Reasons to Love Jesus: #4 His Anger

Jesus became angry at the right time for appropriate reasons. His anger was never driven by selfishness, narcissism, or fear.

Jesus Christ became angry when someone used religion in an inappropriate way.

"When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, 'Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!'" (John 2:13-16).

Jesus Christ became indignant when children were mistreated and not allowed to approach him.

"People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them" (Mark 10:13-16).

Jesus Christ became angry and distressed when people allowed rules to stand in the way of helping others who were hurting.

"Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, 'Stand up in front of everyone.'

"Then Jesus asked them, 'Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?' But they remained silent.

"He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored" (Mark 3:1-5).

Reasons to Love Jesus: #3 Propitiation

"This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as the one who would turn aside his wrath, taking away sin through faith in his blood" (Romans 3:22-25a).

The doctrine of propitiation is a key doctrine of the Bible, because it is essential to the definition of Christ's mission. The word propitiation is rarely used today, but it is an offering with the purpose of appeasing the wrath of God and taking away sin. The apostle Paul described Jesus' work on the cross as a propitiation when he wrote, "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!" (Romans 5:6-9).

In Christ as a propitiation, we see a God who was properly angry at us. We deserved his wrath. We had violated our relationship with him as people made in his image. We had insulted our Creator by going our own way. We had sinned by committing acts of selfishness and evil. Our situation was hopeless, because we had no defense.

However, although God was angry with us, he also loved us. He knew that we deserved the full force of his wrath, but he also knew that we could not handle it. He is a God of wrath, but he is also a God of compassion and love. So he decided to appease his own justified wrath. On the cross, Jesus Christ took the wrath. He became our propitiation and our saving grace.

Because the Son of God took the punishment for our sins, we do not need to walk in condemnation. We can live freely, without the burden of guilt and shame. When we place our confidence in him as our propitiation, we enjoy the benefits of his sacrifice.

And that's just one more reason to love Jesus.

Reasons to Love Jesus: #2 He Challenges Racism

"When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, 'Will you give me a drink?' (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

"The Samaritan woman said to him, 'You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?' (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)" (John 4:7-9).

Jesus did not mind violating cultural standards. He did not mind breaking stereotypes. He was more concerned about people than meeting social expectations.

Last week, I heard about a family trying to adopt a boy from Belarus, a part of the former Soviet Union known as "white Russia." When the judge presiding over the case learned that the family already had children from Africa, he denied the adoption. He would not allow a boy from his country to join a family with children of different races. His attitude was the antithesis of Christ's attitude. The judge was more concerned about his cultural norms than the child's needs.

Jesus challenges racism. In doing so, he adds to the reasons to love him.

Reasons to Love Jesus: #1 He Cares About Losers

With this post, I hope to start an occasional--but never ending--series about why I love Jesus.

On one occasion, Jesus met a lost and lonely woman at a well in Samaria (John 4). She was a broken woman, having been married five times. We don't know how each marriage ended. Perhaps a few ended in her husbands' deaths. Maybe others ended in divorce.

Whatever the circumstances may have been, she was not married to the man with whom she was now living. Did she think that by not marrying him, she could protect herself from further heartache when the relationship eventually ceased? Did she not truly trust the man? Did he not trust her? Why were they not married?

Why did she go to the well alone? Did other women shun her because of her history with men? Had she broken their trust? Had they hurt her to the point that life was easier alone than with friends?

We cannot know the answers to such questions, but I can imagine a woman who felt like a failure...a loser in life. I've been there. I was a failure who had sinned and could not find forgiveness. I never felt more like a loser than when I received my Bachelor's Degree in education, but could not bring myself to apply for a teaching position. I felt like a loser when I was 24 years old, single, and without a prospective date--much less a potential wife. I felt like a failure when, after 9 years of marriage and trying to have children, I was still without a child.

Jesus, however, did not see a loser. Sure, he saw a sinner. He saw someone who was lost and lonely, but he did not see a loser. He saw someone who needed some attention. He saw someone who needed care. He saw someone who needed help. He saw someone who needed a Savior.

Jesus changed the woman's life. He revealed his identity to her. He gave her a purpose and a sense of dignity. She became the person who led her village to Christ.

Jesus changed my life, too. He forgave me of my sins. He provided me with a good job. He gave me an outstanding wife and a terrific son. He gave me purpose and a sense of dignity, too. He gave me a life I could not have imagined.

Why do I love Jesus? Because he cares about losers like me!