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Scripture: "When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” Matthew 21:10-11
Do you know who Jesus is? How would you introduce Him?
I've been working on this awkward, weird thing we call an "author bio" in the writing world. If you've written one or read one before, you know it's the author's chance to tell you who they are, what they've accomplished, and what they're all about in a few short sentences on the back of the book.
What authors are trying to do is tell you why you should trust them, why you should buy their book, and insert some sort of personality statement so you feel like you know them, all while not trying to sound too conceited or self-centered.
It's definitely one of the most difficult things to write!
But, I've always loved reading author bios because I know that the author has to be so selective in what they choose to include in their bio. They have to decide what is most important for the reader to know about them in that small print. They don't have a lot of space or a lot of words to build trust, establish rapport, and in a subtle way, call the reader to action.
It's a lot of pressure to write an author bio, and it's a lot of pressure to introduce yourself.
Similarly to author bios, I think Jesus was selective about how He chose to introduce Himself to us. In the gospel of John, He introduced Himself seven ways. Bible nerd moment: seven is the biblical number for completion. I think Jesus' seven introductions of Himself in this gospel are complete.
They tell us totally and fully who Jesus is, what He's all about, and why you can trust Him.
These seven "I am" statements are the ways Jesus chose to introduce Himself to us and to give us insight into who He is.
This devo is the introduction into our series, "Introducing Jesus."
Each week, I will focus on one of Jesus' introductions. It's my invitation to you to be thoughtful about how Jesus chose to introduce Himself when He walked the earth, and to consider what implications it has for you.
The verses in Matthew above relates back to one of my intentions for this series.
I think the world around us is constantly asking who Jesus is, and we often have the opportunity to answer. But are we prepared to answer?
You might answer the question about who Jesus is by choices you make as a manager at work, or by how you raise your kids as a mama, or by how you serve your local church. To be active stewards of the good news of Jesus, I think we have to start by being clear on who He is.
If you only had a few sentences like in an author bio to tell someone about Jesus, how would you introduce Him?
Journaling Prompts:
-Write a few sentences about how you would introduce Jesus to someone.
-What stands out to you about your introduction of Jesus? What does it show you about what you think is most important about who He is?
-How do you introduce Jesus through your actions during your week? Are you aware or unaware of how you're preaching the gospel with your life?
Action Step:
Pay attention this week to opportunities to introduce Jesus to someone. It might be a verbal conversation about who Jesus is and what He has personally done for you, or it might be demonstrating the implications of the gospel through your current role.
Worship:
Prayer:
Jesus thank you for coming to save me and for introducing yourself to me. Increase gratitude in me for when you first introduced yourself to me. Help me to respond by eagerly praying for and participating in opportunities to introduce you to others. Bring fresh revelation to me of who you are and how you love this week. Amen.
