IMITATE JESUS, THE ORDINARY MAN AND EXTRAORDINARY GOD!

During the early 2000s, reality TV soared in popularity because it portrayed the everyday lives of real people—their struggles, victories, failures, and triumphs. People were drawn to these shows because they were relatable. They saw something of themselves in the people on screen.

In much the same way, the Bible is filled with real-life stories of ordinary, imperfect, sometimes hard-hearted, and very relatable people. Yet God chose to use these ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.

Jesus came to earth and took on human form to bridge the gap between us and the Father. Philippians 2:7–8 tells us that He emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, and humbled Himself to the point of death—even death on a cross.

Let’s look at three things we ought to imitate in Jesus:

1. CIRCULATION

The first is circulation—His willingness to go where people were.

Matthew 9:35 shows Jesus going through cities and villages, teaching, preaching the Gospel, and healing the sick. Jesus did not wait for people to come to Him. He went where the people were. He made Himself present, reachable, and available.

We see this in John 4, when Jesus met the Samaritan woman. Jews and Samaritans were bitter enemies, yet verse 3 says that Jesus “had to pass through Samaria.”

He was willing to enter hostile and uncomfortable territory because He had a divine appointment at a well.

Jesus went where others were unwilling to go because He knew there were people who needed to hear the Gospel.

Let us make ourselves available to people who need to hear about the love of Jesus. Let us go where people are, meet them where they are, and be ready for divine appointments.

Anywhere can become a place where someone meets Jesus.

2. COMPASSION

Our motivation for intentionally reaching out to people should not simply be duty. It should be a compassionate heart.

Matthew 9:36 says:

“Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.”

Compassion is more than an emotion. It is a deep inner burden that moves us to action.

Jesus did not merely see people’s problems; He saw the people behind the problems—their pain, brokenness, and need for a Shepherd.

We see this in John 4, when Jesus revealed the Samaritan woman’s deepest need—not merely for water or another relationship, but for Himself.

She had been looking for love in all the wrong places. There was an emptiness in her life that she tried to fill through relationships. She needed a revelation that her hope was not in another person, but in the Messiah.

And Jesus, with love and compassion, revealed Himself to her:

“I who speak to you am He.”

That encounter changed her life forever.

When Jesus comes into your life and reveals more of who He is, you begin to realize that He is not simply someone you need in a moment of crisis. He is the One you need for the rest of your life.

The more you know Him, the more you realize that He is all you need.

That is why Matthew 6:33 says:

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

3. COMMISSION

Finally, we see the commission.

Luke 19:10 tells us the mission of Jesus:

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Jesus came with a mission—to seek and save the lost.

And as His disciples, we have also been given a mission: the privilege and responsibility of telling others about Jesus and the amazing love of God.

In Matthew 9:37–38, Jesus said:

“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

Notice what Jesus said: the harvest is plentiful.

The problem is not the harvest. The problem is the workers.

There are millions of people in our country who identify themselves as Christians. Imagine what could happen if every genuine follower of Christ intentionally shared the Gospel with just ten people.

The harvest is there.

But are we willing to work?

We pray for God to send workers, but we sometimes forget that we can be the answer to that prayer.

Maybe the next worker He sends is you.

May we follow the loving and sacrificial example of Jesus. May we be willing to go where He sends us, to whom He sends us, and to do what He calls us to do.

Because this is not merely an obligation.

It is a privilege.

Everywhere we go, we can leave behind the aroma of Jesus’ love—in our homes, workplaces, schools, communities, and wherever God places us.

And I’m sure each of us can think of at least one person who needs to hear about Jesus.

Two thousand years ago, Jesus came to this earth knowing that without Him, we were lost and without hope.

Yet He came willingly.

He came because he loved us.

John 3:16 says:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

That is the Gospel.

There is no hope in religion alone.

There is no hope in our good works.

There is no hope in ourselves.

Our hope is in God alone.