After hearing a challenging sermon today on the question, “Who is Jesus?” I was reminded of one of the most powerful sections in CS Lewis’ book, “Mere Christianity.” Lewis wrote, “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. 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. . . . Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God.” (Mere Christianity, 55-56)
Following Lewis’ train of thinking, was Jesus Bad? Was He Mad? Or was He what He claimed to be? John the Beloved disciple helps us here. John wrote about Jesus in his gospel. He began his gospel in verse 1 with the expression “In the beginning was the Word.” Later in verse 14 he explains who or what this Word actually is, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The Word he is describing in chapter 1 is of course, Jesus.
Let us then look at this chapter 1 of John’s gospel and insert [Jesus] whenever this “Word” is mentioned.
John 1:1-14. “In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word [Jesus] was with God, and the Word [Jesus} was God. He [Jesus] was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him [Jesus], and without him [Jesus] was not any thing made that was made. In him [Jesus] was life, and the life [Jesus] was the light of men. The light [Jesus] shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it [Jesus].
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He [John] came as a witness, to bear witness about the light [Jesus], that all might believe through him. He [John] was not the light, but {John] came to bear witness about the light [Jesus].
The true light [Jesus], which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He {Jesus] was in the world, and the world was made through him [Jesus], yet the world did not know him. He [Jesus] came to his own, and his [Jesus] own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him [Jesus], who believed in his [Jesus] name, he [Jesus] gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word [Jesus] became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his [Jesus] glory, glory as of the only Son [Jesus] from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
What a challenging passage of scripture! The Jesus who was crucified on that first Good Friday in apparent weakness was and is none other, than the creator of all things. Creatures crucified their Creator who had come to die for them to bring them back to God! As Paul was later to write, “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” 2 Cor 5:14-15.
We recognise the reality that Jesus has died for us. The reality should now be that we are living for Him! But is that the reality in our own personal lives? It ought to be. It should be. It had better be when we consider just who this Jesus is! Love demands a response to His love for us! The response required is seen in verse 12 of that gospel passage, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” Believing Him and receiving Him into one’s own life is the response He longs for, from us!
Blog No.324 posted on www.jimholbeck.blogon Sunday 01 Sept 2019
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About Jim Holbeck
Once an Industrial Chemist working for the Queensland Government but later an Anglican minister in Brisbane, Armidale and Sydney. Last position for eighteen years before retirement in 2006 was as the Leader of the Healing Ministry at St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney.
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324. “Who Is Jesus?” The Most Important Question We Can Ever Ask And Answer!
After hearing a challenging sermon today on the question, “Who is Jesus?” I was reminded of one of the most powerful sections in CS Lewis’ book, “Mere Christianity.” Lewis wrote, “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. 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. . . . Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God.” (Mere Christianity, 55-56)
Following Lewis’ train of thinking, was Jesus Bad? Was He Mad? Or was He what He claimed to be? John the Beloved disciple helps us here. John wrote about Jesus in his gospel. He began his gospel in verse 1 with the expression “In the beginning was the Word.” Later in verse 14 he explains who or what this Word actually is, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The Word he is describing in chapter 1 is of course, Jesus.
Let us then look at this chapter 1 of John’s gospel and insert [Jesus] whenever this “Word” is mentioned.
John 1:1-14. “In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word [Jesus] was with God, and the Word [Jesus} was God. He [Jesus] was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him [Jesus], and without him [Jesus] was not any thing made that was made. In him [Jesus] was life, and the life [Jesus] was the light of men. The light [Jesus] shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it [Jesus].
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He [John] came as a witness, to bear witness about the light [Jesus], that all might believe through him. He [John] was not the light, but {John] came to bear witness about the light [Jesus].
The true light [Jesus], which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He {Jesus] was in the world, and the world was made through him [Jesus], yet the world did not know him. He [Jesus] came to his own, and his [Jesus] own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him [Jesus], who believed in his [Jesus] name, he [Jesus] gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word [Jesus] became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his [Jesus] glory, glory as of the only Son [Jesus] from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
What a challenging passage of scripture! The Jesus who was crucified on that first Good Friday in apparent weakness was and is none other, than the creator of all things. Creatures crucified their Creator who had come to die for them to bring them back to God! As Paul was later to write, “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” 2 Cor 5:14-15.
We recognise the reality that Jesus has died for us. The reality should now be that we are living for Him! But is that the reality in our own personal lives? It ought to be. It should be. It had better be when we consider just who this Jesus is! Love demands a response to His love for us! The response required is seen in verse 12 of that gospel passage, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” Believing Him and receiving Him into one’s own life is the response He longs for, from us!
Blog No.324 posted on www.jimholbeck.blogon Sunday 01 Sept 2019
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About Jim Holbeck
Once an Industrial Chemist working for the Queensland Government but later an Anglican minister in Brisbane, Armidale and Sydney. Last position for eighteen years before retirement in 2006 was as the Leader of the Healing Ministry at St Andrew's Cathedral Sydney.