The Man Of Love (poster)
THE MAN OF LOVE!
Who is this Man of Love we see
Who cheers the children's hearts?
So loving, kind and caring He,
What peace this Man imparts!
Although the Story of His birth
Is told time and again,
Do we know why He came to Earth,
This Man from Bethlehem?
And of His Cross we've oft' been told
How He was lifted high.
What mystery does His Story hold,
Why did He have to die?
Witnesses said He rose from the dead,
Ascending to Heaven Above,
And that in the sky He'll return with a cry,
To gather His Children of Love!
WHO IS THIS AMAZING MAN OF LOVE? --His Name is Jesus, and He wants you to know that He loves you!
JESUS IS NO ORDINARY MAN. --Nor is He merely a great teacher, rabbi, guru, or even a prophet. In a way, He is all of these, but much more. For unlike the other great religious teachers who came before Him--and those who came after Him--Jesus not only spoke about Love and spoke about God, but He was Love and He was the Son of God, so He really knew what He was talking about!
THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT "GOD IS A SPIRIT," and that "God is Love."--John 4:24; 1John 4:8. God is the Almighty Spirit of Love Who created all things. He is the Power of the Universe, so great and so high, so mighty, that He is far above and beyond our limited human understanding!
GOD IS ALL-POWERFUL, ALL-KNOWING AND PRESENT EVERYWHERE. --And that's just too big a concept or idea for us to grasp! But He loves us very much, and wanted us to be able to know and love Him. So to show us His Love and to help us to understand Him, He sent His Own Son, Jesus Christ, to Earth in the form of a man, so that we could see through Jesus what God Himself is like. Jesus brought God down to our lowly human level of perception.
THINK OF IT!-- GOD SENT HIS OWN SON, the very Lord of Heaven, the Master of the Universe, down to Earth to become one of us ! He was miraculously conceived in the womb of a humble and lowly virgin named Mary, and took on the form of human flesh just like ours. Therefore He was the Son of Man as well as the Son of God.
JESUS NOT ONLY ADAPTED HIMSELF TO OUR BODILY FORM, but He also conformed to our human ways of life, customs, language, dress and living so that He might understand us better and be able to communicate with us on the lowly level of our own human understanding! He became a citizen of this World, a member of Humanity, a man of flesh, so that He might reach us with His Love, prove to us His compassion and concern and help us understand His Message in simple childlike terms that we could grasp!
HE CAME DOWN AND LIVED LIKE US, worked like us, had to sleep like us, eat like us, and do everything that we have to do! There were times when He was weary, tired & footsore, when He was hungry and thirsty, sad and discouraged. He became one of us, and as the Bible says, "was tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning."--Hebrews 4:15.
JESUS SPENT HIS TIME GOING AROUND EVERYWHERE DOING GOOD. --Feeding people who were hungry, healing those who were sick, cheering and comforting those who were sad and broken-hearted. He loved everybody, even the poorest of the poor, and those whom everybody else looked down on.
HE NEVER HAD ANY KIND OF RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS, DENOMINATIONS OR FORMAL CONGREGATIONS. He simply went out and met people on the streets, by the seashore, in the market places--wherever He could reach them--and shared His Message of Love with all who would listen to it. He befriended even the most despised and rejected members of society: Tax-collectors, drunks, prostitutes and sinners.
HIS RELIGION OF LOVE WAS SO SIMPLE that He said, "You must become as a little child to receive it!"--Matthew 18:3. He never preached or taught any complicated ceremonies or difficult rules!--All He did was preach and show Love !--Mat.22:36-40.
BUT NOT EVERYONE LIKED WHAT JESUS SAID AND DID. --In fact, the rich and powerful religious leaders of His day became infuriated at Him because His teachings undermined their authority by setting the people free from their traditions and from their dictatorial control! The more popular Jesus became with the common people, the more jealous and fearful became these hypocritical and self-righteous leaders of the established religion. His pharisaical foes finally forced the authorities to arrest, condemn and cruelly crucify Him!
JESUS DIDN'T HAVE TO DIE ON THAT CROSS. He said, " All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in Earth!"--Matthew 28:18. He was the Son of God, and all the powers of the Universe were at His disposal, at His command. He told His captors, "You could have no power over Me at all unless it was given to you from My Father.... I could lift My little finger and thousands of Angels would immediately deliver Me from your hand!"--John 19:11; Matthew 26:53. He could have called on all the Forces of Heaven to slaughter His enemies, conquer Rome and take over the World and force all men to fall down and worship Him there and then!--But He chose to lay down His Life for you and me.
WHY WOULD THE KING OF KINGS, THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE, GOD IN THE FLESH, ALLOW HIMSELF TO BE CAPTURED, falsely accused, tried and condemned, whipped, stripped and nailed to a cross like a common criminal? The answer is simple--Because He loved you and me!
ALL OF US AT TIMES HAVE DONE WRONG and been unloving and unkind to others. The Bible says, " All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."--Romans 3:23. The worst thing about our sins is that they separate and keep us apart from God, Who is absolutely sinless and perfect. So to bring us to Himself, God sacrificed His Own Son, Jesus, Who willingly took our sins upon Himself, taking the punishment that we deserve, being separated from His Own Father, spending three days and nights in Hell. If we will simply believe that Jesus died for us and accept His free gift of forgiveness for our sins, we will be pardoned and brought into fellowship with our Heavenly Father.
THREE DAYS AFTER HIS LIFELESS BODY WAS BURIED, SOMETHING HAPPENED that shocked His enemies and proved to all of His followers that He really was the Son of God: He arose from the dead, the Victor over Death and Hell forever !
AFTER HIS RESURRECTION, HE PERSONALLY APPEARED TO LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF HIS FOLLOWERS, encouraging, strengthening and comforting them. He told them that He was going to return to be with His Heavenly Father, but that He would always be with them in Spirit, living in their hearts forever! He also gave His followers a wonderful promise, that one day, "I will come again !"--But this time, not as a small, helpless babe in a manger, but as the mighty Ruler and great King that He is! He said, "The Son of Man shall come in the clouds, with power and great majesty !"--John 14:3, Luke 21:27.
IN FACT, ACCORDING TO COUNTLESS BIBLE PROPHECIES AND FULFILLED "SIGNS OF THE TIMES" (Matthew 16:3; 24: All), Jesus will be returning very soon, at which time all of His children who love and believe in Him will rise from the Earth in miraculously recreated supernatural bodies just like His resurrection body! He and His Heavenly Forces will then destroy the cruel, warmongering and anti-Christ men of this World, and will set up His Own everlasting Kingdom on Earth!--With peace & plenty for all !
WOULD YOU LIKE TO FIND OUT AND KNOW FOR SURE THAT THIS MAN OF LOVE, JESUS CHRIST, REALLY IS THE SON OF GOD, the way to Salvation and Eternal Life?--You can, by simply humbling yourself and asking Him to come into your heart to forgive you for all of your sins and to fill your life with His Love, Peace and Joy!
YOU CAN PERSONALLY RECEIVE JESUS RIGHT NOW, by sincerely praying this simple prayer: "Dear Lord Jesus, please forgive me for all my sins and cleanse me from them and make me Your child. I believe that You are the Son of God and that You died for me and rose again. I now open the door of my heart, and ask You to please come into my life and help me to be the kind of person You want me to be. Help me to faithfully read Your Word, love You and love others, and prepare for Your return.--In Jesus' name I ask, amen."
Copyright © 1998 by The Family
