Who is Jesus Christ? This question is often asked in the Gospels. On one occasion, he calmed a storm on the sea of Galilee, and his disciples asked; What sort of man is this? (Matt. 8:27). On another occasion, he made some devastating claims about himself, and his opponents asked, "Who on earth do you think you are?" Christ himself asked, "Who do men say that I am?" (Mark 8:27).
The disciples were convinced of the divinity of Christ, not by theological argument, but by personal experience over the greater part of three years. We know, said John, because 'we have heard, ....we have seen with our eyes...and touched with our hands' (1 John 1:1). What evidence brought them to this unshakable conclusion?
*HIS CLAIMS*
~INDIRECT CLAIMS 1:~ *HIS MIRACLES:* The evidence for his divinity does not rest on these, but they were so striking that great crowds gathered around him. When a paralysed man was brought to him, he immediately said, with authority, "Your sins are forgiven." The scribes (the brightest theologian of the time) who were present knew perfectly well what this implied. Their cry was: "It is blasphemy!
Who can forgive sins but God alone? and Christ, intending to drive home this very conclusion, replied: "that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" (and then he turned to the paralysed man) "I say to you, rise, take up your bed and go home", and immediately the man got up, took up his bed, and walked off, and they were all astounded (Mark 2:1-12).
Take another example, Thomas, the disciple was filled with doubts about the divinity and resurrection of Christ. So the risen Christ came to him and said, " Put your finger here, and see my hands, and put out your hand, and place it in my side" (John 20:26-29).
Thomas answered, "My Lord and my God." Now, what did Christ do? He accepted the worship of this disciple. He allowed him to call Him 'My God'. Indeed, He gently rebuked him for his unbelief, because he had never trusted in Christ's divinity before.
~INDIRECT CLAIMS 2:~ *HIS TEACHING:* Two things are clear about Christ's teaching. First, it is incredibly self-centred; secondly, if it is true, it is of common importance for us today. People are hungry and thirsty for something which satisfies; they know deep within themselves that their lives are empty. Jesus said, 'I am the bread of life, if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever' (John 6:35, 51). I am the Living Water; 'if anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink' (John 7:37). Many today are searching for God, but they do not know where to find Him, or even whether He exists. Jesus said, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me' (John 14:6). Many are stumbling through this life, groping in the dark, with little or no direction and purpose. Jesus said, 'I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life' (John 6:48-51; 7:37; 14:6; 8:12).
Many are living under stress and conscious of the terrifying pressures of our modern world. Jesus said, 'Come to me all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest' (Matthew 11:28). Many feel that they can do nothing of ultimate value. Jesus said, 'I am the vine, you are the branches, He who abides in me...bears much fruit' (John 15:5). All of us, one day, must face death and life after death, Jesus said, 'I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me...shall never die' (John 11: 25-26). 'I am the good shepherd...and I give...eternal life'. 'I am the door, if anyone enters by me, he will be saved' (John 11:25-26; 10:14, 27-29).
So we could multiply examples. And yet some say that he was no more than a good religious teacher!
~*DIRECT CLAIMS*~
In John 10:30, Christ said, 'I and the Father are one, meaning 'one in substance'. And it is perfectly clear that the Jews knew how to interpret this because in the next verse we read 'they took up stones...again to stone him'. Stoning was the penalty for blasphemy and if Christ's words were not true then he was clearly an outrageous blasphemer. In John 14:9 Christ said, 'He who has seen me has seen the Father'. The context of this is important.
So we could multiply examples. And yet some say that he was no more than a good religious teacher!
*DIRECT CLAIMS*
In John 10:30, Christ said, 'I and the Father are one, meaning 'one in substance'. And it is perfectly clear that the Jews knew how to interpret this because in the next verse we read 'they took up stones...again to stone him'. Stoning was the penalty for blasphemy and if Christ's words were not true then he was clearly an outrageous blasphemer. In John 14:9 Christ said, 'He who has seen me has seen the Father'. The context of this is important.
Philip together with the other disciples, had various doubts about the person of Christ. 'Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied.' In other words, he was asking to see the reality of God before he could fully trust himself to Jesus Christ. This was not just an academic question. Phillip and the others were in earnest. They meant business. They realised that, if they were to follow Christ at all, theirs must be nothing less than a wholehearted discipleship, whatever the cost might be. Christ had just told them that there would come a time when they would be tested and persecuted; that one of their number would betray him, and that he himself would be crucified.
He went on to tell them not to worry about these things, and spoke to them of the certainty of heaven. Wonderfully comforting words! But the disciples' reaction is understandable and indeed, contemporary: "Unless I can be quite sure, why on earth should I commit myself to this way of life, let alone to a person, to one who is going to be martyred, to one who tells me that I, too, may be martyred, and that anyway I must put him first! That is quite a lot to stomach! I don't mind coming to church occasionally, saying my prayers, helping my neighbour, but I'm not at all sure about getting really involved with Christ, whatever the cost might be.
I think that something like this was going on in the mind of Phillip when he said, "Show us the Father and we shall be satisfied'. It was a fair question, and it is a fair question today. In some parts of the world, it is not all easy for the man or woman who becomes a Christian.
Thanks for reading as we await the birth of Christ, may we find peace and love.
