Nobody in the history of the human race has ever made the claims that Jesus made. Nobody in the long history of civilization ever even dared to say the things that Jesus said about Himself. No one has even come close. Was He who He said He was? What were His claims?
What did one poor man from Galilee say to turn the world upside down? Jesus wasn’t the conquering general of an army like Alexander the Great. He wasn’t a famous politician or an emperor. He never lived in a palace like King Solomon nor was He a renowned philosopher who wrote volumes of books promoting His perspective. But others wrote about Him.
The gospel of John begins with the declaration, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. (John 1:1-2). And in John 1:14 the writer adds, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Jesus Is Eternal
No other person has ever claimed to be eternal except Jesus. He said, “Very truly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I Am!” And in John 17:5, Jesus prayed, “And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began.” Jesus predated time itself!
When the high priest asked Him if He was the Messiah, “‘I am,’ said Jesus. ‘And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.'” (Mark 16:62). At this, the high priest tore his clothes and decreed the charge of blasphemy upon Jesus.
This was a clear reference to Daniel 7:13-14, where the prophet wrote, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the ancient of days and was led into His presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshipped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
This undeniable revelation of His divinity did not escape those who heard it. Jesus claimed to be God and the religious leaders killed Him because of that claim. But they couldn’t stop Him. Three days later He was preaching again and over 500 people were eyewitnesses to the risen Christ.
Jesus Has Supreme Authority
Jesus has supreme authority. He said that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” (Matthew 28:18). He exercised that authority over demons, over diseases, over blindness and deafness. He exercised that authority over the wind and the waves as recorded in Mark 4:35-41. The forces of nature obeyed Him.
In verse 39 we read that “He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” No other human in the history of humanity has ever done anything even remotely like that. The same voice that said, “Let there be light,” controls the light.
But Jesus didn’t stop there. He triumphantly exercised His authority over death. Not only did he offer himself as a sacrifice on the cross that would pay for our sins, He rose on the third day, just like he said he would. He spoke truth.
More than that, Jesus claimed to be truth. He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6). He stood in front of the people and said that He alone was absolute truth. That He alone was the path to heaven.
The Pharisees and the teachers of the law wanted Him to substantiate His authority by giving them a sign. Jesus answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” (Matthew 12:39). He was speaking of His resurrection. Jesus told them in no uncertain terms, “I am the sign”!
Jesus is a polarizing individual. He holds the high ground and He never concedes to the middle ground regarding belief in Him. He said, “Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me scatters.” (Matthew 12:30).
Jesus also said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.” (Matthew 10:34-36).
Jesus Is Alive
Jesus resurrected from the dead and forever changed His disciples. And His victory over death means He is still making a difference in people’s lives today. Delivering addicts and alcoholics from the bondage of sin. Compelling those in prisons to repent, healing and spreading love more than any other entity known to man.
Jesus is alive. And you can have a relationship with Him no matter who you are. Scripture says, “You will seek Me and you will find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13). There is no sin so egregious as to exceed His grace (Mark 2:28).
Jesus profoundly altered the life of Saul of Tarsus who was actively persecuting, imprisoning and killing Jesus followers when He appeared to him on the road to Damascus. Saul was so changed that he became a follower of Jesus Christ himself and his story is the most powerful testimony to the power of God and the authenticity of the gospel known to man.
Paul preached that Jesus fulfilled the scriptures. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 he wrote, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
After that He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all He appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”
Paul verified the claims of Jesus in his writings and paid the ultimate price for his own loyalty when he was martyred for his faith. The truth of Christ drove the reformation of religion and the claims of Jesus continue to resonate through the ages like no other person’s in civilization.
The Dali Lama, Buddah, Confucius, Gandhi, or Muhammed never dared to make any claims even close to the claims that Jesus made. He said that He alone was the unequivocal and demonstrable Savior of the human race and that there was no other (John 14:6).
Either Jesus was a liar, or he was deluded and actually believed He was something He was not. Or… He was who he claimed to be. And every other human being in the history of human beings ought not to disregard His gospel because we are all subject to Him.
Philippians 2:10 reveals, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Jesus forever changed the world. He separated history into BC and AD and He separates time itself. Mankind measures years based on the life of Christ. Jesus impacted human history more than any individual ever. More has been written about Jesus Christ than any other human in the history of humans.
Jesus Is Inescapable
You cannot avoid Jesus. You cannot escape Jesus. His church encompasses the globe. His true followers are everywhere. Secular humanists deny Him, yet they love to hate Him. Even proclaimed atheists go to great lengths to talk about Him and mock Him.
One cannot ignore the claims of Jesus. They are the most extraordinary assertions ever recorded and they carry more impact than any other declarations ever uttered in the presence of people. Acts 4:12 is the concise summation of this reality: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
Civilization forever changed when “Emmanuel” Jesus walked among us and the impact of His influence reverberates throughout the world two thousand years later. The highest King promised that He would return and this is our blessed hope (Titus 2:13). This is the fulcrum of our faith.
