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Lesson:

He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

Extras

• Character Profiles

  • Jesus

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    Jesus

    

    Jesus is revealed in the Bible as the Son of God. He was first given this title by Gabriel, who spoke to Mary, saying: “So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). After Jesus was baptized by John, God said, “This is my dearly beloved Son, who brings me great joy." As the Son of God, Jesus was all powerful on earth. He healed the sick, cast out demons, walked on water, calmed the sea, and had the authority to forgive sins.

    • Bible References

      • John 3:16
      • Luke 1:35
      • Matthew 3:16-17
      • Genesis 1:1
      • Revelation 19:13
      • John 1:1-5
      • John 14:9
      • Mark 2:5-12
      • John 3:16
      • John 14:6
      • John 14:3
      • Acts 1:11
      • Revelation 19:13

  • Simon the Pharisee

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    Simon the Pharisee

    

    Simon was a proud Pharisee. He invited Jesus to have dinner in his home but did not regard Jesus as a true prophet. After all, He allowed a sinful woman to touch and anoint Him! Simon failed to show Jesus any honor or respect by not offering water to wash His feet or greet Him with a customary kiss. Jesus exposed Simon's self-righteousness and showed how little he really loved God and others.

    • Bible References

      • Luke 7:40
      • Luke 7:36-39
      • Matthew 15:1-15
      • Matthew 23:23-28
      • John 2:25
      • Hebrews 4:13
      • Luke 7:43
      • Luke 7:44-46
      • Luke 7:47-48
      • Luke 7:49-50

  • The Sinful Woman

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    The Sinful Woman

    

    This woman was aware of her sinfulness and her need for forgiveness. She came to the dinner, uninvited but well prepared to worship Jesus with her jar of expensive perfume. The woman's tears of repentance and thanksgiving were wiped from Jesus' feet with her own hair. Jesus saw her heart and rewarded her faith that day. Her sins were forgiven and the joy and peace that only Jesus can give filled her heart.

    • Bible References

      • Luke 7:50
      • Luke 7:36-50
      • Psalms 51:17

  • Thomas

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    Thomas

    

    Soon after Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to the disciples. One of the disciples, Thomas, was not present and refused to believe that Jesus had appeared to the eleven other apostles, until he could see and feel the wounds received by Jesus on the cross.

    • Bible References

      • John 20:25
      • John 20:24
      • John 20:25
      • John 20:26
      • John 20:27
      • John 20:28
      • John 20:29

  • Matthew

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    Matthew

    

    Matthew was a tax collector whom Jesus called to be a follower. Matthew immediately left His work and hosted a banquet at his home for Jesus and invited many of his tax collector friends. Matthew became one of the twelve apostles. Matthew was sad like the other apostles when they could not cast an evil spirit out and Jesus said they lacked faith. However, as Jesus sent His disciples out, Matthew 's faith is strengthened when he and Andrew pray for a leper who is then healed! All of the disciples rejoice at their success when they return to Jesus.

    • Bible References

      • Matthew 9:9
      • Matthew 4:18-22
      • Matthew 9:9-13
      • Luke 5:27-32
      • Mark 2:14
      • Mark 2:13-17
      • Matthew 10:3

• Adventure Guide

  • 

    Gizmo's Bible Adventures - Your New Journey with God

  • 

    Jesus—Friend of Sinners - Family Discussion Guide

• Videos

  Jesus Teaches About Humility

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    Jesus Teaches About Humility

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    The Parable of the Great Feast

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    The Call of Matthew

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    The Sinful Woman

  • 

    Jesus - Friend of Sinners - The Salvation Poem

• Q & A

  • What exactly is our connection and relationship with God through Christ?

    In Matthew:10, Jesus sent out His twelve apostles to minister to the people of Israel who were lost. The were to announce that the Kingdom of God is near. Jesus gave them His authority to heal, cast out demons and even raise the dead! They were His representatives. That is exciting! However, what goes with that commission is the reality that not everyone would welcome them. If people rejected Jesus, they would also reject them. Jesus said, “Anyone who receives you receives Me, and anyone who receives Me receives the Father who sent Me.”
    
