Jesus answered them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but those who are ill. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ (Luke 5:31-32, NIV)
This is great news from Jesus. If Jesus only came to call the righteous, we would have no hope. Instead, Jesus says that he came for those people who get things wrong. In other words, he came for people like us.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’ (Luke 5:20, NIV)
Jesus has been preaching and teaching in various towns and villages. He has healed the sick, and cast out demons. Here we see something new - Jesus forgives sins. Why is this so important, and why is it so amazing?
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’ For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. (Luke 5:8-10, NIV)
What amazes you about Jesus? Peter, James and John were all astonished by the miraculous catch of fish that Jesus provided for them. So much so, that they left everything and followed him. Does anything amaze you that much about Jesus?
… Jesus said, ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent. (Luke 4:43, NIV)
What does the kingdom of God look like? If you had to decide the rules of the kingdom of God, what would they be? Would it look like anything Jesus said or did?
All the people were amazed and said to each other, ‘What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!’ (Luke 4:36, NIV)
Does Jesus amaze you? It’s very easy to read and hear familiar parts of the Bible, and not be amazed by what we read. For those who were there, Jesus’ power and authority would have been unlike anything they had ever seen before. Are you amazed by Jesus?