Wanted: Christ and Us 

“Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
Isaiah 53:12 (NIV UK)

Yesterday, I saw a ‘Wanted’ poster for a 33-year-old man with long hair and a beard. The poster said he was wanted for leading an underground liberation movement. They listed a couple aliases—‘Prince of Peace’ ‘Son of God’ and ‘Messiah’—and warned that he’s still at large. See if you recognise him,

It’s Jesus. But you probably don’t think of him as someone who would end up on a ‘Wanted’ poster. But to many during his time on earth, that’s exactly who he was—an outlaw, someone shaking up the traditional norms. But to many more who saw him for who he really was, he was the answer to a prayer. To those who had studied the scriptures and searched the text for clues to the Messiah’s identity—Christ was the World’s Most Wanted Man.

But there’s another ‘Wanted’ poster that I wanted to share with you. See if you recognise this person; it’s me!

Not a bad looking guy. But what am I ‘Wanted’ for? And who ‘Wants’ me? It turns out, to our Triune God, we’re all on his most ‘Wanted’ list. I don’t mean that God is some kind of old Western Sheriff in the sky. Instead, his love is what is behind his wanted posters. Our Lord of Grace loves us and wants us so much that he has sent out notices in the scriptures. His purpose to bring many sons and daughters to glory led the Father to send the Son to come after us in time and space, in flesh and blood. Far beyond what any bounty hunter has ever done, he joined himself to us, becoming one of us, fully human. And because his desire for our good is so great, he has broken the chains of pride, distrust and death to bring us back into communion with him.

As strange as it may sound, remember that you are ‘Wanted’—by a loving God who will, is, and has done everything to bring us into right relationship with him through our saviour Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. And that’s a ‘Wanted’ list I don’t mind saying that I’m on. 

Prayer
Heavenly Father, can you really want me? I fall down—sin—all the time, I fail at virtually every good thing I set out to do. But you do want me. And not just me, because you love all of your creation. As the hymn says, “Take away our bent to sinning”, and help us all to understand that, really, you do ‘want’ us. That by itself helps us to keep going. In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen 

Study by Joseph Tkach

____________________________________________________

About the Author:
Joseph Tkach is the President of Grace Communion International (the Denominational name of The Worldwide Church of God UK), and resides in California, USA.

Local Congregation:
You are welcome to attend one of our local Church congregations located throughout the UK and Ireland. For details of your nearest local congregation, check on our website, www.gracecom.org.uk under the ‘Churches’ tab, or ring +44 (0)1858 437099.

Contact:
Email: admin@daybyday.org.uk