he word ‘Benefit’ is defined in dictionaries as: “An advantage or profit gained from something”. We understand this concept from our work experience. Often, when negotiating for a new job, a person will not only strive for the best possible salary, they also will jockey for additional or better benefits like healthcare, paid vacations, and such.

With that understood, are there really Benefits (advantages or profits) because of Jesus? This question is the theme for our next An Hour with Jesus event in Elizabethtown, KY on January 9, 2021. At that event we will spend all 12 sessions talking about the Benefits of Jesus.

Too often, those that spend a lot of time thinking about religion, God, Jesus etc. might brush right past this question (Are there benefits of Jesus?) because it seems to have an obvious answer. But it is not obvious to everyone. We will use this blog, and the event itself to talk about the various Benefits of Jesus from multiple perspectives. However, we want to quickly make a case for there being Benefits because of Jesus!

To understand the possible benefits of the man Jesus, we must first establish WHO Jesus is.

John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (5) And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

This passage is taken from the Gospel according to John and he is speaking of Jesus. Notice the things that he claims about Jesus:

1. He is Eternal in Nature (vrs. 1). Jesus is not a created being like humans are or even like heavenly angels. Rather, in the beginning of time, before the beginning of all that exists, Jesus was already in existence. Jesus preceded this creation.

2. He is Different from “God” (vrs. 1). John states that the Word or Jesus was with God. The word ‘With” demands that there was someone besides Jesus. In this statement we find that the other being with Jesus is God the the Father and God the Holy Spirit. That statement then means that Jesus and God the Father are separate entities.

3. He is God (vrs 1). This point seems to superficially contradict the last point, but it in fact in NOT contradictory at all. So how can Jesus Not be God but is God? He is a different entity as God the Father but he is Deity like God. In other words, Jesus has all of the characteristic and features of God. He is Eternal, Omnipresent, Omniscient, etc.

4. Jesus Is Responsible for Creation (vrs 3). Man cannot begin to wrap our finite minds around an enormous concept like creation. In Genesis chapter 1 where creation is described, it clearly does not give us every detail. In Genesis, it says that God SPOKE each day’s creation into existence. Was that description a “Cliff Note” of what happened or the totality of God’s role? We will never know. But what we do know due to John 1 is that NOTHING was made without the participation and and inclusion of Jesus.

5. In Jesus is Life (vrs 4). One of the Great mysteries of mankind is that of life. One great question that comes up in our society is: When does life begin? That is not a difficult question at all when you have respect for the Word of God that was given to us. Life is something that science has been studying and craving to replicate for years…and can’t. Why will man NEVER be able to create life from nothing? Because Jesus is the source of Life! Without Jesus there is NO life!

And with that final truth understood, we find the first and foundational Benefit of Jesus: LIFE! Are you alive? Then you are living proof of the Benefits of Jesus. But being alive today is only a minuscule glimpse into the potential that awaits us. For as humans, we think and experience life in a finite way. We see life in terms of the span of time between the moment we were conceived to the moment we take our final breath. But that, regardless of how long life might be on this earth, is still a blink of an eye to the totality of Life. Because, like God and Jesus, we were created to be eternal beings. Not our bodies or the outer shells that we might think of, but our souls are eternal. And that is the part of man that we do not think about or plan for in this life. But Jesus, the source of Life cares MOST about that part of our experience.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

What is the Great Benefits of Jesus? Eternal Life!

That is what the An Hour with Jesus is all about. Helping those that do not think about eternity, to cause them to understand that there is more to life than what we can experience in this minuscule existence. To give them a comprehension of God’s purpose for them. And to prepare them for the Life that awaits them after our time on earth.

With that said, we need to address the original question. The question that most people are concerned about: Are there Benefits because of Jesus?

I think the question can also be reworded: Is God concerned with little ole me? Will God, does God intervene in the lives of men in a positive way.

As a parent, are there benefits to being a child of yours? Do you protect and benefit your children? Do you give them what they need? Sometimes even give then what they want? Do you help them to succeed with in your control?

Absolutely. And the same is with Jesus! Because Jesus had his hand in creation, we are his creation. That means he cares for us like his children. In fact, he loves us so much that he gave his life for us. Not every parent can say that.

Now that we have the premise established, What are the Benefits of Jesus?

That too is what this blog and the An Hour with Jesus event is about. Stay tuned! Read this blog and come to our event on January 9th, 2021!