13 Reasons Why Jesus is the Answer to your Problems - A Scripture for each Character in the Netflix Show

27/6/2018

13 Reasons Why Jesus is the Answer to your Problems - A Scripture for each Character in the Netflix Show

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Also spoilers from the show ahead so if you are planning to watch 13 Reasons Why, don't read this post yet.
Save this post to your Pinterest or bookmarks, then come back and read it after you've finished watching the show on Netflix!

I just finished watching Season 2 of "13 Reasons Why"! This popular series on Netflix has successfully started the dialogue about sensitive issues like suicide, bullying, domestic violence etc. , but is talking about it really enough to stop those problems?

Let’s take the solution one step further and see how God can help each character in the show to overcome their problems.
I hope that as you read this post, you will be able to relate to it and see that Jesus is the answer to all your problems!

Hannah Baker - The girl who committed suicide

“The man of too many friends [chosen indiscriminately] will be broken in pieces and come to ruin, But there is a [true, loving] friend who [is reliable and] sticks closer than a brother.” (PROVERBS 18:24 AMP)

I believe that if Hannah had someone close who she could rely on and confide in, she wouldn’t have been pushed to the point of suicide.

God’s word shows us that Jesus is our true Friend who is reliable and sticks closer than a biological brother.
Jesus lives in us today through the Holy Spirit that indwells us the moment we place our faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

When we place our faith in man, we will be disappointed, but when we trust in God, our faith will never be put to shame.

The Holy Spirit living inside us bears us up in our weaknesses, comforts us in our pains, reminds us of the rich blessings and inheritance we have in Jesus, and guides us with regards to all things in life.
He’s the best and closest Friend you can possibly have!

Clay Jensen - The one who keeps trying to take things into his own hands

“casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].” (1 PETER 5:7 AMP)

Clay is a character that has a strong sense of justice. The moral anger that he has towards the injustice of Hannah’s death causes him to burn-out while trying to fix everything by himself.

Clay needs to know that he can cast all his cares and worries to God, and that God can do much more than he possibly can.

The moment Clay learns to let go and allow God to take over, he will see things shift effortlessly in his favor because God is a good God who upholds justice and honors the prayers of His believers.

Olivia Baker - The heartbroken mother who's looking for closure

“Blessed [gratefully praised and adored] be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts and encourages us in every trouble so that we will be able to comfort and encourage those who are in any kind of trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-4 AMP)

Mrs Baker is devastated by the loss of her daughter and her marriage eventually falls apart too.
She tries to win the court case hoping to find closure for her pain, but it doesn't work - in fact, the case hurt her even more when she discovers that her daughter is not who she thought she was - like a totally different girl.

But there is One who promises to never leave or forsake her if she believes in Him.

God is called the “God of all comfort”. He is able to strengthen her amidst her pain and beyond that, He can even restore her with more love and happiness than she’s ever had before.

Kevin Porter - The man under condemnation

“Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior]. For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do [that is, overcome sin and remove its penalty, its power] being weakened by the flesh [man’s nature without the Holy Spirit], God did: He sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful man as an offering for sin. And He condemned sin in the flesh [subdued it and overcame it in the person of His own Son], so that the [righteous and just] requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not live our lives in the ways of the flesh [guided by worldliness and our sinful nature], but [live our lives] in the ways of the Spirit [guided by His power].” (ROMANS 8:1-4 AMP)

Mr Porter needs to know that God has already forgiven him for his mistake.
Yes he should learn from what he did wrong and in future pay closer attention to the students who come to him for help.

However it’s unnecessary for him to have the attitude of needing to atone for his sins.
We are unable to earn forgiveness by our own works. It’s just never enough.

But there is One who paid for all our sins perfectly - His name is Jesus.
He hung at the cross and the full judgment of God for all the sins of the world was poured upon Him there.
Our sins are already perfectly paid for - We don’t have to have sin on our conscience anymore!

