TwelveTwelve: The Leader Blog of North Wake Church

In all our stumbling and failing, he has not yet said, ‘Enough is enough. I’m out.’ Dane Ortlund 5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

He doesn’t resent me (or you), though we’ve given him many reasons to. He welcomes us again, and again, and again. Dane Ortlund 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11.28-30)

He cried. He cried over Jerusalem. He cried when his friend Lazarus died. That he is perfect, doesn’t make him unfeeling. That he is perfect, means he is perfectly feeling. Dane Ortlund 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the

Jesus was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s Servant of the Lord, who operates like this: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench” (Matt 12:20 quoting Isa 42:3). When you’re low, he doesn’t pile on. He deals tenderly. Dane Ortlund 20 a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; (Matthew 12:20) 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. (Isaiah 42:3)

He said to Zacchaeus, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” He is a seeker, a hunter—and the thing he’s hunting for is “the lost.” Not the best; the lost. Dane Ortlund 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)

He said, “Take heart; I have overcome the world." If you have Jesus, the looming darkness in your life is not going to overwhelm you; He is going to overwhelm it. He says he already has. Dane Ortlund 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

He said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you." Consider the perfect, overflowing love of God the Father for God the Son; that’s God the Son’s love for you. Dane Ortlund 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. (John 15:9)

He said “Whoever believes in me, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). If you have Jesus, you are carrying around inside you a nuclear powerplant, spiritually speaking. Dane Ortlund 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:38)

He said he came “not to call the righteous but sinners” (Mark 2:17). The admissions committee for heaven has declared by unanimous decision all moral resumes inadmissible. Dane Ortlund 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17)