Written By Cassandra Bellamy, USA
One Tuesday night at Bible Study class, our teacher—after pacing back and forth in his usual manner, with one finger over his lips—looked at us and asked: “What does Jesus mean to you?”
Walking down each pew, he gave everyone an opportunity to share what Jesus meant personally. Some said Jesus was their Savior, because He saved them from doing all sorts of bad things. Others said Jesus was their strength and healer, because He healed them when they had been sick. One person shared how Jesus had been both his mother and father since the passing of his parents.
As everyone shared his or her story, I asked myself who Jesus was to me. The lines, “Jesus is a rock in a weary land”, “Jesus is the lily of the valley”, and “Jesus is a shelter in the time of a storm” came to mind. I knew Jesus was all those things and more—He is whatever we need Him to be. Yet none of those answers seemed appropriate for my personal experience.
When it came to my turn to share, I realized that Jesus has been (and still is) my friend. I remembered all those days I would cry to Him because I felt so lonely. I would ask Him why I didn’t have someone special in my life, why I didn’t have many friends and why I was born with Arthrogryposis, a congenital joint deformity.
As I cried and wallowed in self-pity, God’s peace and love would come over me. I felt better afterward, the way one feels after crying on the shoulder of her best friend. I felt that way because I knew Jesus heard all of my heartaches. He assured me that I was going to be okay (and I am).
Peter instructs the church to “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7). All we have to do is to tell God what we need. He is listening. He is always there for us. I love the lyrics from the hymn, What a Friend We Have in Jesus, which goes:
What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit. O what needless pain we bear.
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptation? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge; Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms he’ll take and shield thee: Thou wilt find a solace there.
Who is Jesus to you? Do you need someone to carry your burdens? Jesus will!
FAQs
Some said Jesus was their Savior, because He saved them from doing all sorts of bad things. Others said Jesus was their strength and healer, because He healed them when they had been sick. One person shared how Jesus had been both his mother and father since the passing of his parents.
What does Jesus mean to you? ›
He was selected to perform the essential mission of the Restoration and Redemption. This He did—He was crucified and rose from the grave, thus making it possible for every human being to be resurrected through this marvelous Atonement of Jesus, saint and sinner alike.
What does Jesus do to you? ›
Throughout His ministry, Jesus doesn't just point the way to happiness—He leads the way. Through His Atonement, He leads us to love. Through His teachings, He leads us to eternal truths. Through His perfect life, He leads us to the path of obedience.
Does Yahweh mean I am? ›
In this case, the meaning of God's name Yahweh is explained with the sound-alike ehyeh, a Hebrew being verb usually translated, “I am” or “I will be.” But the usage of being verbs such as hayah/ehyeh in Hebrew differs slightly but significantly from the way being verbs are used in most Western languages.
What does the name YHWH mean in the Bible? ›
Many Greek transcriptions also indicated that YHWH should be pronounced Yahweh. The meaning of the personal name of the Israelite God has been variously interpreted. Many scholars believe that the most proper meaning may be “He Brings into Existence Whatever Exists” (Yahweh-Asher-Yahweh).
What is Jesus for you? ›
But Jesus is a person of action, caring and love. He makes demands on us to be faithful, to be caring. He comes by without condemning but standing alongside of and affirming the dignity of every person. He says to us, “You are my body, you are my child and I love you no matter what.” That's the Jesus that I serve.
What does Jesus mean in my life? ›
Jesus bring us into fellowship with God. Jesus shows us what it means to obey God and follow him in all things and at all costs, even if it means dying to obey God (Matthew 26:36-43). Jesus is our example in everything.
What was Jesus' main message? ›
The kingdom of God is the central theme in Jesus's teaching. According to Mark, Jesus's message can be summarized as: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15; see also Matt. 4:17, 23; Luke 4:43).
Why is Jesus so important to you? ›
Jesus Christ was chosen to be our Savior. His Atonement makes it possible for us to be resurrected and to repent and be forgiven so we can return to our Heavenly Father's presence. In addition to saving us from our sins, Jesus Christ, our Savior, also offers us peace and strength in times of trial.
What does Jesus tell us? ›
37 Jesus replied: “ 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
It is connected to the passage in Exodus 3:14 in which God gives his name as אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה, Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh, translated most basically as "I am that I am" or "I shall be what I am". In the Hebrew Bible (Exodus 3:14), it is the personal name of God, revealed directly to Moses.
What is God's true name? ›
Its preface states: "the distinctive Hebrew name for God (usually transliterated Jehovah or Yahweh) is in this translation represented by 'The Lord'." A footnote to Exodus 3:14 states: "I am sounds like the Hebrew name Yahweh traditionally transliterated as Jehovah." The New International Version (1978, revised 2011).
What is Jesus' real name? ›
Jesus' name in Hebrew was “Yeshua” which translates to English as Joshua. So how did we get the name “Jesus”?
What does Jesus say about Yahweh? ›
In the Bible, Jesus vehemently states that Yahweh IS NOT HIS FATHER. More interesting is that, not only Jesus says he is a liar who posed as God, but he also reveals his true identity, and this message is not implicit in the sacred texts, it is actually explicit, with all words, clear and plain.
What is the difference between God and YHWH? ›
While 'God' with its capitalization respectfully acknowledges that there is only one true 'god', it does not name him with his proper name, Yahweh. The personal name of God is Yahweh.
What religion believes in Yahweh? ›
Transition to Judaism and Samaritanism
It was during the national crisis of the Babylonian Exile that the followers of Yahweh went a step further and denied that any deities aside from Yahweh even existed—marking the transition from monolatrism to monotheism, and, by extension, from Yahwism to Judaism.
What does Jesus name mean to me? ›
The name of Jesus means Savior and is virtually the same as the Old Testament name Joshua. Both names communicate the fact that it is God who saves people from their sins.
What does following Jesus means to you? ›
To Follow Jesus is to Become Like Him. Following Jesus, then, entails both obeying his teachings and imitating his example. But this is not the sum of the matter. For obeying and imitating are not ends in themselves but are means to a greater end.
Who is Jesus to you and what does the Bible mean to you? ›
Jesus is to be your eternal life; but first, He must be your sin-bearer. The Bible says Jesus bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed (I Peter 2:24).
