More Than Somebody

Jenna Partin
Jun 13
3 min read

I used to think of Jesus as the Savior of the world, which He is. It was easier to see that I am a part of God‘s chosen people, part of the team. It’s like I am in the team photo, but you can’t quite make out my face.

Don’t get me wrong, I would rather be the water boy on God’s team than the star quarterback on the world’s team. However, I spent a long time thinking that I didn’t matter to God.

He saved me, but He saves His people and I’m one of them. He loves people, and I am a person. I am reminded of how He is the Christ, the chosen Savior, God the Son because He can meet me individually.

Jesus meets you in the Word because He is the Word. I remember praying about ten years ago because I was really struggling feeling alone with my family, because most of them don’t understand my beliefs. I cannot have true fellowship there. The next day, I read the verse that Jesus says, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”

And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Matthew 12:49-50

That week, I had an older women invite me to a Bible study. My mother-in-law also called just to let me know she was praying for me. She still does that to this day. So many other times I’ve gone to the Bible and read exactly what I did or didn’t even know I needed. There He is with me, preparing me, shielding me for the things ahead.

He cares for us on a personal level. Like how I love my daughter Addy, not because of anything she has done or that she has to act a certain way, but I love her because she is my daughter. And I don’t love my kids as a glob. I love Addy. I love Charlie. I love Tommy. We are reminded of this many times in Scripture when God uses those that the world wouldn’t, not just as a part of a crowd following Him, but as an individual whom He loves.

Like the woman at the well, who told Jesus, “I know that Messiah is coming, He who is called Christ. When He comes He will tell us all things.”

Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

John 4:26

Shortly after Jesus tells the disciples that He is the Christ, He says that He will suffer. Also, He says that His followers will have to pick up their cross and follow Him. That means us as individuals as well. We get to have a special plan and purpose crafted by God, which will include suffering.

But He equips us, helps us, corrects us, guides us. And the best news! Because He is the Christ, because of His perfect life, sacrificial death, resurrection, and ascension, our salvation isn’t dependent on our works! However, He still lets us participate and experience the joy that comes from a life spent following Him.