Day 1: There Is No One Like Jesus
Today's Bible Reading: Luke 19:1-10
I've been to Malawi, Africa four times to work alongside a wonderful organization called Children of The Nations (COTN). Although the very thought of stepping aboard a plane fills me with dread, I always look forward to spending time with my friends there. I also look forward to the singing. In Malawi, it's a guarantee that at some point during the day, you're going to burst into joyful song (accompanied by dancing, of course). My favorite song sung in the Malawian language of Chichewa is called “Palibe Ofana Ndi Yesu.” Translated into English, it means “There is No One Like Jesus.” Here are the words:
There's no one, there's no one like Jesus
There's no one, there's no one like Jesus
I wandered
I wandered everywhere
I turned around everywhere
I searched everywhere
And still, I haven't found anyone like Jesus
I've been singing that song for years, appreciating the lyrics but never giving them much thought. But then one morning on my most recent trip to Malawi, the lyrics stopped me right in my tracks. As we stood there singing along with the COTN staff, I became overwhelmed by the truth of those simple words. When you look at the life of Jesus and see the invitation he offered to others—how he loved and included all people—it's hard to find anyone else that compares to him.
That's why we’re going to spend the next 40 days looking at eight stories of people who crossed paths with Jesus. Some thought they had life all figured out. Others were at the end of their rope, desperately trying to find any scrap of hope they could cling to. Their stories have very little in common except for this: After meeting Jesus, they all realized there was no one like him.
We’ll start things off by looking at one of my favorite stories in the Bible—the story of Zacchaeus. Take some time today to read his story. Zacchaeus was a con man and a traitor to his own people. I'm sure you could make a Netflix Original Series chronicling all of his shady dealings (I can just see it... Don't miss Sneaky Zach, available to stream this spring!). And yet, when Jesus came to town, Zacchaeus zipped up a tree to get a better look at him. Why? Maybe he'd heard the stories. Stories that there was no one like this strange man called Jesus.
Questions to Ponder:
Why do you think Zacchaeus was so eager to see Jesus?
What stories have you heard about Jesus?
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