Jessica Davis - The rape victim with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

“Instead of your [former] shame you will have a double portion; And instead of humiliation your people will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore in their land they will possess double [what they had forfeited]; Everlasting joy will be theirs.” (ISAIAH 61:7 AMP)

Jessica is the character in “13 Reasons Why” that I can relate to the most.

In my teenage years, I was raped by a male senior from another school whom I trusted at my own birthday party while I was drunk.

I remember walking home the next day limping because of the pain behind and carrying a whole, heavy stack of birthday presents. How ironic - what a 'memorable' birthday.

That shameful experience really hurt me, leaving me with lots of self-condemnation and this is the first time I’m sharing about it publicly. Only my wife and parents knew before this.

I want to encourage you that if like Jessica, you have been a victim of rape or sexual assault, Jesus is able to heal you of the trauma.

He is also going to restore you with double or more for all the pain and loss you’ve gone through because of that experience.
Instead of shame and humiliation, you will enjoy double honor!

Look, I went through that terrible experience and today I am a husband to a loving wife and I’m also a blessed father to my 2 year old daughter.
Jesus has restored me and blessed me greatly, all glory to Him!

Don’t be afraid to talk about what happened to you because it will release you from the trauma.
The dark works of the enemy cannot survive long when you expose it to the light.
Your testimony of how you successfully walked out of the hurt will encourage someone else who has been through the same experience.

Justin Foley - The drug addict

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed and commissioned me To bring good news to the humble and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up [the wounds of] the brokenhearted, To proclaim release [from confinement and condemnation] to the [physical and spiritual] captives And freedom to prisoners,” (ISAIAH 61:1 AMP)

No matter what addiction you are bound by, Jesus can free you from it.
If Justin believed in Jesus, Jesus can break his drug addiction and restore him to be perfectly clean.

Like Pastor Joseph Prince always teaches, in the midst of your sin, declare “I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus!”.

Knowing how sinful you are isn’t what breaks the addiction.
In fact that will just make you sink deeper into it.

The power to break addiction comes when you know and believe how forgiven and righteous you are in Jesus.

Righteousness is a gift that you receive from believing in Jesus - it cannot be earned.
Once you know that your identity is a forgiven and righteous child of God, your addictions will just fall off like broken chains!

I’m happy to openly share that in the past, Jesus delivered me from addiction to pornography and masturbation when I continually declared that I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. It’s really that simple.

One day when the revelation of how righteous and forgiven I am sank into my heart, I no longer had the desire to watch porn or masturbate anymore.

I am not ashamed to admit it because I want to encourage someone with my testimony that freedom can be yours too in Christ!

Alex Standall - The one who temporarily lost his memory, mobility and sexual faculties

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11 NKJV)

After Alex tried to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head with a gun, he survived but temporarily lost his memory, was crippled in one leg, and was unable to have an erection (oops).

Well the resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead is also available to anyone who believes in Jesus.

If Alex prayed to Jesus or received prayer for healing, he could have been supernaturally healed and restored, without having to resort to unorthodox methods like watching live-porn shows online.

If there’s something in your body that’s seemingly ‘dead’, the Holy Spirit can bring it back to life.
Things that are impossible with man, are possible with God.

Tyler Down - The tragic bully victim

“Never repay anyone evil for evil. Take thought for what is right and gracious and proper in the sight of everyone. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for God’s wrath [and His judicial righteousness]; for it is written [in Scripture], “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM; IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR BY DOING THIS YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” Do not be overcome and conquered by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (ROMANS12:17-21 AMP)

That scene of Montgomery jamming a mop-stick forcefully into Tyler’s anus was really sad to watch.

Tyler really suffered as a victim of bullying in school but it doesn’t justify his decision to do a machine gun shootout in school on prom night.

Perhaps if he was a believer in Jesus, God would have protected him from bullying and given him the wisdom and favor to be well-liked by his peers.

I know what it’s like to be bullied in school, to have false rumors spread about me, to enter a room and have people’s judging eyes on me.
An example: There was fake news going around about me having sex with a fellow schoolmate and smoking cigarettes.

