ponder-this

You are drawn to Jesus, but do you understand why? Historically, many real-life
people have called themselves god. They have done so in the past, some call
themselves god even today, and certainly others will follow in their footsteps. There
is something unique and compelling about Jesus, however, that nearly everyone
senses. Whether we adore him, or hate him with a passion, Jesus draws a reaction.

Certainly others have preached justice and condemned sinful behavior. Others have
preached love and compassion. Others have challenged religious tradition in radical
ways, predicted the end of the ages, and as we mentioned, claimed to be god.

Is there anything new here? Does it make sense, then, that the whole world must
acknowledge Jesus two thousand years later?

First, did Jesus believe he was god? Many well-lettered theologians have argued that
he did not. They say that this idea formed about him in the years following his death.
They say that during his lifetime, he would have been appalled by the claim and
denied it vigorously.

In a sense, these theologians are correct. He didn't say he was god - he said he was
God.

There's a difference.

The true God has power to raise the dead, cure the incurable, subdue the waves,
bring forth bread from the earth, and above all - forgive sin. Jesus claimed all of these
things. In fact, he was tried, convicted, and executed for blasphemy.

(The Gospel of Mark carries us back in time to the court of Caiaphas) - Again the
high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the
Blessed? And Jesus said, I am, and you shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right
hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Does a thinking person really believe that the Son of God is not God?

(The Gospel of John answers our question through the railing Pharisees) - Therefore
the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath,
but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

No. To be the Son of the Blessed does not mean that if the Father dies, then the Son
gets to be God. Common sense precludes such one-dimensional, crude notions
regarding the spiritual realm.

Deep within our souls, we understand that claiming to be the Creator-God of the
universe is something very different from the lower case variety. Miracles follow the
omnipotent nature of the Creator. The miracles are not a sideshow. They are a claim.

There is something else important that we inherently sense. Deep within our souls,
we already understand that Jesus loves us. We may not like that, but we can not
escape it. The Old Testament stories of animal sacrifice make no sense without the
final sacrifice. No one can say that Jesus doesn't feel our pain. Having taken this
punishment on our behalf, it is we that can not fully comprehend his love for us. It is
this sacrifice of God on our behalf that extracts from each of us some level of
emotional response. We are either drawn closer or repulsed. No one remains
emotionally still before the Christ.

(Seven centuries before the first Christmas, the prophet Isaiah had a vision of the
coming Messiah) - … we have turned every one to his own way, and the LORD hath
laid on him the iniquity of us all.

So there is nothing to argue here. We may choose correctly, or we may choose
incorrectly, but like the throng before Pilate, we must face this wounded Jesus and
choose.