I’m re-reading Luke (not verse by verse studying) and it’s like Luke sat down and just pulled story after story about Jesus out to explain to Theophilus how amazing Jesus was. It’s like reading about a great athlete of the past. We get so focused sometimes on the details or interpretations that we miss what made us and others throughout time fall in love with Jesus to begin with. If we don’t remember what made us fall in love with Him, how will we be passionate telling/showing others why they should fall in love with Him?

I think another aspect is that many Christians spend their lives trying to be better which perpetuates a cycle of guilt. Paul says that there is no condemnation for those in Christ yet many Christians live as though they are guilty all the time. It’s tough to witness when you feel guilty all the time. We have to do a better job of teaching people that there is no condemnation for those in Christ. We have to do a better job teaching them that Jesus wants us to move past that.

Easter is coming. This is not a time to rehash our sins. They have been forgiven. There is no condemnation. This should be a time of celebration of the one that defeated death. The one that is preparing for the renewal of all things. The one who calls us friend. The playful one that chose to appear to his closest friends after the resurrection while they were fishing and ask them if they had caught anything. No condemnation. Just a question of do you love me.