Once a man came into this world who said he was the Son of God. He had a doctrine that created astonishment. The Bible says in Matthew 7:28, "And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine."

Why were the people astonished at the doctrine of Jesus? What made His doctrines so different from other teachings that they had heard?

The people who were astonished at the doctrine of Jesus were not ignorant of religious things. They were religious people. They had heard many teachers of the Scripture, many wise sages who were so numerous in the East. They knew the Scriptures and they knew about the God of the Scriptures. Yet they'd never been astonished like this. Jesus came speaking and teaching from the same Scriptures about the same God, and the people were astonished.

First, they were astonished at His doctrine about a personal relationship with God. They knew about the remote God of the Scriptures; a God who dwelt in fire and smoke on a distant mountain; a God who dealt with tribes and multitudes and very select individuals. But Jesus came speaking of a personal God, a Heavenly Father. Imagine that! A Heavenly Father!

How astonishing this concept was to a people who had heard about a God of religion, a God of endless laws and scruples. They had been taught that God cared how far you walked on the Sabbath, but He didn't seem to care how much grief you carried in your heart and how long you carried it. They were taught that He didn't want you to pick up a stick on the Sabbath and carry it away, but it seemed as if He didn't care if you had a load of cares and carried them every day.

But Jesus came and His astonishing doctrine revealed God to be very concerned about the very least of people. Jesus came with an astonishing doctrine that said, "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows" (Matthew 10:29-31). Jesus came and told men that God loves them. He values them. He knows them intimately, even those who know Him not.

Men paraded around in pompous religious apparel. Their very manner said, "Yes, we are the ones." And the lowly in heart were intimidated by their presence. They thought, God might know these religious men, these knowledgeable men so educated in the law and so steeped in the Scriptures. He might know these men who fast twice a week and tithe of all they possess. Yes, God might know them; He might care about them, but He isn't aware of me. He doesn't care about me, a person struggling with weaknesses, overpowered with cares, having doubts sometimes, and bent toward sin.

This is one reason why they were so astonished at the doctrine of Jesus. He spoke out sharply at these religious people. With piercing eyes He looked into their hearts and called them "hypocrites." He said they were like "whited sepulchers" on the outside, but inside were like "ravening wolves" (Matthew 23:27; 7:15). His most fiery, devastating words were directed at those who piously walked about as though they were right and the whole world was wrong.

But to the sinner who had just climbed from a bed of adultery, He showed His compassion. He forgave. To a woman married five times and living with a man not her husband, Jesus offered the gift of the Holy Spirit. He offered her eternal life. To a woman defiled with illicit sex, a street walker, who made her living taking coins for giving sex, Jesus said, "Your sins are forgiven you." A little lonely woman shuffled into the synagogue with a bent-over back. Who is she? A nobody. The men in purple robes sat there, the men with honors and notable religious achievements. But Jesus singled out that lonely little woman for His blessing. He healed her back. He gave her new life. Jesus put His hand on the rotten-skinned leper and in this act He was saying to the world, "Look, God is willing to become involved in whatever rotten mess is eating away at your life. God will actually put His hands on you; He will touch you and literally help you."

This was the astonishing doctrine of Jesus. God is not just interested in how many candles you light in a church, how many prayers you have said, or what dogmas you hold to. The astonishing message of Jesus is that God is not just interested in your religious life, but your family life; your business; your heartaches; your very private cares. The Bible says, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever" (Hebrews 13:8). Today He cares, He knows.

There might be someone reading this who is old and so alone, so empty inside. You feel somewhat cheated by life. Life came, dealt you suffering, struck your heart with many blows, and after beating away at you relentlessly, it has ebbed away and ebbed away, leaving you alone. You wonder, Is there any hope? Oh listen. God loves you. He knows all about you. He knows about every bitter thing you have had to take in this life. You are not alone. You do have hope. Christ is with you, and you have the beautiful hope of eternal life. Perhaps it won't be long now before you will be forever free of that aching loneliness. You will be in glory in the presence of God and His angels. You say, "Oh, if only it could be true, but I'm not sure I'm good enough. My life has gone. There are so many things I have left undone, so many things I said or did which I wish I could take back. I think my bad deeds might possibly outweigh my good deeds."

But you don't understand the message of Christ. The gift of God is eternal life. The Bible says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Christ died for you. Eternal life is a gift. You accept it by faith.

What about the thief on the cross? Don't you think that his bad deeds outweighed his good deeds? Of course they did. He was dying as a criminal, and on the cross he confessed that he was guilty, that he was getting what was coming to him. But he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." And Jesus said, "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). Jesus gave him eternal life--gave it to him. Not because he earned it, not because he had become deserving, but Jesus gave it to him out of love and compassion. All the man did was voice his desire, and in the voicing of his desire, he expressed faith.

Jesus said, "Ask, and it shall be given you" (Luke 11:9). The Bible says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). You say, "A gift?" You mean He will give it to me if I ask? Why that is astonishing! Yes, you are right. That is the astonishing doctrine of Jesus! There is everlasting life and He has purchased your ticket to the other side. He has purchased it with His blood. Only believe: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). That is the astonishing doctrine of Jesus.

Some of you reading this now need a touch from Heaven so badly. There are those of you who have been wrestling with your own bodies. The desires of your flesh have all but overwhelmed you, all but totally submerged you. You are miserable because of your weaknesses. You say, "God cannot receive me. He will not hear me until I conquer the shameful, embarrassing tendencies within me." But this is not true. God hears you now. He knows you. He loves you and has seen your warfare. His grace is sufficient for you. He will touch you; He will put His hands on you. He will forgive you; He will wash you clean.

God was remote. Men thought Him to be altogether distant and untouchable. Then Jesus came with the astonishing message of a personal God. I wonder how many of you reading this have never comprehended that God is a personal God who loves you and wants to become involved in your life. He will hear your prayer. He loves to do good things for you, to give you gifts. Jesus said, ". . . what man is there of you, whom if his son ask (for) bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask (for) a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Matthew 7:9-11).

God. A lover of people. A Giver of gifts. This is the astonishing doctrine of Jesus. God will help a man in his business; He will help a housewife in her home; He will help a student in his schoolwork; and He will counsel with those who seek His counsel. Some of you have personal needs, things you cannot tell a soul. But you can tell God and He will hear you. You can speak to Him about it. Some of you wives have husbands who drink, who run out on you and make a mockery of your marriage. Open your heart and life wide to God. He wants to manifest His love to you. He has seen your tears.

Oh, I wish every sorrowing person, right now, would open up their heart wide to God. Let Him in. Just ask Him and He will come. I wish every guilty person would open the door of their heart--just swing it wide open. Believe the astonishing doctrine of Jesus. God has forgiven every sin you have ever committed. I would like to say to you, "Dear one, it is going to be all right. Jesus has seen your troubles. Just turn it all over to Him now." "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" (1Peter 5:7). This is the astonishing doctrine of Jesus.