Carpentry skills, conclusion

We've been discussing some thoughts this week about our Lord Jesus, and His work as the Great Carpenter.

As a carpenter, and as the Great Carpenter, Jesus has the ability to see potential. How does a carpenter think when he is looking at a piece of wood?
I believe from my experience from artisans who craft amazing things from wood, that they see it differently. Most people will look at a piece of wood and think, "Hmmmm, it's got several knots in it, and there's a fairly large crack right there; it even has a glob of ink on it where they stamped it at the lumber yard." Or maybe they see, "Oh, look, it's got a bow in it. I just don't see how we can make anything good from that piece."
A carpenter, though, looks at the wood differently. The artisan sees the potential in the wood. They might say, "I can glue those knots in so they won't move, and I can fix that crack, too. I can take out the bow or bend with my plane or other tools." The carpenter sees the potential of the wood, not the problems there.
If you were to look on Pinterest, or on some home improvement sites, you would see there is a big demand for old wood, for barn sidings and the like. We might think those pieces are worthless, but that's not the way a carpenter sees them. They look at them and think about what they could make from them!
In the same way, Jesus looks at our lives today -- what does He see? Does He see all of our flaws? Yes. But He sees our potential, too. Here's an example: Christ looked at a man named Simon, who was a fisherman. He told him, Simon, you shall be called "Cephas," which means Peter, or rock. I imagine that Peter's friends must have chuckled, or maybe laughed like crazy..... this guy? Simon? You must be joking! He's a braggart, a big bag of wind! He's impulsive and he likes to show off!
But Jesus saw his potential, and said no, I'm going to rename him, because He will be a rock in my kingdom.
The Great Carpenter is still working in our lives today. He knows which tools to use to bring out our potential. He knows when we need to be sanded down. He knows what flaws need fixing, and He knows if we need some polishing. He knows what needs to happen in our lives to bring out the talents we have.....and He works in our lives today.

Our final thoughts today have to do with the manner of the Great Carpenter's death. I mentioned when we began our study that I couldn't get that out of my mind. I was drawn back repeatedly to study and prepare these posts.
Our Lord Jesus Christ could have chosen to die in a number of ways. He could have chosen to be beheaded, as John the Baptist was. He could have chosen to be stoned, as in the old days of the Law of Moses. He could have chosen to be shot to death with an arrow, like King Ahab in the book of I Kings. Instead, He chose to die a carpenter's death. The Romans took a hammer and nails, the tools of a craftsman, a carpenter, and they nailed the Son of God to a wooden cross. It was an ugly way to die. It was a humiliating way to die. It was reserved for the basest of the base. The low. The criminals. Tears are filling my eyes as I try to type this, for my Savior chose this death.
Why?
He went through this kind of death so that He could buy us, redeem us from Satan. His blood would result in forgiveness of our sins, if we accepted it. When we accepted it, we would be not just forgiven, but transferred from darkness into light. Given new life. It was a fitting way for the Master Carpenter to depart.

As we strive to be like Him, we should value honest work. We should rely on His ability to repair our lives, and tell others how He can make things new. We should see the potential in others, as He did.

There have been tears this week, but I hope there has been encouragement, as well, for us as believers. If you are not yet a believer, I hope that you will think about the fact that Jesus, the Great Carpenter, died for you and your sins. I would encourage you to click on the link on our sidebar and learn more about accepting His gift. Message me if you have questions, and I will be honored to try to assist you.

Blessings to all!