The Uniqueness of Jesus Christ
Submitted by jesuslover on Tue, 09/16/2008 - 03:01.
The Uniqueness of Jesus Christ
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- 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, but sadly, most people are completely oblivious to the reality of how He has so completely impacted the world.
- Christianity 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.
- 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 Supernatural Nature of Christ
- The Old Testament, which even the most ardent critic acknowledges was in existence centuries before Christ, predicted the where ( Micah 5:2 ), the when ( Dan. 9:26 ), and the how ( Isa. 7:14 ) of Christ's entry into the world.
- The Old Testament predicted that Christ would die for our sins ( Psalm 22 ; Isaiah 53 ; Dan. 9:26 ; Zech. 12:10 ) and would rise from the dead ( Psa. 2:7 ; 16:10
- All of these supernatural prophecies were uniquely fulfilled in Jesus Christ. This is not true of any great religious leader or person who has ever lived, including Muhammad.
- Unique in Life.
- From his very first miracle in Cana of Galilee ( John 2:11 ), Jesus' ministry was marked by its miracles. Jesus even raised several people from the dead, including Lazarus whose body was already to the point of rotting ( John 11:39 ).
- Events surrounding Christ's death were miraculous. This included the darkness from noon to 3 p. m. ( Mark 15:33 ) and the earthquake that opened the tombs and rent the temple veil ( Matt. 27:51–54 ).
- The way in which he actually died was miraculous. As Jesus said, 'I lay down my life–only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord' (John 10:18 ).
- Unique in the Resurrection.
- Jesus himself predicted it from the very beginning of his ministry: He said, ' ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.'... But the temple he had spoken of was his body' ( John 2:19 , 21 ; Matt. 12:40–42 ; 17:9 ).
- Jesus demonstrated the reality of his resurrection in twelve appearances over forty days to more than 500 people.
- Unique in the Ascension
- Just like his entrance into this world, Jesus' departure was also miraculous. After commissioning his disciples, 'he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. (Acts 1:10 ).
- Unique in Sinlessness.
- For a description of what those closest to Jesus thought of his character, Hebrews says that he was tempted as a man 'yet without sinning' ( 4:15 )..
- Jesus himself once challenged his accusers, 'Which of you convicts me of sin?' ( John 8:46 ), but no one was able to find him guilty of anything.
- The Character of Christ Is Unique In Exemplifying Virtues.
- Even Bertrand Russell , who fancied he saw flaws in Christ's character, confessed nonetheless that 'What the world needs is love, Christian love, or compassion.' But this belies a belief in what most others acknowledge, namely, that Christ was the perfect manifestation of the virtue of love.
- In Combining Seemingly Opposite Traits
- Christ brought together in his person characteristics that in anyone else would seem impossible. He was a perfect example of humility, to the extent of washing his disciples' feet ( John 15 ).
- Yet he made bold claims to deity, such as, 'I and the Father are One' ( John 10:30) and 'before Abraham was, I AM' ( John 8:58 ; cf. Exod. 3:14 ).
- The claim, 'I am meek and lowly in heart' (Matt. 11:29 ) sounds arrogant, but he backed his words among little children (Matthew 18:4 ).
- Yet he was so strong as to overturn the tables of those who merchandised God's house, cracking a whip to chase away their animals ( John 2 ). Jesus was known for the virtue of kindness, yet he was severe with hypocrites who misled the innocent ( Matthew 23 ).
- His Uniqueness in Teaching
- The Jewish intellectuals admitted, 'No one ever spoke the way this man does' ( John 7:46 ). Later, he confounded those who attempted to trick him so that 'No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions' ( Matt. 22:46 ).
- Christ Is Superior.
- Jesus Christ was unique in every way. From his complete deity to his perfect humanity; from his miraculous conception to his supernatural ascension; from his impeccable character to his incomparable teaching–Jesus stands above all other religious or moral teachers.
- What If Jesus had Never Been Born? Would there be:
- Hospitals, which essentially began during the Middle Ages.
- Universities, which also began during the Middle Ages. In addition, most of the world's greatest universities were started by Christians for Christian purposes.
- Literacy and education for the masses.
- Capitalism and free enterprise.
- Representative government, particularly as it has been seen in the American experiment.
- The separation of political powers.
- Civil liberties.
- The abolition of slavery, both in antiquity and in more modern times.
- Modern science.
- The elevation of women.
- Benevolence and charity; the good Samaritan ethic.
- Higher standards of justice
- The elevation of the common man.
- High regard for human life.
- The codifying and setting to writing of many of the world's languages.
- The countless changed lives transformed from liabilities into assets to society because of the gospel.
- The eternal salvation of countless souls!