The four gospels of the New Testament tell the story of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, coming into our world. The Gospels tell how Jesus touched so many people in so many different ways. Like a stone tossed into a still pond on a summer day, He became the splash that started the ripples of a Spiritual Kingdom that not only effected the people then, but those ripples continue to this day and on into eternity.
Luke 2:8
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:and they were sore afraid.
Matthew 2:10
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy
At the beginning, His splash touched the shepherds who were working men out in a field doing what they did every day. They were watching and protecting their sheep when suddenly the sky opened up with an angelic host announcing His birth. Next were the wise men that came from Persia seeking a king. Their sign of His birth did not come from angels, but from studying God’s creation and watching and waiting for a sign in the sky. They patiently anticipated the event, then as His star arose they set on their way.
Matthew 4:19
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.
When Jesus started His ministry, the splash would effect twelve individual men that He personally called by simply saying “come, follow me”. Men that were involved in life, through their professions, working in their communities. Each one, when asked, had a decision to make; to leave the known for the unknown. Jesus began to pour His life and teaching into them on a day-to-day bases. These were the men that He would be depending on to continue building His spiritual kingdom on this earth. Out of these twelve, he chose three to go with Him to the top of a mountain where He would be transfigured before them. Then, out of those three, there was one that was called “the disciple whom Jesus loved”.
Matthew 19:21
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
As Jesus chose where and who the ripples of His splash would effect, he touched and healed many while challenging each person He encountered to consider higher possibilities than this physical world. The rich young ruler was challenged to give all he had. The prostitute, not being condemned, was challenged to be free and to sin no more. Each “chance” meeting became life changing, through acceptance or rejection. No one left Jesus’ presence without being challenged or changed.
Luke 19:45
Then he entered the temple area and began driving out those who were selling. “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers. ’
Jesus had enemies and He made more enemies, like the money changers in the temple. Jesus, who had shown so much grace and mercy to an adulterous Samaritan women at the well, became angry, turning over the tables of those selling merchandise, for supposed religious reasons in the temple. The priest and religious leaders of the day also became His enemies, He called them names like evil and vipers, comparing them to snakes. He told parables where they were portrayed as non-caring, putting their religious beliefs above their compassion, only using religion as power so they could lord over others.
Luke 10:11
But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you.
In the summer Jesus chose seventy-two workers to go out two-by-two to preach, teach and heal. He commissioned them with His power and authority. He gave them instructions to take only the clothes on their backs and to go only where they were accepted and not to go where they were rejected or not treated well. If they were rejected, they should shake the dust off their feet and move on.
Mathew 14:21
The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Other ripples of His touch were with crowds of everyday people coming out to see Him. Some probably came out of curiosity, some to see Him perform miracles, others maybe out of a sincere desire to learn. As He went about teaching, these crowds grew until they had reached over five thousand men, not including women and children. These crowds needed both spiritual food and physical food. Then, as we follow the story on as it continues to His death, the crowds fall back into the shadows and it leaves only Jesus and the twelve. Then Jesus is betrayed and it becomes eleven. When He is arrested, there are none.
Acts 1:4
“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
After his resurrection and ascension, we read about the feast of Pentecost where there are one hundred and twenty that followed His last wishes by going to Jerusalem and waiting. They were in an upper room praying and fellowshipping in one mind and one accord until the feast day began, then God’s Spirit fell and gave empowerment that would establish His Kingdom on this earth forever.
Matthew 22:14
“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Jesus’ original splash and the ripples that followed are still felt today. If we consider ourselves in His story, where do we fit in? Are we like the shepherds, surprised when angels show up at our work place, telling us about Jesus? Or, are we like the wise men, looking in God’s creation for signs of a returning Messiah? Maybe we are caught up in some of life’s “too much’s” to realize we need to give something up in order to live for a much greater cause. Maybe our sin has caught up with us and we need His grace and compassion to “go and sin no more.”. We all come to Jesus under different circumstances, so it is not necessarily how we encounter Him, but our reaction to that encounter, that matters. Do we hear His voice and follow or do we simply ignore or reject His calling and go our own way?
Sometimes we play religion on Sunday so we can feel better about ourselves on Monday. We get caught up being in the crowd of the five thousand, always looking to see what’s in it for us. We look to the church service for entertainment, always needing to be fed, failing to stop and think of giving back or committing to His cause. When we find ourselves in need, we pray for our three wishes, not wanting any strings attached to our attitude, lifestyle or service. We have enemies not because we are standing up for His Kingdom, but for our own. We do not turn any tables over because we are afraid we might offend someone.
Mathew 7:21
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
If we really want to find Jesus, we have to separate from the convenient crowd and do the will of the Father. Like the seventy two that was sent, or the one hundred and twenty, we have to be dependable and reliable, to go out with each other in His name; feeding the poor, praying for the sick, preaching the gospel of the kingdom; not only in word, but also in deed. As we continue in our pursuit of this Water from His splash, we may find ourselves among the twelve following His every move, willing to lose it all for His sake. We may follow Him up the mountain, to the point of being transfigured, thus allowing so much of His love to pour through us, that the people in our lives stop seeing us and begin to see the ripple of His kingdom showing through us.
Revelation 22:17
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
Through God’s Holy Spirit , Jesus walks among us today saying “come follow me.”. It is our choice to what degree we accept.