7124
Thorngrove Pike
Knoxville, Tennessee 37914
Phone (865) 525-1051
Pastor - Michael D. Vincent
by Wes Neal
Copyright by Wes Neal 1998
Many people today are curious about Jesus. Instead of telling you
about him, this "interview" was compiled to let you hear straight from
Jesus Himself answers to questions you might have. Here are a few things
to keep in mind as you read the interview:
1. The "interviewer" represents you, and hopefully the questions are
those you would ask if you could personally interview Jesus.
2. Each "interviewer" question is numbered to help you locate it again,
if you wish, for review or discussion.
3. Each statement of Jesus is based on a comment He made that has
been recorded in the Bible. The statements have been amplified to fit
the format of an interview. That amplification is based on other comments
of Jesus, as well as other passages in the Bible.
4. The pronouns "he," "him," "his," and "me," when refering to God
and Jesus are not capitalized as you might have become accustomed to
seeing. Most of the modern translations, such as the New International
Version of the Bible, do not capitalize these pronouns when refering
to God and Jesus.
5. A biblical reference for each of Jesus' statements follows the
answer by Jesus.
1. Interviewer: You have created a stir all over
the world. In just one sentence, what would you say your purpose is?
Jesus: My purpose is to give life in all of its fullness, a fullness
you cannot experience without my giving it to you. (John
10:10)
2. Interviewer: Well, I know many people who say
they're religious, but they don't seem much different from anyone else.
Their quality of life doesn't seem to be any better.
Jesus: A good observation. But listen carefully when I tell you this.
Not everyone who sounds religious is a godly person. Even those who
refer to me as "Lord," still might not have the life my Father wants
to give them. You see, the bottom line is whether they are committed
to obey my Father in Heaven. It isn't what a person says that matters.
It's what is in his heart that counts. (Matthew
7:21)
3. Interviewer: People have told me that if I
just keep the Ten Commandments and do good works I'll be all right with
God. What do you say about that?
Jesus: I say ignore those people. They are blind guides leading the
blind. Let me ask you something. Doesn't it make sense that if one blind
person guides another, they'll both fall into a ditch? (Matthew
15:14)
4. Interviewer: Yes, that makes sense. But why
should I listen to you about my relationship with God rather than other
religious leaders?
Jesus: Because I don't speak on my own authority. My Father who sent
me gave me his own instructions as to what I should say. I say whatever
he tells me to say, and those words can give you eternal life. (John
12:49-50)
5. Interviewer: You're telling me that your authority
comes directly from God?
Jesus: That's right. I can do nothing by myself. I rely totally on
my Father, and I do only what I see my Father doing. Whatever my Father
does, I also do. (John 5:19)
6. Interviewer: If I'm understanding you, you're
saying that you are the visible picture of our invisible God?
Jesus: Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. When you see me, you're
seeing the one who sent me. When you hear me speak, it's my Father speaking.
The truth is, my Father and I are one! Is that hard for you to understand?
(John 12:44-45 and John 10:30)
7. Interviewer: Yes, it sure is. Maybe not so
hard as it is strange. I mean, this is all so new to me. What's the
message God has for me?
Jesus: My Father wants you to know that I am the way, the truth, and
the life. Only I can give you the abundant and overflowing life he has
for you, a life that will last forever. (John
14:6 and John 10:10)
8. Interviewer: Last forever? Are you saying I
won't physically die?
Jesus: No, I'm not saying that. Most people will physically die. But
cheer up. I have good news for you. I have conquered death. I myself
am the resurrection and the life, the eternal life my Father gives!
(John 11:25)
9. Interviewer: You're saying that you have conquered
physical death, and through you I can have a life with God that goes
on forever? Well who wouldn't want that? How do I get it?
Jesus: Listen to me carefully. Don't miss what I'm going to tell you.
Unless you are born again, you cannot experience the abundant and eternal
life my Father has for you. (John 3:3)
10. Interviewer: What do you mean "born again?"
I was born physically. How else can I be born?
Jesus: Humans can reproduce only human life. That life ends at physical
death. But my Father gives new life from Heaven. An abundant life now,
and an eternal life forever. That's what I mean by being "born again."
I'm talking about a spiritual birth, and it's the beginning of the abundant
and eternal life! (John 3:6-7)
11. Interviewer: O.K. what you have described
is what I want. But how do I get born again? How do I experience this
spiritual birth you're talking about?
Jesus: You experience it simply by believing in me. (John
3:14-16)
12. Interviewer: Believing in you? What do you
mean, "believe" in you?
Jesus: To believe in me means you commit yourself to accept me, to
rely on what I teach, and to accept my payment on the cross for your
sins. (Matthew 11:29 and 2 Corinthians 5:21)
13. Interviewer: My sins? The word "sins" makes
me sound bad. I don't think I'm such a bad person.
Jesus: No, in fact you might be a very good person, compared to other
people. But you have had many thoughts, attitudes and actions that aren't
pleasing to my Father. They fall short of his perfections. Anything
that falls short of God's perfection is what I call "sin." Your sins
separate you from him, keeping you from having close fellowship. (Isaiah
64:6 and Romans 6:23)
14. Interviewer: How does my accepting the payment
you made on the cross make me born again?
Jesus: When you accept me, and what I have done for you on the cross,
my Father will forgive you those sins. At that precise moment, he will
put His Spirit in you. That's the spiritual birth I'm talking about.
