Jesus the Author

Happy Sunday. I pray you had a great Easter. Have you ever wondered how many books have been written throughout the history of this world? My guess is probably not.

You've probably never wondered. But as we begin, I want to give you a number. 15 years ago, the folks at Google tried to count how many books have been published in history. They began with the invention of the printing press in 1440 and they calculated to the year 2010.

They came up with the number 129,864,880. It was estimated that as of this century 2.2 million books are published every year. That means that by today over 160 million unique books have been published. Now this is just a guess.

The number is probably higher. Why would I give you this trivia today? Let me take you to the last verse in John's gospel chapter 21 25. The last word we have there.

John states, "And there are also many other things that Jesus did which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written." Amen. Now, if you look at some commentaries about these words from John, some people say that this is hyperbole. Hyperbole indicates that it's an exaggeration and it's not meant to be taken literally.

We use hyperbole all the time. That's hyperbole. All the time. I'm so hungry I could eat a horse is hyperbole.

I have a million things to do today is a common example. You get the point. And let me read John 21:25 again. And there are also many other things that Jesus did which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Amen. I'm not sure that John is exaggerating here. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote of only a fraction, a snapshot of the life of Jesus. You could read their works in an hour or so.

All the gospels. I like to think that John was thinking throughout all of time. He was thinking of all the lives that Jesus had touched and would touch throughout history. your life, my life included.

We all have our stories. In Colossians chapter 1, Paul is bragging about Jesus. And listen to what he says about Jesus in verses 15 to 18. Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

For in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers. All things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He's the head of the body, the church.

He's the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. Using these words from Colossians, we see that books could be written about everything, about creation, about the sustaining of the world, about the church. and we're just really scratching the surface. Today, I want to talk about the stories that are still being written.

Let me share with you one in particular that I learned this week. Easter Sunday morning, I had the pleasure of preaching the sunrise service at Arlington Memorial Park here in Sandy Springs. They do a great job each year putting on a a fabulous service in a unbelievable location. I met lots of nice folks that day.

After the service, two ladies came to talk with me and their story was captivating. They gave me this Easter egg papermâché made in India. It takes a place of prominence on my desk now. Their family was from India and they were from a Hindu background.

Both ladies mother and daughter were Christian. They came to visit the grave of husband and father who died earlier this year. The story as I know it goes back 45 years. As part of their culture, a marriage was arranged.

He was Christian. She was Hindu. The bride I am speaking of was the mother I met Easter Sunday. Now the husband became a Christian after going with a friend to a Palm Sunday service.

He left Hinduism as a young man and became a strong Christian. He won his wife to Christ and I met her and their daughter. Now he went to be with the Lord earlier this year. I found his obituary online and he was a special man.

In 2008 at the age of 59, Naresh was ordained as a minister. He shared the story of Jesus around this world preaching in over 35 countries. His wife and daughter are strong Christians and their stories are still being written. It caused me to wonder how many people became Christians as a result of the preaching of this man all over this world.

This man who was once a Hindu. That would be several books right there, wouldn't it? And who do we give credit to? Jesus, of course.

In my life, I've been privileged to hear some great stories of changed lives, to read some wonderful chapters. I recall these words from Hebrews chapter 12. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ens snares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Do you see how it mentioned Jesus, the author of our faith?

Jesus, the author, wants to write great stories about his cloud of witnesses that are living today. I pray you're a big part of his great story. Thank you for being part of mine. Pray with me.

Lord, thank you for the story I learned of Naresh and his family. Each of us have people that have impacted our lives. Pastors, teachers, neighbors, family members that have showed us, shown us how Christians live. Help us to let our light shine into this world so they see what we do, our good works, and they give glory to our father in heaven.

Thanks for writing our stories. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. God bless.

Have a great week. Thanks for watching.