BY GREG CRUM
“And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:” Matthew 7:28
“And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?” Matthew 12:23
And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?” Matthew 13:54
Three passages from the Gospel of Matthew with one theme—the people who heard Jesus speak and saw what he did came away impressed by the Lord. They were astonished and amazed, they marveled and sometimes were a bit perplexed, but either way, Jesus made an impression on their lives. Fast forward some two thousand years and the same can be said today. Anytime Jesus is given a genuine opportunity, he will leave a mark on an individual, a mark that can forever change the trajectory of a life, and that should compel us to action for the sake of others and God’s Kingdom.
To make an impression, or to make a mark, what does that really mean? Well, a couple of common definitions for the word “impression” are 1) an effect, feeling, or image retained as a consequence of experience and 2) a mark produced on a surface by pressure. Applied in the context of the passages we quoted above, when those people met Jesus, he left a mark. There was a lasting and undeniable “effect, feeling, or image” that was “retained as a consequence” of their hearing and seeing Jesus in action. For most the impression he made led to them being forever changed for the better, for some, like the religious leaders of the day, the impression he made compelled them to make personal decisions that led to their everlasting damnation. Again, either way, Jesus made an impression on all that he encountered.
What about you? Has Jesus made an impression on you yet? If so, was it for the better or for the worse? What has been your response? Has it been the response of the earliest believers in Jesus?
Faced with that question, you might ask, “What was the early church’s response to the mark Jesus made on them?” For that answer we need to think about what we learn from passages like John 1:35-46, John 4:27-30, Acts 13:38-44, and Acts 28:7-9. In every instance the Biblical response of being impressed by the Lord was to go and compel others to come and see and hear the deeds and words of Jesus! Whether it was Philip’s encouragement to Nathanael, or the woman at the well’s plea to her townspeople, “Come and see” for yourself about this man named Jesus was the natural effect of having Jesus make a mark on a human’s heart.
Brothers and sisters, if Jesus has truly made a mark on our hearts, we should willingly seek to share that experience with others. We should look for opportunities to encourage others to come and see for themselves what Jesus is all about. Sometimes we make personal evangelism so complicated and think we have to have a doctorate in Biblical Studies to be effective in winning others to the Lord. Nope, none of the evangelism in the Gospel accounts we quoted were doctoral dissertations; they were way too effective for that. They were just genuine expressions of the mark Jesus had made on individuals. If you’ve given your life to Jesus, you have that kind of mark in you as well. Be forward about sharing with others what Jesus has done for you and encourage them to come and see if he won’t do the same for them!
Greg Crum is the pastor of Calvary Temple in Lovely.