Saturday, December 17, 2016
JESUS CHANGED THE COURSE OF ALL HISTORY
Travel anywhere in the world. Speak to people of any religion. No matter how deeply they hold to the layers of their faith, if they know anything about history, they will agree that there has never been anyone like Jesus of Nazareth. He is far more extraordinary than all people of all ages.
Jesus changed the course of history. Even the date on your newspaper today proves that Jesus of Nazareth lived on earth about 2,000 years ago. The English letters “B.C.” stand for the period before Christ; likewise, “A.D.” stands for the years after the birth of Christ.
HIS COMING WAS PROPHESIED
Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, the Scriptures show Israel’s prophets foretelling His coming. The Old Testament—written by many authors over 1,500 years—contains more than 300 prophecies about the coming of Jesus. Everything prophesied came to pass, including His miraculous birth, His holy life, His death, and His resurrection.
The life Jesus lived, the miracles He performed, the words He spoke, His death on the cross, His resurrection, and His ascension into heaven—all confirm that He was not merely a man but more than a man. Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30); “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9); and “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6).
HIS LIFE AND MESSAGE BRING CHANGE
Look at the life and influence of Jesus of Nazareth—the Messiah—throughout history, and you will see that He and His message bring profound transformation to nations and to individual lives. Wherever His teachings have spread, the sanctity of marriage, the rights and dignity of women, the establishment of schools and universities, laws to protect children, the abolition of slavery, and many other reforms for the good of humanity have taken root.
Individual lives have been changed dramatically. For example, Lew Wallace, a famous general and skilled writer, denied the existence of God. For two years, Wallace studied in the finest libraries in Europe and America looking for evidence that would completely destroy Christianity. While writing the second chapter of his book, he suddenly found himself on his knees crying to Jesus, saying, “My Lord and my God.”
Because of the undeniable evidence, he could no longer deny that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. Later, Lew Wallace wrote Ben-Hur, one of the greatest English-language books ever written about the times of Christ.
Similarly, the late C. S. Lewis, a professor at Oxford University, denied that Christ was God for many years. But he too, through the grace of wisdom, humbled himself before Jesus as God and Savior after studying the irrefutable evidence that Jesus was indeed God.
Who is Jesus of Nazareth to you? Your life here on earth and your eternal destiny depend on your answer to this question.
All other religions were founded by human beings and depend on human philosophies, principles, and ethical suggestions. Remove the founders of those religions from their systems and worship structures, and little will change. But remove Jesus Christ from Christianity and nothing remains. Biblical Christianity is not merely a philosophy of life, nor is it merely a set of rituals. The foundation of true Christianity is a personal relationship with the risen and living Savior and Lord.
THE RISEN FOUNDER
Jesus of Nazareth was crucified, buried in a borrowed tomb, and on the third day He rose from the dead. Christianity is unique for this reason. Any debate about the truth of Christianity rests on the evidence of the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
Throughout the ages, scholars who have examined the evidence for the resurrection have believed—and still believe—that Jesus is alive. After thoroughly examining the Gospel accounts, the late Simon Greenleaf, a legal scholar at Harvard Law School, said:
“It would have been impossible for them to continue to assert the truths they narrated, had not Jesus truly risen from the dead, and had they not known this as certainly as they knew any other fact.”
REASONS TO BELIEVE
The resurrection is central to the Christian faith. There are several reasons why those who study the resurrection believe it truly happened:
1. It Was Prophesied:
Jesus foretold His death and resurrection, and everything happened exactly as He said (Luke 18:31–33).
2. The Empty Tomb:
The empty tomb is unique to the resurrection. Scripture shows that Jesus’ tomb was carefully guarded by Roman soldiers and sealed with a stone. If Jesus had not died but merely fainted, the guards and the stone would still have prevented any escape or rescue. His enemies would not have taken the body because an empty tomb only strengthened the claim of resurrection.
3. Personal Appearances:
After His resurrection, Jesus appeared at least 10 times to those who knew Him, and to over 500 people gathered together. He proved to them that His appearances were not dreams. He ate with them, spoke with them, and they touched Him (1 John 1:1).
4. The Birth of the Church:
The resurrection explains the origin of the Christian Church—the largest movement in human history. Over half of the earliest sermons preached were about the resurrection (Acts 2:14–36). The early church knew this was the core of its message. Jesus’ enemies could have ended Christianity instantly by producing His body.
5. Transformed Lives:
The resurrection uniquely explains the transformed lives of Jesus’ followers. Before the resurrection, they abandoned Him; after His death, they were discouraged and afraid. They did not expect Him to rise (Luke 24:1–11).
But after Christ’s resurrection and the events of Pentecost, these previously fearful men and women were transformed by the power of the risen Christ. In His name, they turned the world upside down. Many were martyred for their faith; others suffered severely. Their courage can only be explained by their certainty that Jesus Christ truly rose from the dead.
In my 40 years of working with university scholars worldwide, I have never met anyone who studied the genuine evidence for the deity of Jesus of Nazareth and His resurrection who did not conclude that He is the Son of God, the promised Messiah. Some who do not believe simply admit: “I have never taken the time to study the Bible or research historical facts about the life of Christ.”
THE LIVING LORD
Because of the resurrection of Jesus, His true followers do not merely follow the teachings of a dead founder—they have a personal and intimate relationship with a living Lord. Jesus Christ is alive today and blesses and strengthens the lives of all who believe and obey Him. Throughout history, countless people—including some of the greatest minds—have testified to the living power of Jesus Christ.
The French physicist and philosopher Blaise Pascal described humanity’s need for Jesus when he said:
“There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which can be filled only by God through His Son Jesus Christ.”
WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR?
You can! Jesus longs to begin a personal, love-filled relationship with you. He has already made every preparation.
REPENT OF YOUR SINS TODAY AND CONFESS THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD AND THAT HE DIED FOR YOU. YOU WILL BE SAVED.
JESUS IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOREVER.
JESUS IS THE LIVING GOD.
Max Shimba,
A Bond Servant of Jesus Christ
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