THE UNIQUENESS OF JESUS CHRIST As one who believes in the authority and inspiration of the Scripture there is the hope and conviction that the return of Christ is not only imminent, but that even those momentous events described in Matthew 24 and Revelation 6 thru 18 cannot be far away. Of the religions of the world, Christianity is unique because it stems from the uniqueness of Jesus Christ, the greatest man who ever lived. In Jesus, we have One who has virtually changed every aspect of human life. Everything that Jesus Christ touched, he utterly transformed. He touched time when he was born into this world. He had a birthday and that birthday utterly altered the way we measure time. The person, work and life of Jesus Christ stand as irrefutable evidence against the secular world view and all the religions of the world regardless of their makeup. No one else is qualified or capable to meet the needs of fallen humanity or restore that which was lost by Adam in the fall of man. A striking illustration of this is seen in Revelation 5:1-11. A careful study of the context and content of Revelation 6:9 suggest that the seven-sealed book, which only Christ can open, contains the story of mankind losing his lordship over the earth to Satan, the usurper, and its recovery through the God-man Savior, the Lion who is also the Lamb. He alone is able to accomplish what no one else in the universe can, and based on His death as the Lamb and His resurrection as the Redeemer/Savior, He recovers what was lost through the judgments of the sealed book. Thus, as we consider the uniqueness of Christ, we also need to recognize this uniqueness demands are allegiance and commitment as believers. It demands that we rearrange our priorities and stand as luminaries in a dark and dismal world holding forth the message of the unique Christ, the God-man Savior of the world. In the person of Jesus Christ, we have one so unique that His life cannot be explained by natural processes. His person and life defy the natural. The uniqueness of Jesus Christ presents evidence that Man is not only unique, but the Savior of the world. The Uniqueness of Christianity Alone of all the belief of mankind, be they religious or political or philosophical, Christianity (including its Old Testament Foundation) is based upon historical acts and facts. Other religions are centered in the ethical and religious teachings of their founders, but Christianity is built on the great events of creation and redemption. Christianity, however, is founded, not on what Jesus taught (and this distinction is vital to grasp) but on who Jesus is and on what Jesus accomplished. Of course, as Christians, we stand firmly on His teachings, no one ever spoke and taught like Jesus, but ultimately, the value of what He said was dependent upon who He was and what He did and the abundant historical evidence that authenticated His life and words. This gave the teachings of Christ authority and placed them alone in the category of absolute truth. The truthfullness of Jesus and His teachings stand in the validity of historical records which are subject to investigation and examination. All other beliefs are based on the teachings and ideas of those who were nothing more than mere men. No matter how brilliant, charismatic, or powerful they may be, there is no guarantee of their objectivity, accuracy or ultimate ability to deliver what they have promised. The Anticipation of His Coming The fact of fulfilled prophecy is a unique feature of Christianity. The coming of Jesus Christ was prophesied in minute detail regarding His lineage, nature, place of birth, where He would be raised, His career, purpose, the specific manor and nature of His death, His resurrection, and many other fulfilled prophecies. And all of these prophecies were made hundreds of years before His birth or first advent. The Nature of His Birth There is nothing close to the narrative of the birth of Jesus Christ. Christs birth stands alone in history by the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit. God Himself took up residency in a virgins womb in embryonic form so that after a natural nine-month pregnancy, she gave birth to a son who was also Gods Son. He was the God-man Savior-not a God-indwelt man. He was both true and genuine humanity and undiminished deity united in one Person forever. No other birth was like this in fact or fiction. The Uniqueness of His Life His life is unparalleled in beauty, scope, character, and effect. No one ever spoke like Jesus Christ, did the things He did, or made the claims He made. The Uniqueness of His Death His death is also unique, not because He was crucified, but because it was prophesied in Psalm 22 long before death by crucifixion was known in Palestine. Second, it is unique because of the manner in which he died, displaying his sinless and holy character. And third, because of the miracles surrounding his death-the darkness, the earthquake, and the opening of the graves. After seeing Christ on the cross and the events of that day, the Roman centurion who had seen hundreds die on a cross said, truly this was the Son of God. The Uniqueness of His Resurrection Other religious and philosophical leaders have come and gone, risen and fallen, but none have come back from the dead to carry on their work as Jesus Christ. This too is unique, not only because Jesus Christ stands alone in this respect, but because of the Old Testament predictions and the controvertible evidence for the historical fact of the resurrection-the empty tomb. His post-resurrection appearances, and the transformed lives of his disciples, not to mention the continuation of Christianity in the face of the greatest adversity. What makes Christs person unique? The virgin birth of the Son of God, the incarnation, the birth of the God-man. Only the virgin birth can give an adequate answer to the phenomena of the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. (1) In Christs life and ministry, he demonstrated who He was--the God-man, the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. He also declared His purpose-to die for our sins. (2) In His death on the cross, Christ accomplished that purpose. He bore our sins in His sinless body on the tree. He died as our substitute, and took our judgment, for them that believe. (3) By His resurrection, God proved the value of His Sons death and the sinlessness of His Person. It proved Him to be the unique God-man. One Solitary Life Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that one solitary life. https://facebook/groups/1610832099144591/ P.S. PLEASE HELP THE POOR HOMELESS GRACE EVANGELIST JOHN STEWART, WHO SLEEP IN THE RAIN ON A CARDBOARD UNDER A TARP IN THE WOODS. IF I HAVE SOWED UNTO YOU SPIRITUAL THINGS, IS IT A GREAT THING IF I SHALL REAP YOUR CARNAL THINGS -HOLY SCRIPTURE John Stewart 3020 Waialae Ave Honolulu, HI 96816 USA _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 11:02:06 +0000
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