Forty Things That Jesus Did For You & Me: 1-2

It has been on my heart to write  and illustrate specific actions of Jesus as He walked on this earth based on scripture. Often, we tend to overlook the importance of the seemingly small things as read from the gospels. Here I have singled out forty things that Jesus did for you and me. Although my intended audience is children, adults should be able to glean insight and revelation as well.

Once I have completed the collection, I plan to publish these pages as a picture book. My hopes are that I can finish the illustrations before Easter of 2012, although I am not sure that there will be an actual product by that date. Please email me if you have an interest in obtaining a completed work.

As the weeks go by, I am teaching these concepts to those in attendance at Children’s Church in Stanley, New Mexico. Each week we are discussing a new “thing” that Jesus did for us. My goal is for the children to know Jesus with deeper understanding and to see Him as fully man, but also fully God, who did these things just for US!

The first thing that Jesus did was:

1. “Jesus dwelt in Heaven with God, His father.” John 1:1

I have no illustration for this page as of yet. Last Sunday, the children and I discussed how hard it must have been for Jesus to leave Heaven. He left the majesty, the beauty, the peace of Heaven to come to an ugly, dark, lost world of sinners. He came to dwell among us, not in a mansion or with Kingly robes and furnishings, but with the poor and lowly of Nazareth.

What a sacrifice Christ made when He came to earth and what a sacrifice He would one day make when He chose to die on that cross of Calvary. He knew all of this was to come, yet He still “did that for you and me”.

I included this action of Christ because I think it is so often overlooked. We see Jesus in the manger and we think, “God sent Him”. Yes, God did send His son, but Jesus had an active role in the decision and He chose to come for you and me. He came to be the substitute and to save us from our sins.

He left Heaven for you and me…

John 1:1-5

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the Beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”

Thank you, Jesus for this first thing that you did for me!

2. “Jesus became flesh and was born of Mary.”  John 1:14

Jesus’ birth to a virgin was no magic and no lie or exaggeration. It had been foretold by the prophets and it was proclaimed to Mary by the Angel Gabriel as recorded in Luke 1:26. This was an action that revealed to the whole universe the glory of God almighty.

As humans, we have a hard time figuring out “how” this all happened, the virgin birth and all. It only occurred just this one time, so we cannot really wrap our minds around this immaculate conception. The reason it never happened before is because it ONLY happened one time. Jesus, the Messiah, would only come as a child to a virgin in a manger at Bethlehem and be visited by shepherds and magi ONCE!

The mystery of God’s plan is revealed here as Jesus became flesh. He did this to bring glory to His father. He did this to reveal His divinity. His entrance into this world was heralded by angels. His kingship would be preached to the Jews and Gentiles. This Good News would be believed and its truth would heal and save. This man who was also God would one day return resurrected to His place in Glory.

All of this which was once a mystery is now uncovered where we can search it out, read the text, and know and believe. Because Jesus did this thing and became flesh, eye witnesses saw, they touched, they heard, and they praised the Lord for what He has done through His son, Jesus.

John 1:14

"So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son."

Jesus became flesh and was born to a virgin because no one else could ever do that on their own! Only God through the Holy Spirit could bring this into being. Only Jesus did this for you and for me!