Three years ago my friend bought himself an UP! (My cousin always said it like: “UP exclamation mark”.) When I met up with him for the first time after he had bought the car, he couldn’t stop talking about it. Immediately after the  meeting, we had to go down so that he could show me the marvellous car he had bought.

When we got to the car, he couldn’t stop singing its praises. The steering wheel was fitted with a plethora of buttons. It had speed control and even park assist – why, I don’t know, because the car is so small it can fit into the smallest spot. It has ABS and EBD and look, he said, the remainder of the alphabet.

And all of that at 20km/l! He simply could not stop speaking. He was passionate about it, and as we walked away, he kept looking back with that look in his eyes. I had to smile and wondered whether his wife should be feeling threatened …

And all that about a small car with a 1000cc engine only. My friend used to drive a double cab. How could one go on like that about a car like that? Has he lost his marbles?

Two and a half years later he was looking to sell the car, and, he said, as long as the price he got covered what he still owed on the car. My ears perked up immediately, because mom’s car wasn’t looking so good anymore. We took the UP exclamation mark for a turn and after 1km decided it would be stupid not to buy it.

And it really is an amazing car! I can’t stop talking about it. I tell everyone who wants to hear and even those who don’t want to listen, what a brilliant little German car it is. I often close with this remark: “It’s the most unsung hero in the motor industry!”

So, what changed? You have to experience it personally to really see how good and big it is. Talking about it is not always enough.

And it’s the same with Jesus. You can’t really see how amazing Jesus is and how wonderful his deeds here on earth, until you experience it personally. Do you realise that next to God, Jesus is the most amazing person in the universe?

⁴ … the Son took his honored place high in the heavens right alongside God, far higher than any angel in rank and rule.

And He and God decided that He would sacrifice his life for us sinners on a wooden cross, so that we wouldn’t drop like flies and die. His almighty deed opened the door to heaven for us! We are free! We have hope! We have no end! We live for ever.

All of this made possible by the greatest, most loving, most graceful Jesus, Son of God.

If these are only words to you, you will not understand. But if you realise how sinful you are and how you do not deserve to go to heaven and are saved only through Jesus’ act of grace, experience it in your body, your life and being, then like me, you will fall to your knees and say thank you. But more than that. Then, from gratitude, you will want to help others feel and experience it, because Jesus, the most almighty Son of God in the universe, is the only Answer.

Go and do it now!

Scripture
Hebrews 1:1-4

Reflection
Do you know how sinful you are?
Do you experience Jesus?
Do you show others how wonderful He is?

Prayer
Jesus, King of the world, how great You are! You are greater than anything or anybody in the universe, and You decided to come to earth. You came and saved my life. You came and saved the lives of all the others. Please help me help them to experience You personally. Amen.