The Bible’s Verdict About Jesus Christ
In today’s information age, ideas abound about Jesus the mystical christ. Bloggers, YouTube videos, Chat rooms, New York Times best sellers, and Wikipedia articles all weigh in with viewpoints about Christ. The compelling question is how reliable are the sources? Where should one begin to reach a verdict about Christ? Who should I trust?
Historic Christianity contends that the truth about Jesus Christ is derived from the Bible believed to be the inspired Word of God. The beloved accounts about Christ, known as the Gospels record his words and deeds.
From these four, venerable records about Christ, we learn He entered our world to become our Savior… an angelic announcement recorded in the Gospel of Luke… the Christmas event celebrated worldwide each year and so beautifully remembered in one of the most popular Christmas carols about Jesus Christ, “Silent Night.”
John’s Gospel about Christ discloses that entry into Heaven is through this Savior, rather than any religious method of good deeds. “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” declares Jesus. In fact, a religious leader seeking to know more about Christ, was informed that entry into Heaven was a spiritual rebirth generated by placing faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior.
The Gospels all describe the ultimate purpose about Christ; namely, He came to pay the penalty for our sins before a holy heavenly Father. This was achieved by His death on the cross, an event also remembered worldwide during Good Friday. What appeared to be a great tragedy became a glorious victory, leading to the resurrection of Christ and His return to Heaven. This is the message of Easter, a stupendous event that gives followers of Christ the assurance of eternal life.
Matthew’s Gospel about Christ records His instructions for how His followers ought to live in this world. His followers, known as disciples, are to go into all the world bearing this wonderful message of salvation through Christ.
What is the verdict about Jesus Christ? Liar? Lunatic? Or the Real Deal? Those who oppose the biblical testimony about Jesus Christ contend He was either misleading people or was misguided about His true identity. History reminds us that untold millions of Christ followers have given their lives for the Savior, undaunted by the beasts of the Roman arena, burnings at the stake in Medieval times, imprisonments and death in the Gulags of our contemporary societies. The Bible remains the greatest best seller of all time for it delivers the greatest story ever told!