You will be born again with My Father's Spirit in you. (John
6:29 and John 14:6)
15. Interviewer: Wow! Let me see if I have this
right. You're saying the only way I can experience the full life is
by being born again. And that's done by believing in you, by accepting
you? Well, I want that, but I'm curious. What if I don't accept you?
What if I don't accept what you did on the cross?
Jesus: Good question, and I want to be very clear about this. Anyone
who does not accept me, will die in their sins. And that includes you.
I know that sounds hard. But, you see, I am the only way through which
my Father has made it possible for people to come into close fellowship
with him. Unless you believe I am who I say I am, and rely on me, you
will die in your sins. And, if that's your choice, the penalty for sin
is an agonizing eternity apart from my Father. That's just a fact! (John
8:24)
16. Interviewer: Well, obviously, that option
doesn't appeal to me. But I've got to be up front with you. Being born
again sounds a little too simple. I mean, all I have to do is accept
you? Is that really all there is to it?
Jesus: Yes, but let me explain what I mean. Accepting me means you
are committing yourself to follow me and to rely on everything I tell
you. That's a serious decision. I want you to think about it, and I
want you to first count the cost. (Luke
14:28)
17. Interviewer: I didn't know there was any
cost to this life you want to give me. What cost are you talking about?
Jesus: The cost of putting me first, and setting aside your own desires.
(Matthew 16:24-25)
18. Interviewer: Putting your desires ahead of
my own? That is a serious decision, isn't it?
Jesus: Yes it is. In fact, it's the most serious decision you'll ever
make. But, let me ask you a question that might help you make it. How
would you benefit if you gained the whole world, and all that it offers,
but lost your own soul in the process? Is there anything that's worth
more than your eternal soul? (Matthew 16:26)
19. Interviewer: No, I can't think of anything
that's worth more than my soul. I think I understand what you're saying,
and how I can have the life you offer. But I do have one problem, and
it's a big one. How can God possibly overlook some of the gross sins
I have done? How can he possibly forgive me?
Jesus: There is one sin, and only one sin, that my Father will not
forgive you. (Mark 3:29)
20. Interviewer: What sin is that?
Jesus: The sin of rejecting me. That is the one sin my Father will
not forgive. And that one sin will send those who reject me to Hell.
Every other sin my Father will forgive you, if you ask for it. You have
my word on that. (Mark 3:28-29)
Jesus: Yes, every sin! My Father will forgive you every sin, no matter
how terrible. When I was crucified, I paid the penalty for all of your
sins, past, present, and future. (Mark 3:28)
22. Interviewer: Do I first have to clean up
my life? You know, improve my life before God will forgive me?
Jesus: No, my Father will forgive you just as you are. By accepting
me, he will forgive your sins. And you will never be condemned. Now
let me ask you a question. Are you ready to accept me, and commit yourself
to follow me? (John 5:24)
23. Interviewer: Yes I'm ready.
Father God, I accept the payment Jesus made on the cross for my sins,
and I commit myself to follow Him each day of my life. Thank you for
forgiving my sins, and for putting your Spirit in me. Thank you for
the new life you're giving me!
Jesus: Now here's an amazing truth. At this very moment of your decision
to accept me, you have experienced the new birth. You're now a true
child of my Father in Heaven. From this point on, I will live in you
through the Spirit my Father has placed in you. (John
1:12-13 and John 17:26)
24. Interviewer: Let me ask you another question.
What if my enthusiasm for following you slips a little later on? I mean,
what if I get sidetracked? Will you give up on me then?
Jesus: I want you to follow me everyday of your life. But, let me
something very clear. My Father has already given you eternal life.
There was nothing on your own that you did to earn it. Isn't that true?
And now that you sincerely have accepted me, there is nothing you can
do to lose it. Do you understand what I'm saying? Neither my Father
nor I will ever give up on you. We will never let go of you. (John
10:27-28)
25. Interviewer: It sounds like our relationship
is solid. I mean, even if I blow it.
Jesus: I want you to follow me every day. That's the only way you
can experience the full life moment by moment, and day by day. But no
one can take you out of my grip. My Father has given you to me and he
is more powerful than anyone else. So no one, including lapses on your
own part, can take you from me. I will always be with you. (John
10:28-29)
Jesus: Yes, always. Although you won't be able to see me, as you follow
me each day, I will be with you in every situation. Even to the end
of this age. (Matthew 28:20)
27. Interviewer: You and me together. I like that!
Where do you go from here?
I want to invite you to go on the road with Jesus!
But, before I explain how...
If what Jesus said in this "interview" makes sense to you, and if you
haven't yet accepted His payment on the cross for your sins, why don't
you do so right now? Remember, Jesus isn't a religious philosophy. He's
a person who is alive today, and who will come to live through you when
you commit yourself to follow Him.
If you haven't already done so, here's one way you can make this commitment.
1. Read again Jesus' answer to the Interviewer's question in #7.
Do you agree it is only through Jesus that you can know God and experience
the full life He offers?
2. If you agree, then read again the interviewer's prayer of commitment
in #23. You can make that your own prayer of commitment.
Remember, it's what's in your heart that counts, not the stylish words
of your prayer.
3. It's important to get to know Jesus better each day. If you would
like to travel on the road with Jesus through a series of daily e-mails,
just reply to me at Wesnealcoe@aol.com with the words ORJ LETTERS.
Yours for a Great Journey,
Wes Neal Wesnealcoe@aol.com P.O. Box 627 Branson, MO 65615
