By Bob Adgate
U.S. Navigators Metro Director

---

What astonishes you about Jesus? What stops you in your tracks and makes you stand in awe of him? What are you learning in pursuing a relationship with our wonderful Lord?

From the very beginning Jesus has astonished humanity

The shepherds on the day Jesus was born were astonished. When the wise men saw the child King they were overwhelmed as they fell down and worshiped him. People throughout the Gospels were amazed when Jesus taught with clarity and authority; they were astonished when he healed the sick, lame and blind. They were also stunned as his commands calmed literal storms. And the two men on the road to Emmaus were shocked as they realized they were walking and talking with the resurrected Messiah.

Over the last few years I have found myself being especially astonished by Jesus in three connected ways. First, I am overwhelmed by Jesus’ jealous love and heart for me, us and his whole creation. Second, I am in awe how his jealous love for us moves him and propels him on a rescue mission to redeem and transform everything: you, me, those around us, families, communities, institutions and culture. And third, I am amazed that we get to join our jealous King in experiencing him in all his vast richness, in extending the rule and reign of his kingdom into every nook and cranny where we live, work, and play while exalting his name.

Astonished by Jesus’ jealous love

Chapter 11 of the book of Hosea captures powerfully for me one of the most incredible pictures of God’s jealous love and heart. In verse 8 God says: “How can I give you up? How can I surrender you? My heart is turned over within me, all my compassions are kindled.” What I hear, see, and feel in this verse is our God crying out in raw agony over his unfaithful spouse, Israel. He is crushed, he has a consuming ache that won’t go away, he is saying to Israel, ‘you are killing me, my insides are on fire within me, I can’t get you out of my mind because I can’t get you out of my heart. I can’t give you up, can I?’

Astonished how Jesus’ love for us moves him

The answer to his gut-wrenching rhetorical question is found in the next verse, verse 9. “I will not come in wrath.” Instead of coming in wrath, his jealousy moves and propels him into action … right out of heaven into the person of Jesus Christ. As our friend and colleague, Connally, says, “God in his jealous love for us gets up out of the lounge chair, puts down the clicker and comes after us. He pursues us and gives himself away for us!”

Jesus tells us in John 10:10-11 that: “I came”…I pursued, I put down the clicker and came after you … “that you might have life, abundant, real life.” “I came and expended my life for you. I gave every last drop for you.” Why? Love, jealous love, there is no other explanation. Astonishing!

Astonished we can join Jesus

Well, out of his jealous love he spent everything so we can experience him fully and then join with him in extending the redemptive reign of his Kingdom into every arena of human existence. …Into every nook and cranny. …Into everything! Abraham Kuyper said, “There is not a square inch in the whole dominion of our human experience over which Jesus Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry out, ‘Mine’!” Our God wants it all, the whole kit and kaboodle. Why? He is the sovereign, gracious, holy King and his kingdom has come on earth as in heaven.

How about you? What comes to your mind that astonishes you about Jesus? Maybe it is his goodness, his faithfulness, his strength, his grace, his forgiveness, his presence, his purity. The list can go on. The next time you gather with some Christian friends, you might just ask yourselves, “what astonishes you about Jesus?” and just see where the conversation takes you in discovering together more about our astonishing God.

Pursuing a relationship with our astonishing Lord

One verse in the Gospel of Matthew, describing the wise men’s encounter with Jesus, gives me some insight in pursuing a relationship with our astonishing Lord.

“And they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother; and they fell down and worshiped him, and opening their treasures they presented to him gifts of gold, and frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11

The wise men:

• Came to Jesus
• Saw Jesus
• Worshiped Jesus
• Presented gifts to Jesus

The wise men traveled some distance in their pursuit of Jesus. They spent energy and time coming to Jesus. When they finally arrived to meet the child Jesus, they saw him. What did they see in Jesus? They understood they were seeing more than a small child. Here was God in flesh before their eyes. Their response to seeing Jesus was to fall down and worship him. Could there be any other response? And finally, they presented gifts to Jesus.

It may be obvious, but do you see a “flow” in the actions of the wise men in this verse? First, the wise men came to Jesus. Next, coming to Jesus leads to seeing Jesus. Then, seeing Jesus results in worshiping Jesus. And finally, a response to worshiping Jesus is to present gifts to Jesus. This flow of – coming, seeing, worshiping, and presenting – is found throughout the Bible as men and women pursue God. Isaiah 6:1-8 and Luke 5:1-11 are examples.

Daily come, see, worship, and present myself to Jesus

It is a “flow” that can be a daily part of our lives as well. I can do the same as the wise men in encountering the astonishing Jesus:

• I can come to Jesus daily,
• I can see and seek to understand Jesus more fully,
• I can worship Jesus sincerely as a result of seeing and understanding who he really is, and
• I can present myself wholly to Jesus.

As I come to clearly see Jesus – my only response is to stand in awe, worship him, and present myself fully to him.

Along the line of this “flow,” here are a few simple questions you may ask yourself in encountering our astonishing Lord, Savior, and Friend:

Coming to Jesus
What are you learning about coming regularly to Jesus? …When, how, where? What helps and what hinders you in coming to Jesus? Notice that the wise men came – together – not alone. What are you learning about coming to him together with others?

Seeing Jesus
What are you learning about Jesus? You might just read back through a favorite or familiar passage in one of the four Gospels and ask yourself: “What is there about Jesus that stands out to me?”

Worshiping Jesus
What are you learning about “worshiping” Jesus? What does it mean today for you to worship Jesus? What have you found helpful in worshiping Jesus? What about Jesus makes you stand in awe of him?

Presenting myself fully to Jesus
What are you learning about “presenting” yourself fully to Jesus? What areas in your life do you find easy to present to Jesus and what areas of your life do you find hard to give fully to him?

Well, I hope you will experience the presence of our astonishing Lord in refreshing ways. And I hope your relationship with him spills over to others so they also will be astonished by Jesus.

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13

---

Bob Adgate lives in Arlington, Va with his wife Ronda. Bob currently serves as the Metro Director for the U.S. Navigators.