Jesus:: Baptism

Are you familiar with the term "sacrilege"? It's the misuse or violation of something sacred, like the church or Christianity. It's a word that I grew up with and was fairly certain I was in danger of doing with most conversations about Jesus. 

There's an aura surrounding the story of Jesus. His miracles, teachings, death and resurrection all inspire a kind of reverence that demand us to tread lightly. I never felt comfortable asking many questions about the life and details of Jesus, because it could be sacrilege. I was never invited to think about what I would do if I were Jesus. It was always about placing yourself in the role of a disciple or pharisee or bystander. 

The life of Jesus existed behind glass to be preserved and revered. Thinking about how certain encounters impacted Jesus was a violation of our sacred savior. It could be sacrilege. 

In this series, "The Life and Journey of Jesus", we hope to remove the glass of preservation and engage fully in the story of Jesus. There will still be much of the story that seems very distant from our own experience, but to embrace the full balance of divinity and humanity found in Jesus is to embrace that he experienced the same emotions, doubts and temptations that we face. Ultimately this leads us into a relationship with the God who walked, talked, ate and breathed with us. Jesus didn't live a preserved and distant life, but an engaged life that invites us to be known fully by the God who knows us fully.