Jesus fulfills the old deal that God had made with the Israelites, and He initiates God’s new deal with all people.

When Simon (later renamed Peter) meets Jesus, he knows without question that he is not worthy to be in His presence. Simon was right. He wasn’t worthy to be in the presence of Jesus. But Jesus called Simon to follow Him anyway.

Instead of presenting Himself to the religious establishment to prove that He was the Messiah, Jesus went to stand in line with a bunch of sinners waiting to be baptized.

Decades after the first biographies of Jesus were written, the Apostle John reintroduces his audience to Jesus. John presents Jesus to us as being filled with both grace and truth. Jesus demonstrates that it is possible to forgive and extend compassion without compromising or watering down the truth.

In a world filled with the darkness of division, fear, and confusion, Jesus brings the light of unity, peace, and clarity. Jesus teaches us how to rise above the chaos of a broken world.

God’s new deal isn’t just for the Israelites but for all people. It’s a deal that promises salvation and eternal life to all who accept it. However, this new deal also required a monumental, unfathomable sacrifice.

In the Old Testament, God made a deal with the Israelites. He promised to bless and protect them if they lived according to His law. Unfortunately, no one was able to perfectly live up to God’s law. Thankfully, God promised to one day initiate a new deal with the Israelites that would supersede the old deal.

You have with you, at all times, the best gift in the world. That gift is Jesus Christ, and the reward is eternal. Now, how do we share this gift?

The concept of “fearing God” seems antiquated in our modern society, especially when you consider that the God of the Bible presents himself to us as our loving father. Why would we fear our loving father? And why, would the Bible blatantly instruct us to “fear God.”

The God of the Bible is up to something. He is a mastermind with a master plan, and nothing will stop him from seeing his plan through to the end.