Who is Jesus?
It's a question that has been asked for 2,000 years. A question that has divided families, churches, even nations. The answer has been analyzed, debated, and written about by millions of people, who have yet to come to a consensus.
So why keep asking it?
Because it is the most important question you will ever ask or be asked: Who is Jesus?
C.S. Lewis wrote:
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. 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."
We here at Retta tend to agree with Mr. Lewis' assessment of Jesus. More importantly, though, we agree entirely with what the Bible says about Him:
- He's the Son of God (John 1:34)
- He is co-equal with God (John 10:30)
- He created everything, and everything is for Him (Colossians 1:16)
- Born of a virgin (Luke 1:34)
- Lived a sinless, perfect life as a man (Hebrews 4:15)
- Died on a cross (Matthew 27:50)
- Rose from the grave after three days (Mark 6:16)
- Ascended to Heaven, sits at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19)
Jesus, is clearly more than a "moral teacher" and his resurrection from the dead proves that he wasn't insane. So then, what is our conclusion?
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." John 3:16-18
Put very simply, Jesus is our only hope. Without Him, we are lost and separated from God. However, He paid the penalty for our sin on the cross, and rose from the dead to prove His power over it. We are saved when we trust completely in what He has done to save us, and not in anything we can do. The salvation that Jesus offers is based entirely on the grace of God (it is a free gift) and not on our good works (we cannot earn it or lose it).
This is where you come in.
God offers this free gift to everyone, but we must accept it. If you haven't yet found yourself completely trusting in Jesus for salvation, you can do so right where you are. There's no long, complicated process or prayer, and there are no magic words. All you have to do is talk to God, acknowledging your sin and need for His grace, and tell Him that you are putting your trust completely in Jesus to save you.
If you have made this decision, then the Bible says you are saved, and we here at Retta would love to celebrate with you!
If you are still unsure or have questions, we would love to talk to you.