In many places around the globe, February is a month to have fun love. Whether it’s between friends, relations or spouses, love is a strong force. And I can consider no greater love than the love of Jesus.
It was Jesus’ love that inspired a team from Jesus Film Project to travel to a region of India from which individuals had previously driven out Christians. The team was there to share the love of Jesus by distributing food. As they served, one family––the Hasans––approached the team with tears of their eyes.
The Hasans told the team that for five years they’d driven Christians away, beaten them and compelled them to depart. Even so, this team of Christians got here back. The family was in shock. They couldn’t consider that after the whole lot, Christians would still return to their region and show kindness to the individuals who had driven them away.
The Hasans invited the team to their home. Once there, the team used a video tablet to point out the 1979 JESUS film within the family’s heart language. God moved of their hearts, and the Hasans prayed to receive Christ that day.
But the story doesn’t end there. The Hasans used their influence amongst their people to assist show the film in seven other locations, sparking a movement throughout the community.
What I like about this story is the way it shows the extraordinary power of the love of Christ. His is a love so potent that it spills over—even in dangerous situations.
The truth is, Jesus loved the Hasan family and their people group long before that team of believers approached them. That’s the amazing thing about our God—He reaches out first. He pursues not only the people who find themselves in search of Him or those that “fit the mold” of Christianity. He reaches out to everyone, in all places, no matter their history or their distance from Him. He loves us all, no matter age or status, or where we live on the earth.
While we won’t all necessarily share the gospel with groups that might beat or chase us away, we do have the chance to achieve this with our neighbours and friends. Sharing the story of Jesus with those closest to us can still be intimidating. To those concerns, I say trust within the strength of Jesus’ love, and let it guide your words as you share the gospel.
At Jesus Film Project, we equip believers to inform the life-changing story of Jesus in the center languages of individuals in all places. That’s why we have translated our 1979 JESUS film into greater than 2,100 languages. By God’s grace, and with the assistance of our partners, today we create movies and resources in lots of languages and supply equipment to assist tell the story of Jesus in probably the most distant areas of the world. Everyone, in all places must have access to the transformative story of Jesus.
Through Jesus Film Project’s library of movies and resources, greater than 600 million people around the globe have develop into followers of Jesus. With numbers like that, it is simple to overlook the person lives represented, but every body has a story just like the Hasans—a story of Jesus’ love reaching out despite the percentages.
As Christians, we’ve a responsibility to share Christ’s love with the world, and this month I’ve felt that so strongly. With the upcoming release of our newest animated feature film, JESUS (coming 2025), my hope and prayer is that through this film, more people will encounter Jesus’ love—a love powerful enough to succeed in even the furthest hearts.
Josh Newell is Executive Director of the Jesus Film Project.
