[385 words]
Let me speculate for a moment. It is at least possible that there would have been individuals who were there and cheered when Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, heard His final words of teaching in the temple, then had been at His trial and got caught up with the fervor to crucify Him, and were also present at Pentecost when Peter gave that great sermon in which they were of the thousands who repented and were baptized into Christ. After all, they all occurred in Jerusalem within a short period of time. (Scripture references to above: Matt. 21:1-9; 23:1-39; 27:15-26; Acts 2:14-41.)
Imagine if you had been one of those people – what a story you would have to tell about your journey to Jesus! Think about it: you would have seen His majesty, heard His teaching, rejected Him, and then accepted Him as Lord and Savior.
But if you think about it, our journey to Jesus is no less spectacular. We learned of Him, at some point decided to live for the world instead of Him, but then repented and came to Him by obeying His gospel.
This is Paul’s general outline in the book of Ephesians – it is a reminder of the journey to Jesus. If you are a Christian, then you are one who had been lost and without Christ and hope (Eph. 2:1, 11-12). You had rejected Christ’s ways and were living for self and the world (Eph. 2:2-3). But you learned of Christ and learned from His truth (Eph. 4:20-21) and repented of your ways and obeyed the gospel and had your sins forgiven through His blood (Eph. 1:7, 13; 2:13; 4:5; 5:26). Your story is one of being transported from darkness to light (Eph. 5:8)!
It is a great story that can be told time and time again by every Christian. How you came to Christ is a dramatic, thrilling, compelling account – because you went from lost to saved! So do you have a great story to tell – now get out there and tell folks about your journey to Jesus!
“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance…that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:11-12).
Edd Sterchi