Good Advice
Who is Jesus?
Who is Jesus?
Two thousand years ago a man who changed the course of history was born. He was a carpenter. As an adult he never travelled more than 60 miles. He was betrayed by one of his 12 followers and executed for crimes he did not commit. Today, in an age of scepticism and materialism there are millions of people from all walks of life who believe in him - and who claim he has radically changed their lives. His name is familiar to us all - even if only as a swear word. But who is he - Who is this Jesus?
Let’s start with another question:
Who, in your opinion, is...
- The most outstanding personality of all time?
- The greatest leader?
- The greatest teacher?
- Who has done the most good for mankind?
- Who lived the holiest life anyone has ever lived?
Visit any part of the world today; talk to people of any religion; no matter how committed they are to their particular religion, if they know anything about history, they will have to admit that there has never been a man like Jesus of Nazareth. He is the most unique personality of all time.
Jesus changed the direction of history. Even the date on your morning newspaper testifies to the fact that Jesus of Nazareth lived on earth nearly 2,000 years ago. B.C. means "before Christ"; A.D. Anno Domini, "the year of our Lord".
HIS COMING FORETOLD
Hundreds of years before Jesus' birth, Scripture records the words of the prophets of Israel predicting His coming. The Old Testament, written by many people over a period of 1,500 years, contains more than 300 prophecies describing His coming. All of these details came true, including his miraculous birth, His sinless life, His many miracles, His death and His resurrection.
The life Jesus led, the miracles He performed, the words He spoke, His death on the cross, His resurrection, His ascent to heaven - all point to the fact that He was not merely man, but more than man. Jesus claimed, "I and the Father are One" (John 10:30), "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9), and "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6).
HIS LIFE AND MESSAGE CAUSE CHANGE
Look at the life and influence of Jesus of Nazareth - the Christ throughout history and you will see that He and His message always produce great changes in the lives of men and of nations. Wherever His teachings and influence have gone, the holiness of marriage, women's rights and voice in society have been acknowledged; schools and universities of higher learning have been established; laws to protect children have been made; slavery has been abolished and a multitude of other changes have been made for the good of mankind. Individual lives are also dramatically changed.
The late C.S. Lewis, professor at Oxford University in England, was an agnostic who denied the deity of Christ for years. But he, among many, in intellectual honesty, submitted to Jesus as his God and Saviour after studying the overwhelming evidence for His deity.
LORD, LIAR, OR LUNATIC?
In his famous book Mere Christianity, Lewis makes this statement, "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg - or he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us."
Who is Jesus of Nazareth to you? Your life on this earth and for all of eternity is affected by your answer to this question.
All other religions were founded by human beings and are based on man-made philosophies, rules and norms for behaviour. Take the founders of these religions out of both their disciplines and practices of worship and little would change. But take Jesus Christ out of Christianity, and there would be nothing left. Biblical Christianity is not just a philosophy of life, nor an ethical standard or obedience to religious ritual. True Christianity is based on a vital, personal relationship with a risen, living Saviour and Lord.
A RISEN FOUNDER
Jesus of Nazareth was crucified on a cross, buried in a borrowed grave, and three days later was raised from the dead; Christianity is unique in this regard. Any argument for the validity of Christianity depends on the proof of the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
Throughout the centuries, most great scholars who have considered the proofs of the resurrection have believed, and still believe, that Jesus is alive. After examining the evidence for the resurrection given by the Gospel writers, the late Simon Greenleaf, an authority on legal issues at Harvard Law School, concluded: "It was therefore impossible that they could have persisted in affirming the truths they have narrated, had not Jesus actually risen from the dead, and had they not known this fact as certainly as they knew any other fact."
John Singleton Copley, recognized as one of the greatest legal minds in British history, commented: "I know pretty well what evidence is; and I tell you, such evidence as that for the resurrection has never broken down yet."
A LIVING LORD: Because of Jesus' resurrection, His true followers do not merely observe the ethical code of a dead founder, but rather have a vital, personal relationship with the living Lord. Jesus Christ lives today and faithfully blesses and enriches the lives of all those who trust and obey Him. Throughout the centuries, multitudes have acknowledged the worthiness of Jesus Christ, including many who have greatly influenced the world.
French physicist and philosopher Blaise Pascal spoke of man's need for Jesus when he said: "There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man, which only God can fill through His Son Jesus Christ."
Would you like to know Jesus Christ personally as your living Saviour? As bold as it may sound, you can! Jesus is so eager to establish a personal relationship with you.
