The Story of Jesus :: By Nathele Graham

Do you ever just sit quietly and think about Jesus? It’s harder to live a sinful life if your heart and mind are focused on Jesus. We read in Proverbs, “My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart” (Proverbs 7:1-3).

This relates to what God told Israel to do with His commandments. “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes” (Deuteronomy 6:6-8). 

There are many distractions in life that pull us away from focusing on Jesus, but we need to take the time. Solomon should have paid attention to God’s words; he made many mistakes because he didn’t follow God’s directions. He became very rich, but there was no pleasure in his riches. Eventually, he learned how important it was to have God’s laws written on his heart. How different his life would have been if he had honored God in the way that his father, King David, had honored God. David committed very deep sin but truly and completely repented.

If God’s word is written on your heart, when you face challenges in life, you’ll react in a way that honors God. Anger will fade, judgment of others will stop, and you will see others as people like yourself, sinners who need forgiveness. Jesus is our example, and if we meditate upon His word and write it upon our hearts, we will love Him more and more.

Fanny Crosby faced many challenges in her life, but her faith and trust in Jesus are seen in the many hymns she wrote. She wrote so many hymns that she began writing under numerous aliases. These precious hymns reflect her love for Jesus and His love for us. I would be hard pressed to choose one of her songs as my favorite, but one that I like very much is entitled:

TELL ME THE STORY OF JESUS

By Fanny Crosby

Tell me the story of Jesus, write on my heart every word; tell me the story most precious, sweetest that ever was heard. Tell how the angels in chorus sang as they welcomed His birth, “Glory to God in the highest! Peace and good tidings to earth.”

We tend to keep life in categories. For instance, we don’t think about Christmas until December, or maybe October, and then it’s often Santa Claus that we think about. Even though Jesus wasn’t born on December 25, that’s when we celebrate. Jesus’ birth is a wonderful story that we need to remember all year. It also isn’t confined to the New Testament. His birth fulfilled Old Testament prophecy. Isaiah told of a virgin birth:

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

We read in Micah where He would be born: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).

These are just two prophecies of His birth. When God says something will happen, it happens. The angels did sing of His birth to the shepherds who were amazed. “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:13-14). 

Later, wise men came from afar. “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him” (Matthew 2:1-2).

These are just a few Scriptures that tell the story of Jesus’ birth. When these words are all written on your heart, you can call them to mind and be amazed at what God has done.

Fasting alone in the desert, tell of the days that are past, how for our sins He was tempted, yet was triumphant at last. Tell of the years of His labor, tell of the sorrow He bore; He was despised and afflicted, homeless, rejected, and poor.

Jesus grew, and soon it was time for Him to fulfill the reason for His birth, so He first went to John the Baptist to be baptized. “And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mark 1:9-11). 

Right there the Holy Trinity was manifest; what a sight that must have been! Right after that He went into the wilderness to be alone where He was tempted forty days by the devil. “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered” (Luke 4:1-2).

Satan tried to persuade Jesus to fail in His ministry, but Jesus answered every lie from Satan with Scripture. Do you feel as if you fail in your walk with the Lord? Every Christian has a mission from God, but we are sometimes weak. Using Jesus as our example, if Scripture is written on your heart, you can answer every temptation with Scripture and you won’t fail.

“And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season” (Luke 4:13).

When you withstand temptation in your life, don’t let your guard down. The devil only ended his attack on Jesus for a “season” and he will attack you regularly, too.

From the wilderness His next action was to call men to follow Him and be disciples. “And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him” (Matthew 4:18-20).

In all, He called twelve men to learn from Him. Many other people followed Him, but the twelve were the ones chosen to carry the Gospel to the far corners of the earth. All Christians must be discipled by Him through the Holy Spirit. Jesus had no riches in this world, so if someone tries to convince you of a “name it and claim it” type of faith, reject Satan’s temptation.

“And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). 

As we read Scripture, we learn and write it upon our hearts. Jesus’ ministry included healing people, casting out demons, forgiving sin, and confronting the religious leaders who abused their positions. These Pharisees were angry over Jesus’ words to them and plotted to have Him crucified. They even convinced Judas, one of the disciples, to join in the plot.

Write all of these things on your heart, and when you face persecution because of your faith or friends turn on you, remember how Jesus reacted.

Tell of the cross where they nailed Him, writhing in anguish and pain; tell of the grave where they laid Him, tell how He liveth again. Love in that story so tender, clearer than ever I see. Stay, let me weep while you whisper, love paid the ransom for me.

Jesus entered His creation knowing full well what He would face as He walked this earth. His time here fulfilled prophecy.

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:3-7).

The suffering and pain He went through is so graphically described here. He was innocent of all charges against Him, but knew He had to shed His own blood…God’s pure blood…as the final sacrifice for our sin. Adam lost our place with God when he chose to sin, but Jesus shed His blood to redeem us.

“He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:8-11).

Jesus gave His life willingly so we can live eternally. He was crucified and laid in a borrowed grave. Isaiah saw the future so clearly, yet we look back and are blind. The third day He arose and conquered death for all who believe!

Jesus loves me, this I know. Do you know it too? There’s no other way for us to be forgiven of our sins than through the blood of Jesus. If you have any doubts as to your salvation, if your actions in life go against the example of Jesus, then go back to Scripture and study. Pray the words will be written upon your heart and that you will live the life of faith you profess. Love did, in fact, pay the ransom for you.

Tell me the story of Jesus, write on my heart ev’ry word; tell me the story most precious, sweetest that ever was heard.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

[email protected]

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

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“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).

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