There is general agreement in secular and spiritual fields that Jesus was a very real person of History. He was born, lived and the record shows he was executed under Roman rule and buried. Over 500 eyewitnesses declared He was raised from the dead and returned to the heavens. The questions arise when we come to attempt to define Who Jesus was or is.
The Bible (possibly the most textually accurate book of antiquity) may not answer every question and will often lead us to ask more, but one of the areas in which the Bible is clear, is the answer to this question! C.S Lewis, a well-known Christian author wrote of Jesus, “Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” This comment by C S Lewis is surrounded with clear reasoning which leaves us in no doubt.
The Apostle Peter called Jesus “the Messiah, the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16). Yet, He is also the human Jesus, the friend of sinners, who knows what we are going through and cares about us personally and intimately.
We often think that because of our past failures and shortcomings we are cut off from God and His love for us, but this is why Jesus came. Sin has separated us from God and we can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. The Bible says that nothing in all of creation can separate us from the Love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. In acknowledging Jesus and accepting Him we can receive God’s love. It is only in Jesus we find forgiveness of sin and freedom from guilt and shame and condemnation. It’s only in Jesus we find fullness and wholeness of life and the assurance of eternity. In Jesus, we receive a new beginning in right relationship with God! All we have to do is turn to Jesus and submit to God and His plan and purpose for our lives.
Romans 10:13 “For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.””
Salvation is God’s free gift to us! It is acceptance into God’s family and it is an empowerment to live life wholly and fully with the purpose of reflecting God to the rest of His creation.
If you are not sure whether you are right with God or you know in fact that you need Jesus in your life, you can choose to follow Him right now by praying a prayer of repentance and surrender to God!
“Lord, I’m praying this prayer because I know that I have done wrong by living without You. I am sorry and I ask and trust that You will forgive me. I accept Your love, forgiveness and grace for me and ask that You, Jesus would be my Lord. Help me each and every day to live as I should, learning to know You more, and help me to show the world what You are like and how great Your love is.
In Jesus Name. Amen.”