30 Years

I find myself curious about the first 30 years of the life of Jesus.  Most scholars believe that Jesus was around 30 when He started His ministry and after three short years it ended in His crucifixion.  The first four books of the New Testament mostly reflect on those last three years.  Apart from that, there is descriptions of His miraculous conception and birth, and there is a reference to an event when he was around 12 years of age. 

Overall, very little is known about the first 30.  What a wonderful book Mary could have written about this!  Or Joseph!  It puzzles the mind to understand why there is so little information, except to understand the time period and lack of tools and education.

I find it is important to realize a few other details about Jesus.  He was sinless.  He did not sin.  This means that He was exceptional in the presence of everyone else (sinners).  It seems like He would have stood out.  My experience is people either hate or love the person who is good and does what is right.  Therefore, I would expect that He was, by His very presence and action, a divisive person to His community and most probably, immediate family. 

A disturbing read is to find Jesus going and calling disciples to follow Him as He starts His ministry.  That’s an odd sentence isn’t it?  But considering that He was sinless and a kind just person with wisdom, shouldn’t He have drawn people to Him as a result?  Let’s be truthful, this is the commonly accepted evangelism method used by the majority of Christian churches today.  If we’ll just be the “right” kind of person exhibiting Godly character traits, then people will be drawn to us and when they are we can tell them the good news. 

Yet, Jesus lived 30 years in a community and did not sin!  How are we possibly going to live as the “right” kind of person exhibiting godly character traits and be more than He was?  That is insanity.  We know nothing of who Jesus influenced before His ministry, but we know a lot about who He influenced once His ministry started.  He lived in a community for three decades and we know not of a single person who was healed or who grew closer to God for it.

I’m not sure there is an accurate estimation of how many people Billy Graham influenced / persuaded / compelled to come to Christ.  He spoke at crusades all over the world with stadiums full of people night-after-night.  Would we even know who Billy Graham was if he has simply resolved to just be a good person and trying to influence people to come to Christ by exhibiting Godly character alone?  Of course we wouldn’t.

Would we even know who Jesus is if He had simply stayed in His home community and continued a sinless life exhibiting complete and perfect Godly character?  I don’t think so. 

The simple fact is this: they witnessed to who God is and testified about God’s greatness to anyone who would listen.  They preached and taught salvation and how people can be redeemed through God’s gift and their repentance.  The undying hope is that everyone would hear the gospel message and choose to believe in Jesus as the Son of God and accept His free gift of salvation.

Jesus had to tell people who He is and who God is.  It caused controversy, confrontation, and His death.  People have to hear the gospel message; they have to be confronted with it.  They do not seek it on their own.

Are you a silent witness today, hoping that maybe someday someone will ask you a question about Jesus?  Be aware, you will likely die before that happens.  Be bold and speak out the gospel message.  Do not be ashamed to stand in front of the whole world and speak confidently that there is one true living God and His son is Jesus.  Through Him and Him alone is there salvation.  Refuse to cower in the corner. 

Now is the time for the church to believe again!  Now is the time for the gospel message to be proclaimed without apology!  Now is the time for believers to refuse to be ashamed for following the Words of their Savior!  Now is the time for people to repent and turn away from their sins!