WHO is Jesus?
So today I was thinking about my faith. My faith that often falters, and sometimes is hard to follow through with, but never fails. I was really thinking about this issue, and i realized that I know i believe in Jesus Christ with all my heart and soul, and i believe it when he says in John 14:6 that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one gets to the Father except through Him. But who EXACTLY is Jesus. What are his defining characterizations? was he too demanding, or too forgiving? man or God? so i decided to do some detective work. just call me your own Nancy Drew.
When you read the gospels you realize Jesus has asked alot of us. He asked us to be perfect, just as our Father in heaven is perfect. He told us we need to take up our cross, just as he took up his own, and follow him, even if it means certain death. he says that if we even LOOK at someone with hatred in our eyes, than we have comitted murder. scary eh? i mean, that means i am a murderer, because i know i have looked at people with hate. BUT in spite of all this He gave us so many reassurances, that eventhough he asked so much of us we also know, he has given up more for us than he could ever ask us to give up for him. He asked so much of us- things like being perfect- and yet, he hung around leppers, and sinners, and tax collecters. some of his BEST friends were murders, and adulterers. WHY? because jesus loves everyone, even the lowest in the eyes of humans. Because he doesnt see us for who we are, but for who we can and will become.
So, was Jesus just a man, or what he so much more? Jesus said himself, he was God. now to believe this or not? Mystery writer Dorothy Sayers put it this way: In Jesus, "God has himself gone through the whole of human experience, from the trivial irritations of family life and the cramping restrictions of hard work and lack of money to the worst horrors of pain and humiliation, defeat, despair, and death." (ChristianityToday.com) So we know that jesus was a man, at the evry least. there is more proof that Jesus walked the face of the planet than there is the Julias Ceasar did. But was he God. People saw him heal the blind, crippled, and sick. He raised people from the dead, walked on water, and so on. He died by crucifixion, and rose three days later. Some may say that the disciples stole his body and said he rose, but that wouldnt explain the COUNTLESS witnesses that testified to the fact of seeing Jesus and many of whom died for claiming it true. you could say the disciples payed all those people off, but you would be hard pressed to find someone to agree with your logic, seeing as the disciples were poor people who gave up everything they owned to follow Jesus. People say he was a good man, good teacher, good religious leader, but not God. well how could he be a good man, teacher and religious leader, if he lied to the world claiming he was Christ? really there is only one explaination for this. Jesus was God and Man.
What of his character? We see that he was loving, even to the lowest of creatures, and we see that he gave up his life for something so much greater. but not only did he give up his life, but he conquered death. He was patient. Eventhough many of his disciples fled when he was captured, he never stopped loving them, and he came back to them when he resurrected himself from the dead and charged them to tell the world of his deeds. He was forgiving. even in the midst of his death and crucifixion, he pleaded with his father in heaven to forgive those who were crucifying him. he was perfect, he never sinned. he was humble, and he was not envious. he was intelligent, and he never failed those who needed him.
In short, jesus was everything he claimed to be. HE is the only way to our Father in Heaven, because his blood covers our sin, and makes us whole again. The world is not a bad place because God hasn't come to us, because he has in the form of His son Jesus. the world is cast in darkness because people do not seek him, even though he is right under their nises.
When you read the gospels you realize Jesus has asked alot of us. He asked us to be perfect, just as our Father in heaven is perfect. He told us we need to take up our cross, just as he took up his own, and follow him, even if it means certain death. he says that if we even LOOK at someone with hatred in our eyes, than we have comitted murder. scary eh? i mean, that means i am a murderer, because i know i have looked at people with hate. BUT in spite of all this He gave us so many reassurances, that eventhough he asked so much of us we also know, he has given up more for us than he could ever ask us to give up for him. He asked so much of us- things like being perfect- and yet, he hung around leppers, and sinners, and tax collecters. some of his BEST friends were murders, and adulterers. WHY? because jesus loves everyone, even the lowest in the eyes of humans. Because he doesnt see us for who we are, but for who we can and will become.
So, was Jesus just a man, or what he so much more? Jesus said himself, he was God. now to believe this or not? Mystery writer Dorothy Sayers put it this way: In Jesus, "God has himself gone through the whole of human experience, from the trivial irritations of family life and the cramping restrictions of hard work and lack of money to the worst horrors of pain and humiliation, defeat, despair, and death." (ChristianityToday.com) So we know that jesus was a man, at the evry least. there is more proof that Jesus walked the face of the planet than there is the Julias Ceasar did. But was he God. People saw him heal the blind, crippled, and sick. He raised people from the dead, walked on water, and so on. He died by crucifixion, and rose three days later. Some may say that the disciples stole his body and said he rose, but that wouldnt explain the COUNTLESS witnesses that testified to the fact of seeing Jesus and many of whom died for claiming it true. you could say the disciples payed all those people off, but you would be hard pressed to find someone to agree with your logic, seeing as the disciples were poor people who gave up everything they owned to follow Jesus. People say he was a good man, good teacher, good religious leader, but not God. well how could he be a good man, teacher and religious leader, if he lied to the world claiming he was Christ? really there is only one explaination for this. Jesus was God and Man.
What of his character? We see that he was loving, even to the lowest of creatures, and we see that he gave up his life for something so much greater. but not only did he give up his life, but he conquered death. He was patient. Eventhough many of his disciples fled when he was captured, he never stopped loving them, and he came back to them when he resurrected himself from the dead and charged them to tell the world of his deeds. He was forgiving. even in the midst of his death and crucifixion, he pleaded with his father in heaven to forgive those who were crucifying him. he was perfect, he never sinned. he was humble, and he was not envious. he was intelligent, and he never failed those who needed him.
In short, jesus was everything he claimed to be. HE is the only way to our Father in Heaven, because his blood covers our sin, and makes us whole again. The world is not a bad place because God hasn't come to us, because he has in the form of His son Jesus. the world is cast in darkness because people do not seek him, even though he is right under their nises.