The Hospitable Nature of Jesus Christ

Dear reader, when you are around a sincerely hospitable person, do you feel a
sense of warmth and comfort? The reason why I am writing this article is to
encourage, uplift and share Jesus Christ with other people. I have noticed
that when people have this good quality about themselves, they do not really
want to compete with anyone.Their desire to cooperate and serve others speaks
a warm message of love.

A hospitable nature has an underling tone that can stabilize even the most
treacherous unsettled soul because we were made to serve one another and
just be available in so many different capacities.This is often very difficult for
me to understand; however, I find it interesting that as I look back on my life
I remember people with this quality. I especially remember the Godly
men and women that gave me generous and cordial welcome without resistance
because I saw the person of Jesus Christ working through them.

As I point to some obvious and obscure examples in our Savior Jesus Christ,
it should be reassuring to know that He has this attribute about Himself
because Jesus Christ is giving by nature.

Hospitality is within the family of giving.There are different forms of
generosity but hospitably concentrates on cordial welcome. Even an
unbeliever in Jesus Christ is attractive in his or her spirit when this
becoming trait is exercised with the right motive.

If we can grasp this truth of His love, I believe we will just want to take
a walk with our Savior Jesus Christ and find out more about Him. After all,
when Jesus Christ exercised this quality on earth, people wanted to obey
Him,learn from Him and follow His example.

I realize the number one characteristic of Jesus Christ is His Holy nature.
This is mentioned more times in the Bible in reference to God than any other
attribute ascribed to the Trinity. Love is mentioned many times too,but I
want to take a specific look at the hospitable nature of Jesus Christ.To
the best of my knowledge, almost nobody talks about this special quality of
Jesus Christ.

Let me just make a general observation. People wanted to be around
Jesus Christ on earth. When we look at heavenly scenes in the book of
Revelation, created creatures (both the Redeemed and the Angels) desire to
be around Him for worship. I believe there is something so compelling about
Jesus Christ that when we even see one aspect of Him, we are drawn to our
Savior.The question is, are we looking?

Jesus was not just hospitable in service but a person could talk to Him.
People wanted to ask Jesus Christ questions. People were not afraid to
approach Him and Jesus always gave an answer in one way or another.

The reason Jesus never had to drum up a crowd is because people were
naturally drawn to Him. The rich,poor, powerful and weak wanted to touch
Jesus Christ in one way or another. He may not have given them the answer
they wanted to hear, but that is beside the point.

The Pharisees, although they hated Jesus Christ kept coming back to Him.
I wonder in the midst of their distain if they were actually attracted to Jesus and
His hospitable nature.I believe the answer is yes.In the midst of their hate they
wanted to be around Him. Even a cold heart can recognize the love of God. How
much more a godly person in pursuit of Jesus Christ?

Of course one of the most obvious examples would be the feeding of the five
thousand in John chapter 6. Remember the five thousand were just men
according to verse ten. With women and children it might have been more than
15,000.He saw they were hungry and wanted to feed them.

When Jesus makes something He does it perfect. Not only was His desire that
the people in the crowd be full but they were eating the best fish and bread.
I call this pre-fall food. Before Adam and Eve fell in the garden they were eating
perfect food.

Jesus made sure the men,women and children were full and there
was plenty of food left over.Think about what I just said. When God shows us
His love, there is plenty more where that came from because Jesus Christ our
Father is overflowing with hospitability for us.His desire is to show us His love and
for us to love Him in return. That is why we were created in the first place.

This is why it is good to repent of our sins if we committed a transgression because
God wants to show us His forgiving love through His Son Jesus Christ. This is
why it is good to give God our problems or ask Him to help us with them because
the Holy Spirit desires to work through us and be apart of our life.

God wants us to draw near to Him because He wants to be close to us.This is the
nature of God. Many of the people just live their life on their own. How this must break
the heart of Jesus Christ.

Peter, who is one of my favorite characters in the Bible could not say
anything right for the most part but Jesus always managed to be open enough
to teach Him through his failures.I think I would have been scared of Peter
and just ran away but Jesus saw right through him and wanted to be with
Peter.Our Lord was so effective with Peter that every time he addressed
Jesus, Peter called Him Master.

Jesus not only desired to teach His disciples several lessons by walking on
water but He also was very relaxed and comfortable when He performed this
miracle. Divine authority with Godly warmth.

Peter asked Jesus if he could walk to Him and our Lord welcomed Him with
open arms.

