December 07, 2011

Jesus, Friend of Sinners

Matthew 11:1-19

“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.”
Matthew 11:19

— 

Jesus is the greatest expression of God’s love for you and me. God loves us and sent his only Son into the world to give us eternal life (John 3:16).

Jesus is full of compassion. He became a friend of sinners and ate with tax collectors, who were seen as traitors and thieves.

He visited the homes of people rejected by society. He embraced children, touched lepers, healed the sick, raised paralyzed people from their beds, and gave sight to the blind. Jesus fed the hungry and raised the dead.

Jesus also has compassion and concern for each one of us.

He knows your pain, sees your tears, and listens to your cries. He knows your past and sees your future. He knows your feelings and reads all your thoughts. He knows your fears and guides your dreams.

Come to Jesus and place your life at his feet. He cares about you, loves you, and died for you. He was raised from the dead for your justification, and is now in heaven interceding for you (Romans 4:25; 8:34).

One day he will return for you. He wants to give you a happy and abundant life, right now and for eternity.

Beloved Father, even when my heart was marked by spiritual misery, you never stopped loving me. I thank you because you welcomed me with open arms through the saving love of Christ. Amen.

About the author — Hernandes Lopes

Rev. Hernandes Dias Lopes grew up in a Christian home in Brazil. Following his 1981 graduation from Seminário Presbiteriano do Sul in Campinas, Brazil, he served two congregations of the Presbyterian Church in Brazil. In 2000, he earned a doctor of ministry degree from Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi. Rev. Lopes has been the voice of the television program Verdade e Vida (“Truth and Life”) since 2006. In 2010 he was appointed Portuguese ministry leader for Back to God Ministries International. Rev. Lopes and his wife, Tinha, have two college-age children.

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