
36. And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him.
37. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.
38. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.

Mark 3 Anger over evil attitudes

1. Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand.
2. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.
3. And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.”
4. And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent.
5. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

John 11

33. When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.…
35. Jesus wept.

Luke 19 – War makes him grieve

41. And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,
42. saying…
43. The days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side
44. and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you,

Luke 13 – Very sad about Jerusalem

22. He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.…
32. And he said to them,…
34. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!
35. Behold, your house is abandoned.…

Challenge:

• Spend time engaging with Jesus as a human who deeply knows and understands you
• Read the accounts of him in the Bible until you have a strong image of him in your head
• If you are a Christian, then this is your destiny, to look into those eyes of love.