Truth to Tell: About Jesus

Who is he?
A good man – an example to us all? Just another religious leader? A Superstar? A political Revolutionary?

…that’s what some say. But Jesus claimed he was much more and so did his followers.

Jesus is more than a good man

There have been plenty of good people born in this world but Jesus stands uniquely above them all. Only he lived a life perfectly pleasing to God.

Jesus turned to his enemies one day and publicly said, ‘Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?’ John 8 verse 46. Amazingly they could think of nothing. Eventually when they put him on trail his enemies had to bring in liars to twist his words in order to convict him. Judas the traitor said of Jesus, ‘I have betrayed innocent blood.’ Peter, a constant companion of Jesus for three years, said, ‘He committed no sin and no deceit was found in his mouth.’

Jesus, being perfect, is the only one who can help us live a life pleasing to God.

Jesus is more than a Religious Leader

Most religious leaders claim to be seeking or following the truth. However, Jesus said, ‘I am the truth.’

Most religious leaders claim to be sent by God but Jesus claimed to be God – in human form. Philip said to Jesus, ‘Lord, show us the Father (God).’ Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father’ John 14:8-9. On another occasion Jesus said, ‘I and the Father are one.’

Because Jesus is both man and God he is the only one who can bring us to God and God to us. The Bible says, ‘No-one has ever seen God, but God the only Son (Jesus) who is at the Father’s side has made him known.’

Jesus is more than a Superstar

Jesus did not come to entertain or make us feel good. He came to proclaim God’s message to us. Very often his words were hard hitting and far from popular. He talked about judgement – about Hell – about sin cutting us off from God.

He showed that religion will not get us right with God. He taught that his death alone paid the penalty that God demanded for our sin. He said, ‘Repent (Turn from your way of life and turn to God’s way) and believe the good news.’

Jesus is more than a Political Revolutionary

Revolutionaries may have freed a few captives or dealt with some enemies but none of them have disarmed death – the enemy of us all.

Jesus rose from the dead, a fact of history, and therefore the Bible says, ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ’ 1 Corinthians 15:54-56.

The Bible says that Jesus can ‘free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.’ Jesus has been made Lord and King of all the world and one day will come and judge the world. For God, ‘has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed (Jesus). He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead’ Acts 17:31.

Jesus is the unique Son of God – perfect in all his ways yet lovingly he came to seek and to save the lost. We ought to respond to him by listening to his words, following his commands and trusting our lives into his hands.

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By Pete Woodcock
Pete is the pastor of Cornerstone Church Kingston and loves to fish.