Who is Jesus?

I have had this article in my pc for several years, sometimes print it out for a friend who wants a copy.

 Hope you will read it as Easter is near.

 God Bless, Kerry

Who is Jesus?

On any account, Jesus of Nazareth is the most influential person who has ever walked the globe.

Finding the real Jesus these days, however, is a bit like trying to choose what to eat at the food court. There are so many different versions of ‘Jesus’ on offer that the choice can be overwhelming. A quick Google image search turns up most of the basic options: there’s the ‘meek and mild’ Jesus of the children’s picture books, the ‘holy’ Jesus of the stained glass windows, Dan Brown’s ‘wise teacher’ Jesus from the Da Vinci Code, and Mel Gibson’s bloodstained Jesus from The Passion of the Christ, just to name a few. If we want to find the real Jesus, however, the best place to start is with Jesus’ own words about himself in the four most ancient Christian Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These four books are our earliest and most reliable historical records for the life of Jesus.

Jesus lived a remarkable life. He was born to Jewish parents in Palestine around 5BC, when the mighty Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean world. His miraculous birth was surrounded by scandal. In infancy, he became a refugee when his family was forced to flee from Herod the tyrant. As an adult, he faced persecution from the self-appointed religious authorities of the day. And in the end, he was betrayed by one of his closest associates. Jesus was then condemned by the conspiracy of his opponents, and executed by crucifixion at the hands of Roman soldiers. He died hanging between two anti-Roman terrorists on a cross outside Jerusalem.

In the midst of all this, Jesus spoke a remarkable message. He announced that the time had come for God to enter history in a new and decisive way. This God, Jesus said – the God who made us – handcrafted the universe like a great masterpiece, and designed the world to be a place of life and peace, brimming with potential and hope. This same God, Jesus said, breathes life into the world every day, making the sunrise, sending the rain, and showering good gifts on all of us. Despite this, Jesus explained, all of us human beings – right from the very beginning – have turned our backs on God. The result is that we have cut ourselves off from our Creator, brought heartache into our relationships with each other, and led the planet into ruin.

The good news Jesus announced is that God still loves us. He remains committed to the world he made. For this reason, the time had come for God to act. God, Jesus said, was about to begin the great work of reclaiming his masterpiece and restoring his broken world. Jesus, in fact, saw his own life and work as the beginning of that great restoration project. He spoke of God as the Father who had sent Jesus his Son on a mission to love the world and to call us back to himself. So Jesus welcomed the outcasts of society and ate with them. He healed those who were sick. He taught many about the love of God. He explained the wisdom of living according to the Creator’s intentions for his world. He comforted those who were mourning. He raised the dead. He brought life and hope and healing everywhere he went. Most amazing of all, Jesus offered God’s forgiveness and welcome to anyone and everyone who was willing to accept it.

In the end, Jesus was executed by those who felt threatened by his message. He saw this coming and explained the meaning of his death to his friends on several occasions. Far from being a meaningless martyrdom, in the mysterious plans of God, his death would be a sacrifice of love, offered on behalf of the rest of us, making amends to the God who made us.

Early on the Sunday morning after his execution, some women who had followed Jesus made their way to his tomb. They went to anoint his body according to the Jewish custom. But the tomb was empty, and the body missing. In the days that followed, Jesus appeared alive to his friends, and to many others. He taught them further about God’s plans for his world, and he left them with the staggering claim that God the Father had now entrusted ‘all authority in heaven and on earth’ to Jesus himself.

So who is Jesus? A remarkable Jew from the first century? No doubt. The wisest teacher who has ever lived? Most probably. Down through the centuries, millions of people like you and me have come to see that he is all of that and more. Jesus is the Son of God whose death can reconcile us to our Creator, and whose resurrection opens up a whole new world.