Who is Jesus? What is His Gospel?

A few summer's ago, Reid presented the staff with four questions:

1. Who is Jesus?

2. What is His Gospel?

3. What has He done?

4. What is He doing?

What powerful, focusing, centering questions.  I believe there are answers to all four questions in this Chapter.  More than the answers though, I want to focus on the questions.

"The most important discipline of discipleship is to keep asking the question 'Who is Jesus?'" (p.12)

Who is Jesus?

At the end of tough conversation with a close friend a few weeks ago, we came to the conclusion that I need to re-learn the Gospel.  At first this kind of threw me for a loop.  "I've been doing this 'discipleship' thing for a while, I think I understand the Gospel," I thought.  But after talking through it a little more, it makes total sense!

A few years ago, I learned what the Gospel is to a 21 year old who thought he had life "figured out".  Enter Sonshine.

Then, I learned what the Gospel is to a 22 year old and recent graduate who isn't jumping straight into a career after college.  Go to Colorado. Africa.  Lodi.  Israel.

Soon after, I learn what the Gospel is to a 23 year old discovering the depths of self-giving, sacrificial servant love.  The Cross.

But now, as a 24 year old, in a small town, fighting temptation, mentoring students, experiencing burnout, building robots, connecting, feeling lonely, doing engineering work, etc..., how can I not ask that same question?  Does His Gospel not speak to me now just as powerfully as it did in 2010.  Surely it speaks with just as much power!

For a long time, I stopped asking the questions  "Who is Jesus?" and "What is His Gospel?".  "And as a result I [we] miss the joy of the Gospel." (p.15)

So who is Jesus and what is His Gospel?

For starters, He is "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world"!

To me, He is "the One who doubled down on rejection to carry off to oblivion all the rejection inflicted by me and rejection experienced by me!"

But beyond the answers will always lie the question.  So who is He?

-Mike