The first and last word is Jesus (July 2001)

Archbishop Writes

by Peter Jensen

No doubt there are many things that a new Archbishop should say to a Diocese, but I can only think of one theme for a very first word - the Lord, Jesus Christ. In his beauty and glory, he is the supreme argument for the truth of the gospel and he is the focus of our faith, our love and our obedience.

Think of how he is introduced to us in the New Testament. His words grip, enlighten, sting, encourage, provoke faith. His deeds are powerful: the powerful works of healing the sick, raising the dead, stilling the storm; the even more amazing work of coming into the world born of a virgin and living sinless among us.

Love is now measured by comparison with Jesus. His death: totally undeserved, condemned for that which he did not do; bearing the sin of others; grappling with evil personified; forgiving his enemies. His titles: Son of God, Son of Man, Christ, Lord.

One of the most revealing titles is the one given to him by his enemies. It was a sneer. They called him ‘a friend of tax collectors and sinners’ (Luke 7:34). The sneer reveals what I have called the beauty of Jesus and the glory of Jesus. The highly stratified society of Jesus’ day created even more barriers than we have today. It was not only race, sex, and wealth that separated people. It was purity; adherence to strict customs of cleansing and association. Friendship found it hard to cross these barriers. But Jesus did it.

No leper himself, Jesus touched the leper. No outcast, he mixed with outcasts. No sinner, he mixed with sinners. The Bible uses the significant word, ‘friend’ - he became the friend of the failures, the second-rate, the despised, the outcast. This friendship had immense power to transform peoples lives. Provided that the recipients recognised their need to become disciples through repentance, friendship with Jesus was enough to change everything. Their simple trust grasped the power of God. He was not easy on sin in his friends or in others. In fact he was hard on sin and demanding of the highest standards. The call to repentance was portrayed vigorously as a death to the old. He asked for perfection. But at the heart of his ministry was love, acceptance and forgiveness for the repentant. When we receive forgiveness from Jesus we know that the provision of this forgiveness cost him his life. No wonder we reciprocate his love for us by loving him. The faith that grasps Jesus for salvation is the faith through which the power of transformation arrives to change our lives.

It’s a messy world. When we think we are in charge, we discover that events and people are beyond our control. Even our own sin is beyond our control. We so easily offend God and hurt others and ourselves. What Jesus has done gives us a new heart, new hope and new joy.

I am filled with gratitude for all the support and affection that has been showered upon Christine and me in the last few weeks. Thank you. The assurances of prayer are overwhelming, and we certainly need God’s help and protection at every point. The opportunity to speak to the media has been taken and I hope it has resulted in opportunities for you to share the gospel with friends.

How can I help you? The love of Christ - God’s great first and last word - compels me to point us all, whether Christian or not, to Jesus. He is the hope of the world and the light of the world, the only true Chief Shepherd of the flock of God (1 Peter 5:4).

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