Life Is . . . Jesus

Here’s a question for the ages: “What is the meaning of life?” Many philosophers from ages past and present have weighed in on this issue. Most describe the meaning of life from the standpoint of happiness, self-fulfillment, or fame. Others discuss our purpose (if any) for being here and how we can enhance our own wellbeing – as well as helping to improve the existence of those around us. The pursuit of answers on this subject is as varied, profound, and personal as each individual is unique.

I believe that the mysterious nature of the search for the meaning of life is due to the fact that God the Creator of life is Himself mysterious and unsearchable to our human minds. He has stated that His ways and thoughts are incomprehensible to us (Isaiah 55:8-9). But this should lead us to strive to keep searching and learning and growing and striving to know our place in life. Why else has He given us morsels and tidbits of information unless there are great rewards for us to enjoy as we pursue an understanding of the meaning of our existence before Him?

I also believe that one of the ways He has prodded us to persist in our quest to understand life was to come here as one of us and visibly show us what we were created to be like. I see in the records of the life of Jesus God’s enticement to keep us wondering and investigating and exploring the meaning of life and what our purpose is in His creation. How blessed we are that God didn’t just tell us what we needed to know; He personally came here and showed us. For generations He trained His people to comprehend what life was all about and then He showed up and publicly acted out the answer within the life of Jesus the Christ.

The Apostle John records Jesus as claiming that he is “The life” (John 14:6); the embodiment of everything that God created life to be. And the purpose of the gospel writers (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) appears to be to show Jesus visibly and verbally exhibiting the meaning of life (and keep in mind that even with all the information we’ve been given, it’s still just a tiny bit of what there is to know). Understanding the person of Jesus (mostly from John’s gospel) and listening to His lessons we can take to heart the true meaning of life (for the most part).

So, by looking at Jesus’ life, we learn that life has meaning when we are . . .

            1. Holy – Jesus was all about doing God’s will and finishing the mission the Father sent Him to   accomplish. God’s kingdom was His highest priority – even above family and friendships and personal honor. When God is first, life has meaning, purpose, and makes sense (see Ecclesiastes 12:13).

            2. Sinless – We’re told that Jesus had plenty of opportunities to sin and please Himself, but refused to give in to the temptations. He knew that His relationship with God was vital and that His soul was the most valuable thing known to man (and God). Sin destroys us and separates us from the God who made us, who loves us, and who only wants to provide meaningful blessings to enhance an already invaluable life that is ours (Ephesians 2:1-10).

            3. Service-minded – Jesus modeled the selfless attitude that brings inner peace. He felt compassion for those in need (even when it was His critics and “enemies”). This attitude frees us from the problems that stress us out by allowing us to focus on others and experience the true joy that comes from making someone else’s life more meaningful (Matthew 25:34-40).

            4. Faithful – Jesus trusted the only One who could direct life to its most meaningful conclusion. His faith in God allowed Him to know (not just wish or hope) that God can be trusted with your life. When fully surrendered to the One who has never failed on a promise (and has proven, then, that He never will) His children are emboldened to live life to the fullest (John 10:10; 14:1-4).

There are plenty more examples that can be drawn from Jesus’ example and teachings. Do a search of your own. The journey for the meaning of life, when based on the divine Son of God will be a blessing that yields many rewards. And even after decades of investigation and exploration into the depths of God, your life will be obsessed to learn even more (see Philippians 3:10-11).

Doug