One Man Every Religion Has to Deal With
If you study very many world religions you will see that there is one man that every religion has to deal with: Jesus, Yesu.
He can’t be ignored.
Who do you say this man Jesus Christ is?
Have you noticed that there is no way around this man?
Why is that? Do you think that is a coincidence? No way. Most world religions don’t feel the need to even bother answering the question “Who is Joseph Smith to you?” Or “Who is Buddha to you?”
But, for some reason, most world religions do feel the need to answer that question: “Who is Jesus?”
- Christianity: Jesus is the Messiah, Son of God, Lord, and Savior.
- Islam: Jesus (Isa) is recognized as the Messiah, a prophet and messenger of God, born of the virgin Mary, and a worker of miracles by God’s permission.
- Bahá’í Faith: Jesus is recognized as a Manifestation of God.
- Hinduism: Some modern Hindu teachers and movements have described him as a holy man, guru, divine teacher, or avatar-like figure.
- Buddhism: Jesus is recognized as a spiritual or ethical teacher.
- Latter-day Saint movement: Jesus is the Son of God, Messiah, Savior, and central figure of salvation.
- Jehovah’s Witnesses: Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God.
- Unification movement: Jesus is regarded as the Messiah whose mission was left incomplete.
- Ahmadiyya Islam: Jesus is accepted as Messiah and prophet.
- Theosophy / some modern esoteric movements: Jesus is commonly treated as a great spiritual master.
They had to at least give Jesus some measure of attention or credit as being a “prophet” or a “teacher” or even just a “good man” because no honest truth seeker can really deny that Jesus is a force to be reckoned with.
But what did Jesus say about Himself?
He said He is…
“The Bread of Life,” “The Living Bread,” “The Bread from Heaven,” “The Light of the World,” “The Door / Gate,” “The Good Shepherd,” “The Resurrection and the Life,” “The True Vine,” “Teacher and Lord,” “The Messiah/Christ,” “A King,” “The Son of God,” “The Son of Man,” “The Bridegroom,” “The Stone the Builders Rejected/Cornerstone,” “The Lord of the Sabbath,” “One Greater than the Temple,” “One Greater than Jonah,” “One Greater than Solomon,” “Master/Teacher,” “Physician,” “The One Who Sows the Good Seed,” “The Master/Lord Who Will Return,” “The Nobleman/King Who Goes Away and Returns,” “The Son Who Is Sent by the Father,” “The One Sent by the Father,” “The One Who Came Down from Heaven,” “The One Who Came from God,” “The One Who Came into the World,” “The One Who Came to Seek and Save the Lost,” “The One Who Came to Serve and Give His Life as a Ransom”
“I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
“Before Abraham was, I AM.”
“I and My Father are one.”
“He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”
“He who believes in Me has everlasting life.”
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.”
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
“If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
“I give them eternal life.”
“Because I live, you will live also.”
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
“Where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
For all that He was and is, and shall be to you and for you and me… NOTHING could be more profound than His willingness to endure, “for the Joy set before Him,” humiliation and suffering on your behalf, and mine. That’s the crux of the Story.
Anyone might be willing to be a teacher or leader for us. But who else do you know who would give up celebrity status and wealth and power… to SUFFER for you, to die for you? That is true power.
Jesus “emptied Himself, and took on the form of a servant,” and then went still further. Willingly. “He could have called 10,000 angels” to stand for Him when even his best friends could not. But He willingly sacrificed Himself, “the spotless Lamb” who “takes away the sins of the WORLD.”
That is true power: Love. There is nothing more staggering than this. He said:
“We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!”
So, for those who believe Jesus was “a good man” or even a prophet, but He couldn’t be more than that… are you totally sure? Are you positive? Because some human with three pounds of goo between their ears convinced you? How are you sure? Some do not want Him to be more than a good man or a prophet, because that would mean some accountability to Him.
But what if He is all of these things that He said He is? Can you live with that? Would you die for that?
That’s the “faith of Abraham”—“saving faith.”
Of course, Jesus could not have said those things about Himself, and still “only” be a good man or a great teacher. He was either a liar or a lunatic or… Lord.
He was telling the Truth about who He is.
Stake everything on it. He IS the second Adam.
One more thing Jesus said about Himself? He is a lover and wooer of all peoples. He said, “If I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw ALL peoples to Myself.”