    This speaks of the intimate relationship we have with God through Christ. In John:10:30, Jesus said: “I and the Father and I are one.” Jesus wanted us to be connected to Him in this way. He prayed for His followers and for all who would come to know Him in the future to be one with Him also.
    
    “My prayer is not for the world, but for those You have given ye, because they belong to You. All who are Mine belong to You, and You have given them to Me, so they bring Me glory. Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to You. Holy Father, you have given Me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as We are. I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in Me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as You and I are one—as you are in Me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe You sent Me. I have given them the glory You gave Me, so they may be one as We are one. I am in them and You are in Me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent Me and that You love them as much as You love Me. Father, I want these whom You have given Me to be with Me where I am. Then they can see all the glory You gave Me because You loved Me even before the world began!” (John:17:9-11, John:17:20-24)
    
    Isn’t that cool? Jesus wants us to be one with Him and His Father—God! When someone rejects us, they reject Him. When anyone receives us, they receive Him. We receive Christ’s glory but we also will suffer as He did. Romans:8:17 says, “And since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering."
    
    We are Christ’s ambassadors, we represent God and Christ. We have been given the Good News to share just as the apostles were to share with the lost. Some will listen to us; some will not. 2 Corinthians:5:18-20 says, “And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
    
    Those who receive and support us in any way will receive a great reward; the same as if they did it for Christ. (Matthew:10:40-42) Jesus shares our joy and our pain as we go in His name because we are one with Him. There is a great reward awaiting us as Paul said in 2 Timothy:4:7: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.”
    
    
    
    Discover God's love and plan for you

    • Matthew 10:40

  • How much does Jesus know about me?

    Simon could not believe that Jesus was allowing this immoral woman to anoint Him and cause a disturbance at the dinner party. “When the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know what kind of woman is touching Him. She’s a sinner!” (Luke:7:39). Little did Simon know that Jesus “heard” his very thoughts. (Luke:7:40). In Luke:7:47, Jesus later said, ““I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown Me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” No, Jesus did not miss the fact that this woman was a sinner. He saw even more sins than anyone in the room! Jesus was more concerned with her sincere worship and contrite heart. Jesus forgave her instantly. (Luke:7:48-50).
    
    Jesus then, and still today, has full view of the hearts of all people. There is nothing hidden from His sight! (Psalms:139:1); (Hebrews:4:13). Isn’t it amazing that Jesus knows everything about us, our innermost thoughts, and still wants us to live in us now and forever in heaven! This woman was objectionable and offensive in Simon’s sight. This is exactly the kind of person that the Pharisees must be separated from!
    
    Jesus would deal with this kind of attitude again. In Luke:16:15, Jesus said this to the Pharisees: “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God.” Simon could not recognize that Jesus saw his own sin and hypocrisy; he was too busy judging the woman! To Jesus, appearance isn’t everything; that is good news to those who this world looks down upon and rejects! 1 Samuel:16:7 says: “The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Aren't you glad that God is in charge? No matter how others judge us, God sees the true us—even more clearly than we can see ourselves! Hebrews:4:13 says: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes, and He is the one to whom we are accountable.” Nothing is hidden from our actions, to our words, and even our thoughts! For this reason, let us ask God to examine us, as David did, to reveal anything that is not pleasing to Him. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life." (Psalms:139:23-24)
    
    
    
    Discover God's love and plan for you

    • Luke 7:40

  • Is it okay to want to be seen by others?

