top of page

Gentle and Lowly: Discovering the Heart of Jesus


The heart, in biblical terms, is not part of who we are, but rather the center and core of who we are. So when it comes to Jesus describing who he is – he does so as saying he is ‘gentle and lowly’. (See Matthew 11:28-29). The Scriptures then bear witness to the fuller and deeper description of all that means in how Jesus relates with us. Tonight, we see how He is one who will never cast us out or aside.


Gentle and Lowly: Discovering the Heart of Jesus Jack Schull Quote:“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”-A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy As we get to know Jesus more clearly, intimately, and have him shape us more intentionally - we will begin to reflect his kind of heart more consistently… So, it’s important for us to know what Jesus is really like. Matthew 11:28-29 CSB 28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Only place in Scripture, where Jesus describes himself. One thing to get straight right from the start is that when the Bible speaks of the heart, whether Old Testament or New, it is not speaking of our emotional life only - but of the central animating center of all we do. It is our motivation HQ. GENTLE: Meek. Humble. Gentle. == Jesus is not trigger-happy. He is NOT harsh, reactionary, easily exasperated. He is the most understanding person in the universe. The posture most natural to him is not a pointed finger — but open arms. LOWLY: The point in saying that Jesus is lowly is that he is accessible. For all his resplendent glory and dazzling holiness, his supreme uniqueness and otherness, no one in human history has ever been more approachable than Jesus Christ. This is who he is: Tender. Open. Welcoming. Accommodating. Understanding. Willing. Quote: "The cumulative testimony of the four Gospels is that when Jesus Christ sees the fallenness of the world all about him (and within you), his deepest impulse, his most natural instinct, is to move toward that sin and suffering, not away from it." --Dane Ortland Jesus doesn’t walk away from people, he walks toward — even if they choose to walk away. John chapter 6 - I AM the Bread of life... probably the hardest sermon Jesus ever preached - trying to point to WHO he really is and how people must trust in Him. So many followers walk away from him at the end of the sermon -- but listen to this GEM he promises in v.37 37 Everyone the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never cast out. (CSB) We naturally think: “expiration date” in all things… it’s just a matter of time before all things spoil/fade. Fallen and anxious sinners are limitless in their capacity to perceive reasons for Jesus to cast them out. ALL THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURE there is proclaimed over us - an everlasting connection that cannot be disconnected from God’s end… John 10 - Matthew 28 - Romans 8 - Revelation 3 We cannot, will not or ever discover a reason for Christ to finally close off his heart to his own sheep. No such reason exists. We can find rest in this assurance from our gentle and lowly Savior who will never abandon us, never walk away from us, never give up on us, never cast us out… he continually invites us to come near to him… It’s the very core of his heart. Quote: “I am here to tell you that the Father's heart is open wide: you are welcome to come in.” —Richard Foster

www.elementscitychurch


bottom of page