Website owner:  James Miller

A divine messenger. Jesus Christ, Son of God, messenger from the creator to his creation.

   If what we read in the gospels is true, if the claims made by 
   Jesus concerning himself are true, the full meaning of it all 
   is absolutely mind-blowing.  Thinkers, philosophers going all 
   the way back into the mist of ages past have been asking hard 
   questions, attempting to understand life, why we are here, who 
   we are, etc..  For thousands of years man has been probing, 
   searching for spiritual truth, trying to get to ultimate truth.  
   In the eastern religions, those originating in India, he has 
   tried to find it through mystical practices such as yoga and 
   meditation.  In the west the Greeks tried to get to it through 
   reason.  The world has had many great thinkers, many wise and 
   great men.  What wise and great thinker would not be deeply 
   impressed by the concept that the creator of this universe had 
   sent a messenger straight from himself to communicate a message 
   to his creation?  What more reliable and sure source of 
   absolute truth than a messenger right from the creator himself?  
   If it is to be believed, the story of Jesus is the greatest 
   thing that has ever happened in the history of mankind.  It is 
   by far the greatest thing that has ever happened in the history 
   of thought and philosophy.  It is a thing of mind-boggling 
   significance.  One can always question the limits of human 
   reason in regard to finding final truth.  And one can question 
   the reliability and trustworthiness of spiritual knowledge 
   discovered through meditative techniques.  What more 
   trustworthy source than a messenger right from God?  A 
   messenger who came down here to earth and lived here with 
   mankind for a period of years.  Any unbiased, thinking person 
   who believed that it really happened would have immediate 
   questions:  What did this messenger have to say?  What kind of 
   person was he?  What kind of values, views and attitudes did he 
   have?  What information of spiritual consequence did he give?  
   And for such a person, the gospels would be riveting ---  for 
   they are filled with mind-blowing assertions, accounts and 
   teachings.  And if all these things be true no religion on 
   earth has a foundation that in any way compares with that of 
   Christianity.  And if one does not believe them he must explain 
   it all.  Was it all just a big hoax?  Was Jesus a fake and 
   deceiver?  Was he insane?  How do you explain all the 
   astonishing miracles and miraculous signs that accompanied his 
   ministry when he was here, miracles seen by tens of thousands?  
   Were his followers lying about what they had witnessed, what 
   happened?  They stuck to their statements, claims, beliefs and 
   teachings through great persecution with many being martyred.  
   Explain that.  What would have been their motive for lying or 
   deceiving?  They told what they had seen with their own eyes.

   The gospels tell the story of Jesus Christ.  They are very 
   impressive.  Why are they so impressive?  Four reasons come to 
   mind:  1. This messenger from God was not just some common 
   messenger from a mid or lower echelon in God's heavenly kingdom 
   --- he was the No. 2 man in the kingdom, next in rank to God 
   himself, God's right-hand man (in fact, Jesus asserted that 
   although he always did only God's will, God had delegated to 
   him all power and authority, that he was in fact present with 
   God from the very beginning of time, before the creation of the 
   universe, and that God had delegated to him the job of judge on 
   that final Day of Judgment when all men will be judged).  2. 
   The multitude of astounding miracles --- healing the blind and 
   deaf, curing lepers, casting out demons, raising the dead --- 
   and amazing signs from heaven that accompanied the ministry of 
   Jesus.  3. The greatness and profundity of the message that 
   Jesus proclaimed: self-denial, service, meekness, humility, 
   peacefulness, forgiveness, righteousness, purity, faith, concern 
   for the needy and afflicted, love of God, love of neighbor.  
   4. The amazing purpose that Jesus stated he had for coming down 
   to earth: to give his life as a sacrifice to atone for the sins 
   of those who would believe in him.  What a story it is!

   In the realm of all actions of a noble nature can one think of 
   any action that is as noble as that of a person voluntarily
   giving his own life for the sake of someone he loves? Think 
   about this.  What does such an action say about the character 
   of a person?  If someone did that for you, what would you think?
   Can you think of any better example of greatness and goodness?
   Any better example of love and caring? This is the example that 
   Jesus gave us. This particular action is what the story of 
   Jesus is all about. This is a sermon preached, not by words, 
   but by example.  What does this tell you about the nature and 
   character of God?

   Mar 2002