    Jesus warned us about pride and thinking more highly of yourself than we should. Jesus noticed at a dinner that many people were trying to sit near the head of the table in seats of honor. This is His advice: “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. (Luke:14:10)
    
    It is important to remain humble in all that we do. In fact, here is what Paul wrote about this in Philippians:2:3: "Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves." Wow, this attitude will help us to keep our pride in check, won't it? Pride is a very dangerous thing. Proverbs:16:18 says: “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” Jesus brought up many times the pride of the Pharisees. They loved to be seen and heard by others. They enjoyed being honored and recognized. (Matthew:23:5) Jesus did not want people to follow their example! Paul again warned of being prideful in Romans:12:3: “I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.” This is an important subject that is addresses many times in the Bible. As Paul said, we must be honest in our evaluation of ourselves. To do this,we need to view ourselves through God's eyes and His Word. (James:1:22-25); (Hebrews:4:12)
    
    It is important for us to never think of ourselves as better than others. Jesus associated Himself with all people and often took time for those who were rejected or scorned. In Romans:12:16, Paul said, “Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all!" Isn't that great advice for today? When we think we know it all, we are in for a rude awakening! Finally, if we are to be honored, let God be the one to orchestrate it, in His timing! 1 Peter:5:6 says, “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor.”
    
    
    
    Discover God's love and plan for you

    • Luke 14:10

  • As a follower of Christ, should I only associate with Christians?

    When we become followers of Christ, it is wise to carefully choose who we spend time with. Paul said in 1 Corinthians:15:33: “Bad company corrupts good character." We should choose friends who encourage us, give us accountability, and challenge us to grow deeper in the Lord. (Proverbs:27:17) Psalms:1:1-2 says, “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night.”
    
    So, does that mean we should never be around non-believers or people who don’t know the Lord? Not if we follow the example of Jesus! But, keep this in mind; we must influence for Christ; not be influenced by the world's wisdom and standards. Jesus never compromised God's Word and His mission to fit in. He was without sin while in the world. He influenced; He was not influenced.
    
    In Luke:7:39, Jesus received the worship of an immoral woman that the Pharisees wanted Him to reject. Jesus was not influenced by the religious views of the day. He accepted her, spoke peace to her, and forgave her sins.
    
    Instead of traveling around Samaria to avoid the hated Samaritans as was customary for the Jews in that day, Jesus spent time at a well with a Samaritan woman. His disciples were confused and questioned what He was doing.
    
    Because Jesus spent time with her, a sinner, she became a believer and brought many more in her city to Christ. (John:4:1-42) Jesus went to a dishonest and despised tax collector’s house for dinner. No one wanted to spend time with Zacchaeus! Because Jesus took the time to dine with Zacchaeus, his heart was completely changed forever. His world was turned upside down! Jesus declared about Zacchaeus, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” (Luke:19:1-10)
    
    
    
    Discover God's love and plan for you
    
    There are many more examples of Jesus spending time with sinners that other “religious” people shunned. By showing these people love and attention, Jesus brought them into the Kingdom of God.
    
    We must follow Jesus’ example and influence, not be influenced! Jesus said in (Matthew:5:13-16): “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Yes, we are called to be salt and to be light. Our job is to bring Jesus’ light into a dark world.

    • Luke 7:39

  • Does Jesus forgive sins today like He did in the Bible?

    Jesus knew that the immoral woman’s sins were many. Yet, He saw her faith, and repentant tears as she wiped them off His feet with her hair. Jesus spoke forgiveness and peace to her. She was instantly cleansed by His Word! “The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?” (Luke:7:47-50) The answer is that Jesus is the Son of God; He has the authority and desire to speak forgiveness to all who come to Him.
    
    In another Bible story, a paralyzed man was lowered through the ceiling to be healed by Jesus. He not only healed him physically, He cleansed Him spiritually AND forgave His sins. Luke:5:20 says: “Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, “Young man, your sins are forgiven.” The Pharisees who witnessed the amazing miracle called it blasphemy that Jesus said his sins were forgiven—only God can forgive sins! Jesus then declared His authority on Earth to forgive sins. (Luke:5:18-26). There are many more examples of Jesus giving forgiveness in His short life on Earth. He has not changed; He forgives sins today! He willingly gave His life for us so we could be forgiven and cleansed by His blood. 2 Corinthians:5:21 says: “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”
    
    
    
    Discover God's love and plan for you

    • 1 John 1:9