At that time I wasn’t a faithful believer in Jesus yet, but the brokenness and loneliness that I felt because of the bullying drew me closer to Him. For that i’m so thankful.

If you’re being bullied, there is no shame in speaking out about it.
Tell an adult in a position of authority, don’t try to take matters into your own hands.

Leave room for God to exact vengeance on your behalf.
God is a God of justice and those who do evil against you when you’re a child of God need to be careful, because the consequences of harming God’s precious child are serious.

Your job is to obey His word and overcome evil with good.
The true enemy is not the bully, but the devil working behind the scenes, who is stirring up all these negative sentiments towards you.

The more the devil tries to hurt you, the more you should express and demonstrate the goodness of God - patience, forgiveness, love, etc.
You will frustrate the devil and God will be so pleased to see you being faithful to His word.

Bryce Walker - The rapist who was neglected by his parents

“A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation.” (Psalms 68:5 NKJV)

In season one of 13 Reasons Why, you don’t really have any sympathy towards Bryce. He was just portrayed as a jerk and a complete villain.

However in season two, we get to see a glimpse of why he turned out this way.
I believe that while he was growing up, his parents neglected him and his extreme behavior are subconscious attempts to cry out for attention from his parents.

He may seem to have everything going for him - he’s born into a wealthy family and he gets to enjoy privileges that others don’t, but inside he’s a lonely child, feeling like an orphan.

If Bryce knew Jesus as his Lord and Savior, he would know that he has a Heavenly Father who loves Him so deeply.

A Father that he could talk to anytime, that he can call “Abba”, and enjoy close Father-son bonding time with.
Perhaps that would have saved him from becoming a rapist.

Zachary Dempsey - The coward and people-pleaser

“The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion.”(Proverbs 28:1 NKJV)

Zach is a coward who didn’t dare to admit to his relationship with Hannah because of her unpopular status in school.

Despite knowing what Bryce did to her, Zach still pretended to be friends with him, hanging out with him in the “cool kids” clique.

If Jesus was Zach’s Lord and Savior, Zach would not be so cowardly and bound by the compulsion to be a people-pleaser.

If Zach was grounded in the truth that he is a righteous, favored son of God, he would have a holy boldness, living authentically knowing that God is on his side no matter what.

Tony Padilla - The short-tempered, violent adolescent

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:19-23 NKJV)

Tony has a tendency towards outbursts of wrath and physically assaulting people when he’s in that state.

It could be due to the environment he grew up in, where the streets are dangerous and one would get taken advantage of if he wasn’t strong.

However if Tony believed in Jesus, he would be blessed with the grace to exercise self-control when feeling needlessly angry.
The fruit of the Spirit would be produced in him as he walked closely according to God’s word.

Montgomery de la Cruz - The bully and sidekick

“Depart from evil and do good; And you will dwell [securely in the land] forever.” (PSALM 37:27 AMP)

For all the evil deeds that Montgomery (Monty) did, I’m sure a terrible fate will befall him if there’s a season three.
Maybe he will die in a fatal accident or be sentenced to jail.

If Monty trusted in Jesus, he would not participate in any of Bryce’s wicked activities and would never have done those evil things.

He would know that committing evil surely leads to his own destruction and death and would avoid it at all costs.

Nina Jones - The two-timing girlfriend

“But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD and HAUGHTY, BUT [continually] GIVES [the gift of] GRACE TO THE HUMBLE [who turn away from self-righteousness].” So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you. Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people].” (JAMES 4:6-8 AMP)

If Nina was a believer in Jesus, she would have had the grace to resist the temptation of the third party.
There would be a righteous conviction in her heart telling her that it’s wrong to cheat on her boyfriend.

When we are tempted, we need to submit to the authority of God and be determined not to give the devil any room to convince us to do wrong.

When we are committed to do what’s right, God will honor our conviction with the grace to resist the temptation and the devil will flee from us.

So as you can see, every character in the show could have overcome their problems if they had placed their faith in Jesus.
And so can you - I just gave you 13 reasons why!

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Milton Goh
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