1 Corinthians 2.2 records, I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what he did—Jesus crucified

The christian community is saying many things, some helpful, some distracting. Paul reminds us of what is most important and the first message the Church needs to be sharing with the world.

That message is Jesus, Who He is and what He has done. We are called Christians because one of the very first churches, one of which Paul was a leader, kept this message of Jesus as Christ, Who He is and what He has done, first and foremost resulting in the world calling the followers of Jesus, Christians.

A terrible murderous tragedy occurred in America yesterday. Seventeen children needlessly murdered by a teenager himself. Some Christians, with others, advocate for gun control. The murderer already violated numerous laws, more would not have kept him from killing.

What keeps us from killing one another, from stealing from each other, from abusing one another is love for each other. Love comes from God, God is love. Jesus is the quintessential example and persona of love.

He is love leaving heaven to come to earth unrecognized, unpopularized, unglorified in order to take upon Himself the punishment all of humanity deserves for all of the evil all of us have ever done. Jesus is God, the God Who is love.

Jesus died on the cross as punishment for humanity’s disobedience so God could forgive our evil having His justice satisfied through the substitution of Jesus on the Cross. Jesus was resurrected, proving His sacrifice was accepted and demonstrating His power over death and thus the ability to raise us all from the dead in order to give us eternal life with God forever.

This is what the world needs, this is Who the world needs. The world needs to know Jesus and what He has done for the world. This is the purpose and mission of the church.

We who are Christians must engage this work of loving people and sharing God’s love with them.