At the end of Jesus' life He was truthful with Peter, telling him that
he would betray Him three times. Peter fulfilled the prophecy probably
because he was scared that he would be crucified. Jesus was even open with Peter
on his failures so as a result he was open with Jesus. He said never Lord
not me. Jesus knew,Peter did not.

This caused Peter to think about his relationship with Jesus Christ after
he denied Him three times. As a result Peter drew closer to Jesus Christ
all because his Savior was open with him.

If one were to compare Peter to Judas, there was a difference. Peter chose to repent
and embrace the love of Jesus Christ. After Judas betrayed Jesus he was so overwhelmed
with guilt that he hung himself. If only Judas would have understood, that if he had repented
Jesus would have forgiven him. He has that much love for people. This was the sin of unbelief.

Judas rejected the love and forgiveness of our Savior and as a result I believe he went to hell.
If only more people today would recognize the love of Jesus Christ, repent of their sins and
get saved. I often wonder how it must break the heart of God to see so many people rejecting Him.

Peter had the right response. He understood Jesus Christ loved him very much and that he
would be forgiving upon repentance. This love that Jesus had for Peter was so great that after he
repented, in John chapter 21 when Jesus Christ rose from the dead, both Peter and Jesus had a
conversation about love.

After the Resurrection in John chapter 21 the disciples were fishing. Jesus took
them right where they were and helped them catch an overabundance of fish by
asking them to put the net on the right hand side of the boat.

Jesus cooked them breakfast and gave Peter a memorable lesson on loving Him in a very
unique warm way. Then He went into telling Peter the way that he would
die...a crucifixion. First Peter betrays Jesus three times because he is
scared of that possibility. Then Jesus tells him it is going to happen and
at that point Peter does not seem to object.

I believe not only was Peter convicted, but after being under the
hospitable nature of Jesus Christ he became relaxed enough to accept his
fate. Do we understand that Jesus Christ is hospitable and open toward us as
His children?

The Holy Spirit speaks in a gentle way toward His children."What
I tell you in darkness,that speak ye in light : and what ye hear in the ear, that preach
ye upon the housetops." If somebody speaks in our ear, he or she whispers.

The Holy Spirit is a perfect gentlemen. I believe if we understand this truth we will be more
accepting of bad things that happen to us and drawn toward Jesus Christ.It is hard to
accept the evil that comes into our lives. By understanding how loving Jesus
Christ is toward us we can go through our trials. "I can do all things through Jesus Christ
which strengthens me." Philippians 4:13. His love is greater than our circumstances.
We cannot really handle the bad things that come into our life apart from Jesus Christ.
If we think we can, a deception is taking place in our lives.

Before Jesus casted out a legion of demons from the Gadarene demoniac they (the demons)
begged Jesus to send them into the swine.I was perplexed when the Holy Spirit brought me
to this passage because I am still scratching my head on this one. All I will simply say is
Jesus did grant their request. I think at the very least this is worth thinking about.
Remember, demons show no mercy.

Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus, then they got together and had
lunch. When it came to healings I don't remember Jesus ever saying no.
Matthew was a tax collector. At that point in history they took
way too much money. Jesus came by, looked at him and said two words to
him.... "Follow Me."Then Matthew got up and left everything to follow
Jesus. There must have been something really appealing about Jesus Christ
for Matthew to have left everything to follow the Savior of mankind after
only two words.

How could Jesus hold a conversion so long with the Samaritan women and be so
permanently effective with her if His Spirit was not open and hospitable?

Thomas did not believe in the Resurrection until he saw with his own two
eyes the nail marks in Jesus' wrists.After Thomas saw the evidence he
probably felt convicted in the midst of his doubt; however, I would like to
point out that Jesus still welcomed him, understanding that Thomas was
struggling with his faith.

If one does not know Jesus Christ,take a good look at Him. Look at how
loving, open and hospitable Jesus Christ really is toward you."Jesus Christ
the same yesterday,and today,and for ever." Hebrews 13:8. The same
principles that I just showed you from the Bible apply for us today.

Jesus Christ desires people to accept Him into their hearts. As far as the
rapture is concerned, all I can say is that we are really close to His coming.
It is going to happen very soon and you do not want to miss this glorious event.
Things are happening very fast at this point.I would be ready at any moment.

After the Rapture, I am so convinced that Jesus is going to welcome His body
of Believers with such hospitable arms that we will know this could only be the
grace of God.He will be overjoyed to see us, and I know we will feel the same.

Love in Christ
Bob D.