Consider Jesus

Can i tell you a secret? I didn't much like coffee when i first drunk it. I remember the morning well, i was at one of the coffee bars on Reading University's campus, and ordered an 'americano,' with no real idea what that might be. I was pretty sure i'd been poisoned, and i'm sure i didn't finish it. But, for whatever reason, i wanted to drink coffee, so i kept going. First with milk and sugar (forgive me) and sometime around the summer of 2007, black and fresh and strong, as the Lord surely intended.

Why am i telling you all this? Because i think it's a good analogy for the Christian's relationship with Jesus. In Hebrews 3:1 the author tells his readers to 'consider Jesus,' to think about Him to remember Him and to listen to Him. The first six verses of chapter 3 segway into one of the first sections of exhortation, and out of the wonderful picture of Jesus we find in chapter 2.

Consider Jesus, high priest and apostle. Offering and offerer. Messenger and message. Consider Jesus, the crushed crusher. Consider Jesus, the sympathetic sufferer who knows what you're going through. When we start to consider Jesus, it takes a little bit of work. Like me and coffee, you have to really want to do it. When i started reading the Bible every day i could only read maybe half a chapter at a time, now i spend my day reading, studying, thinking and applying about it. When i started to pray it felt like a chore, now i set my alarm early to make sure i have the time. We grow in our consideration of Jesus, all of us.

Even Paul, probably the greatest Christian who ever was. In Philippians 3:10 he wrote of his desire to know Him, and His power. If Paul needed to know Jesus more, then surely we do. Maybe this is the reason that much of our joy is paper thin, we simply don't consider Jesus. In times of trouble we comfort ourselves with any number of idols and false gods. We consider our bank balance, our friends and our success at work, but seldom Jesus.

Maybe this is why so much of evangelical culture looks like the world. We don't consider Jesus, we chase numbers on Sunday, better facilities and more programmes. And in not considering Jesus, we forget that He is quite capable of building His church without the latest fad left over from the nineties.

Like coffee and me, we simply have to consider Jesus until we enjoy Him. We have spend time with Jesus until we can imagine nothing else. We have to make time in our days, ask for the Spirit's help, and behold our saviour. Then we will become what pleases Him. Then in times of trouble, or in times of triumph, then, whether our church is going multi meeting, or we're meeting in a room off to the side we will naturally 'remember Jesus Christ, descendant of David, risen from the dead...' And in remembering, rejoice.