What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Jesus?

Probably this picture

or this picture

or maybe even this one…

The truth is these pictures are far from what Jesus was like. We tend to picture Jesus as a person who was so holy he wouldn’t even wanna come near us! Or as a figure who would not even want to touch us! When all of that is so far from the truth! Jesus walked among us! He was and is just like us!

I am guilty of this as well. We all are.

In pictures we see Jesus as some kind of weird spiritual guru with blue eyes, pale skin and flowy brown hair.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to share the gospel with the people of Lilas. I am not sure if you all remember me writing about the people of Lilas in my blog, The Moment I Knew… . If not then you can read more about the people there. I have been having conversations with them about who Jesus is and how He can be apart of their lives.

One Friday afternoon, I spoke with a man named Santiago. He was outside washing his car when my friend and I walked up and began sharing the story of Jesus with him.

This was our conversation.

“Senor Santiago, may I take a few minutes with you to share some good news!”

“Good news? Sure!”

“Thank you. Senor Santiago, who is God?”

“Me? Who is God to me?”

I nodded.

“God, is well. He’s a man bigger than I. He is God.”

“Thank you. I am going to tell you his story. In the beginning, God made us because He wanted to walk with, live with us. He made us because he loved us, but then we sinned. Do you know what sin is? What is sin?”

“Bad things, not obeying what God says!”

“Exactly! We did not obey God and were separated from him. We could no longer live among him or know him.  But God is faithful! He wanted to know us, he wanted to live with us. So, he sent his son. Jesus! Jesus came and died for us on the cross! And in his blood, we were washed clean of all our sins. Jesus died because he loves you and wants to be with you.

Now we can know God and live with God! That is the good news! We are no longer separated from God! But We are only washed clean in the blood when we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior. When we grow in faith by walking with Jesus our lives are changed. And after we die then we will be with God in heaven.

Tell me, after you die where do you believe you will go?”

Santiago said, “Well in heaven of course!”

“Why do you believe that?”

“Because I am a good person who believes in God.”

“But do you believe in Jesus. In order to enter into rest with God, you must know his son.”

“No!”

“May I ask why?”

“Yes, it is because, He is much holier than I. Jesus would never want to know a person like me!”

“Santiago, it is true that Jesus is holy. He is perfect without sin and that is why he died for us. But Jesus came to this earth to be with us. He knew pain just like us! He was tempted to sin just like us but resisted and overcame. He breathes just like us, has a beating heart, and bleeds just like us. He came to this earth not for people to serve him but for him to serve us! “

“I never knew that before! I was taught differently.”

“Would you like to come to know Him?”

“No, I am not ready.”

Before we left I said, “Jesus is always waiting for you. He stands at the door of your heart and knocks waiting for you to open. Have a nice day.”

Sometimes we are all like Santiago, we want to believe in Jesus. We want to be with Jesus, but we are afraid. We are scared that He is much bigger than us or too holy for us.

Let me tell you a few things about Jesus.

When Jesus came to Earth, He was not born in a beautiful palace, but a filthy stable where animals lived. The animals probably used the bathroom in that stable. It probably smelled horrible. Jesus’ mother Mary placed Him in a manger. A manger is what the animals ate out of. Baby Jesus slept in a feeding trough full of hay. 

When Jesus walked on the earth he did not have a bed to sleep in or a roof over his head. At times he was probably homeless. He did not wear fancy jewelry like you see in those pictures above. All he had were the clothes on his back and the shoes on his feet.

Jesus breathed, Jesus coughed, and Jesus sneezed. Just like us. He was and is just like us. If you were to hold his hand you would feel warmth because he bleeds like us. If you were to touch his wrist you would feel a pulse because he has a heart that beats. Just like us.

When he had to carry his cross. He stumbled , he fell and someone helped him the rest of the way. He was weak, he felt pain, and then he died. He died on the cross, not wearing beautiful white robes. He wasn’t perfectly clean, without cuts or bruises. He had blood flowing down his body because he had been beaten and abused by the Roman soldiers.

He died, but then conquered death because he is God. He is human, but he is God. Jesus is holy. Jesus is bigger than us, but that does not mean we cannot run to him. That does not mean Jesus does not pursue us with all his heart.

When we are lost, Jesus looks for us until we are found. When we are weak and feel as though we cannot go on, Jesus scoops us up in his arms and carries us the rest of the way.  When we feel unloved or forgotten, Jesus whispers in our ears, “You are fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Jesus is just like us.

And that should make us run to him.

Run, run, run, run to Jesus.

What is holding you back from Jesus?

Why are you so afraid?

Run. Run to Jesus. For He is just like us.