What do we make of Jesus Christ?
The Christian faith revolves around its central character, Jesus Christ. It
is this one person who has had such a phenomenal impact in our society for the
last two thousand years. We even turned into this new Millennium because our
dating system revolves around His birth. Two thousand years later He is still
being remembered! What is it about Him that has created such fascination and
curiosity?
As I began to investigate this I discovered that there are two strands to the
life of Jesus that, combined, make Him the enigma that He is. The first is His
character, the second, His claims. We shall look at both in turn.
The first thing that is noticeable about the life of Jesus is that he has
won respect from people in all walks of life down through history.
From the earliest impressions of those who met him we learn some interesting
insights:
Once when Jesus was praying in private and his
disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?"
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still
others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life."
"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter
answered, "The Christ of God. "(Luke
9:18-20)
The verdict on the day
John the Baptist a significant
religious leader at the time of Jesus said that He was not worthy even to untie
Jesus’ shoes, and that Jesus was the "Lamb of
God who takes away the sins of the world!"
The Centurion who crucified Him stood
back after watching Jesus’ response to the mockers at His death and declared
"Truly, this man was the Son of God."
The crowds responded in a similar fashion.
They were all filled with awe and praised God. "A
great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God
has come to help his people. " (Luke 7:16)
The Contemporary View
Ghandi
"He is as divine as Krishna, or Zoroastra, or Mohammet.."
The Koran, the Muslim Bible recognises Jesus
as:
"A Prophet sent from God" or "A messenger sent from
God"
The Poet, Tennyson said:
"His life was more wonderful than the greatest miracle."
The Russian Novelist, Dostoyevsky wrote:
"‘I believe there is no one lovelier, deeper, more sympathetic and
more perfect than Jesus. I say to myseli; with jealous love, that not only is
there no one else like him, but there could never be anyone like him."
Even the famous general and great strategist
Napoleon declared:
"I know men, and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between
him and any other human being, there is no possible term of comparison."
Maghenita Laski an avowed atheist
and literary critic was once asked to speak at York University on what she liked
about the Christian faith. She responded by saying that there were three things
she liked about Jesus.
First: In order to achieve his mission, Jesus was willing to go through
blood, but not the blood of others.
Second: He knew what he was up against.
Third: He turned the ugly into beautiful.
From the mouth of an atheist, that is a pretty good summary of the life of
Jesus Christ.
Even the enemies of Jesus declared him innocent. Judas said, "I
have betrayed innocent blood". The religious leaders had to hire
false witnesses to accuse him. Pilate said he had washed his hands of innocent
blood. As we have already learned, the centurion who crucified him stood back
and declared him to be the Son of God
Jesus had time for people
None of this is surprising when you look at his life. He was a man of real
integrity, He had time for people. He touched the "untouchables" and
broke social "taboos" to let people know they mattered. The common
people respected him and flocked to hear him. Theologians sought to learn from
his wisdom. Leaders sought him out and children were at ease in his presence.
Even today we often equate a good person with someone who lives a
"Christian" life. He has become our model for goodness.
But then we are faced with the second strand: What
Jesus says about himself.
It is important to remember we are not talking about any person! We are
talking about someone who seemed to have an extraordinary entrance into the
world and did some extraordinary things.
He gave some of the most profound and perceptive teaching ever to grace
history. But He also made astonishing claims about himself.
His astounding claims
Here are but a few:
" I am the anointed, the son of the
uncreated God, and you shall see me appearing at the end of all history as the
judge the universe."
He even claimed to forgive the sins of a man he had never met before. Surely
only God could ultimately do that!
Jesus looked over the great city he cried out: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent
to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen
gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house
is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you
say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. " (Matthew
23:37-39)
At his trial... The high priest said to him, "I
charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son
of God."
"Yes, it is as you say" Jesus
replied. [Matthew 26:63]
The fulfilment of history’s expectations
At one point he declares himself to be the fulfilment of history’s
expectations...
"Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, "Blessed
are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings
wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did
not hear it. " " (Luke 10:23-24)
In the Gospel of John, Jesus calls Himself "The Bread of Life"
that will satisfy people’s hunger. "The light of the world"
that illuminate their way if they follow. "The living water"
that will quench their thirst. He declares Himself to be "the Way, the
Truth, and the Life" and that no one can get to God except through him.
He even accepts worship from Thomas and gently rebukes him for being slow to
believe!
Now this really does force us into a corner. What are we to make of these two
strands of his life? His beautiful character and widespread respect partnered
with these extraordinary claims, remembering the extraordinary things that he
did; His unusual arrival in the world and amazing miracles.. not to mention the
strange events of his death and proclaimed resurrection.
What are we to make of Him?
C. S. Lewis a former Professor of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at
Cambridge University put it this way:
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that
people say about him, that "I’m ready to accept him as a great moral
teacher but I don’t accept his claim to be God. "A man who is merely a
man and said the sort of things that Jesus said would not be a great moral
teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on a level with a man who says he is a
poached egg - or else he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice.
Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something
worse."
Jesus, mad, bad or God?
When it comes down to it, we all have to make a choice. When I studied the
evidence for myself, I came quite clearly to the conclusion that he is actually
who he claimed Himself to be and realising that then presented me with a whole
new set of possibilities. These can be summed up under the premise: "If he
was the Son of God, then it is no longer what I make of Him that matters, but
what He makes of me." And that is a sobering thought.
Why not check it out for yourself in the Bible, in a Church near you, or with
a Christian friend.
David B. Rowe
