Only Jesus . . .!

Only Jesus . . .

I read recently about a film that was once made about Jesus, in which an archaeologist of world renown made an announcement to the world upon his return from an expedition to Israel. He claimed to have found the tomb where Jesus had been laid following the crucifixion, but this was not all. He announced to the whole world that the tomb was not empty, but contained the mummified remains of a youngish man. The news was received throughout the world, throwing people into a panic the whole world over! So, the masses chanted, it had all been an elaborate hoax after all. It must 'have been, for how could you argue when such a discovery had been made, and by one so eminent and trusted.

Throughout the world people started to tear crucifixes from their walls, throwing away anything which served to remind them of the great hoaxer. Almost overnight priests of all denominations lost their jobs. Many thousands of people, unable to come to terms with the collapse of all that they had ever believed in, committed suicide rather than face life alone. Bibles were burned by the load. Soon there was little trace of this man who had claimed to be God's own Son, and yet who had been proved to be nothing but a charlatan by this archaeologist.

The best that people could say about Jesus was that He had been a great man in His day, adding that it would be good for the world to have someone like that around all of the time. As the years rolled by He was soon forgotten, consigned to the history books. Churches were either pulled down or converted to commercial or residential use. Man finally had come to terms that there was nothing more to life than that which you found here and now. Then one day the papers ran a story that the archaeologist who had exposed the fraud of Jesus was seriously ill and not expected to live more than a few days. On his death-bed he finally confessed that his claims had been a lie, that in fact when he opened the tomb it was empty. How much damage his lie had done. What started out perhaps as a hoax had been responsible for destroying so many lives, and stealing hope from people.

Often today you can meet people who claim that Jesus was just a great man - nothing more. Two thoughts lie behind this assertion:

• 
  Jesus was a man who was later idealised by His followers - rather like a hero in a folk story.
• There simply is no God or supernatural.

Some of the best evidence for the existence of God comes, however, when we study the claims, character and actions of Jesus.

If you are faced with the assertion that Jesus was no more than a great man then your response should be to comment that you find it an interesting point, and would be interested to hear the speaker prove from all of the recorded evidence that Jesus was only a man. When you consider that his disciples were staunchly monotheistic then there must have been overwhelming evidence for the deity of Christ. The facts of history show that Jesus is in a class of His own, and is far more than just a great man.

1. Unlike Muhammad, Buddha, Confucius and other founders of world religions:
   Only the coming of Jesus was foretold in detail centuries prior to His arrival. His birthplace, His parents, His life, death and resurrection, were all foretold. When Herod asked the teachers of the law to check the prophecies about the Messiah's birth, they were able to tell him where to look for Jesus. He fulfilled over three hundred prophecies in detail.
2. Only Jesus said that He came from outside the world. Others claimed messages, revelations, insights, but none claimed to come from outside this world.
3. Only He said that He was without sin in His character and backed it up by the way He lived. It's characteristic of saints and spiritual leaders that the more they develop the more conscious they become of their ignorance and shortcomings. Jesus was never like this, and yet was never arrogant about His life.
4. Only Jesus declared that He was God and backed it up by a life of wisdom, authority, humility and love.
5. Only He died for the sin of the world, the result of our rebellion against God. Other people just died. Jesus Christ was born to die.
6. Only He rose from the grave as He promised He would. You can visit the tomb of Mohammed and find his bones still there. After Buddha was cremated his ashes were buried in ten centres in India.

So was Jesus a liar? People lie for profit. When the lie is unprofitable or when death threatens, then they confess. Jesus confessed nothing. People also lie for selfish reasons, yet every aspect of Christ's personality shows that he was selfless.

So what about lunacy? We sometimes hear of schizophrenics claiming to be Jesus. Schizophrenia is a symptom of a very disturbed personality. In every way Jesus displays balance, humility, poise and selflessness, not the marks of mental illness or megalomania. He came to serve and to give His life.

The only logical conclusion once the facts have been studied is that Jesus was exactly who He said He was. That He was Lord is the only conclusion that fits the facts.

If Jesus Christ is God, then nothing is more important than your relationship to Him. He is Lord.
Amen.