It’s All About Jesus: What the Life of Christ Means for You
The Heart of the Message
In this sermon, Wayne Pederson walks through the life and identity of Jesus, tracing who he was, who he came for, and why it still matters today. Drawing from the Gospel of John and the book of Colossians, Wayne paints a portrait of a Savior who consistently showed up for people the world had pushed aside. At the heart of the message is a simple but powerful idea: after everything else is said and done, it really is all about Jesus.
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Who did Jesus come for, and does that include someone like me?
One of the most striking things about Jesus, as Wayne describes it, is who he consistently chose to stop for. He healed a woman who had been bleeding for years and was considered untouchable by her community. He raised a widow’s only son from the dead. He stopped to speak with a Samaritan woman at a well in the middle of the day, someone her own neighbors avoided. Wayne draws three simple categories from these stories: Jesus loved the downcast, the outcast, and the sinner. That list is pretty comprehensive, and it’s an open invitation.
Why does Jesus have so many titles and names? What do they all mean?
Wayne walks through a lengthy list of names given to Jesus in scripture, and each one reveals a different facet of who he is. “Jesus” literally means “God saves,” pointing to his role as Savior. “Christ” comes from the Greek word for “anointed one,” meaning he is the fulfillment of what was promised. Titles like “the Good Shepherd,” “the Bread of Life,” “the Light of the World,” and “the Prince of Peace” are not just poetic, they are descriptions of what he actually offers to people who come to him.
What is the New Covenant, and why does it matter?
Wayne opens by explaining that the Bible might more accurately be called “the Old Covenant and the New Covenant,” since those terms better capture what each section represents. The Old Covenant was given through Moses. The New Covenant was inaugurated by Jesus, and according to Wayne, it points toward a kingdom that will be completed when Jesus returns. The significance is that this covenant is not based on human achievement or religious performance. It is rooted in grace, extended to everyone, and still in effect today.
Scripture Focus
Primary Anchor Verse, John 1:1-4, 10-12, 14:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind… He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
Additional References: Colossians 1:15-20, Luke 7:11-17 (widow of Nain), Luke 18:9-14 (Pharisee and tax collector), Matthew 8:5-13 (Roman centurion), Matthew 15:21-28 (Gentile woman), John 4:1-30 (woman at the well), Mark 5:25-34 (woman with the hemorrhage)
