Jesus Seeing Him More Clearly

Jesus Copyright © 1997 by Willow Creek Association Requests for information should be addressed to: Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530 ISBN-10: 0-310-26597-5 ISBN-13: 978-0-310-26597-9 All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other- except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Interior design by Rick Devon and Michelle Espinoza Printed in the United States of America 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 /?DCI/ 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 JESUS THE MAN T H E B I G P I C T U R E I think one of the most painful and uncomfortable feelings a human being can experience is the feeling of loneliness. If we could carefully peel back what is really going on when a person says, "I feel lonely or isolated," we would often find at the core of those claims one recurring phrase: "No one understands how I feel." We have all felt it, and most of us have said it on various occasions. In life's painful moments, we all have a sense that no one understands where we are coming from, how we hurt inside, or what we are feeling. One of the loneliest times of my life was shortly after the unexpected death of my father, who died suddenly of a heart attack. My wife was very kind through those painful and heart-numbing days, as were many others. Several people from Willow Creek drove 175 miles to stand with me alongside my dad's grave. It was a very moving experience. However, even in the midst of all this care, I remember feeling over and over that nobody really understood what I was going through. It didn't help much when some well-meaning person would come and say, "Bill, I know what you are feeling. My Aunt Edna died several years ago and I still miss her. I know what it's like." I would think, "I know you mean well, but you just don't understand." Through that time of grieving I learned a principle I have tried not to violate since. When people lose loved ones, I never say to them, "I understand." Now I go to people and say, "I'm sure I can't understand how much you must have loved your dad or wife or child. I'm sure I don't understand all you are feeling. But I do love you, and I'm here for you." We can pray, cry, and listen to those in need, but deep down in every person is the yearning to have someone, somewhere, understand us perfectly and totally. We all hunger to have one person who knows just how we feel and who will never leave us in the middle of the hard times. The good news is that Jesus Christ is that person. As the old hymn says, "No one understands like Jesus." A W I D E A N G L E V I E W 1. Describe a time you felt like no one could understand what you were going through. How did realizing that Christ understood your pain help you through this time? A B I B L I C A L P O R T R A I T Read Philippians 2:5-11 2. When Jesus left the glory of heaven to be born in a stable and live as a human being, what did He give up? 3. From this passage and your knowledge of the life of Jesus, what pain and suffering did Christ experience when He walked on this earth as a man: - Emotionally - Physically - Relationally - Spiritually S H A R P E N I N G T H E F O C U S Read Snapshot "Jesus Understands Relationships" 4. In 1 Peter 5:7 we hear this invitation, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." Tell about a time you cast your anxieties and probHybels, Bill is the author of 'Jesus Seeing Him More Clearly', published 2005 under ISBN 9780310265979 and ISBN 0310265975.