CHRIST'S UNIQUE CLAIMS

Some of the most obvious considerations, when thinking about the supremacy of Christ, are the claims He made about Himself.  Other teachers said they were telling the truth.  Christ said, "I ... am the truth" (John 14:6).  Other teachers asked people to follow their teachings.  Christ asked people to follow Him.  More than twenty times in the Gospels Jesus spoke about the need to follow Him.  The other great leaders taught people to worship God… Jesus accepted the worship of Thomas (John 20:28).  Jesus made statements that clearly implied that He was God, and some of His hearers were so scandalized by these remarks that twice they wanted to stone Him for blasphemy (John 8:54-59; 10:30, 31).

Seven "I am" statements appear in John's Gospel, showing that Christ claimed to be the source of eternal life.  He said, "I am the bread of life" (6:35); "I am the light of the world" (8:12); "I am the gate" (10:7, 9); "I am the good shepherd" (10:11); "I am the resurrection and the life" (11:25); "I am the way and the truth and the life" (14:6); "I am the true vine" (15:1).  Leon Morris reminds us that "in each case the Greek form of 'I am' is emphatic."  Each saying includes the personal pronoun "I."  "There is no need to include the personal pronoun unless emphasis is required."  Morris concludes that to Jewish ears, the words I am "aroused associations of the divine."  These and other statements of Christ make us agree with J. T. Seamands' statement that the uniqueness of Christ "is not something we concede to Christ, but something He confronts us with." 

-- Ajith Fernando in “The Christian's Attitude Toward World Religions” 

#6382

GETTING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL

“Jesus got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.”  (Mark 4:39)

A famous 17^th century painting hung in a museum.  For years the museum authorities had wanted to have the old master cleaned, but they deliberated a long time since the painting was so valuable.  When the specialists did proceed they noticed to their great consternation that specks of paint came off in the process.  They proceeded with greater care, but could not keep the paint from disintegrating.  As they finished the job they discovered another painting beneath.  A later artist had tried to improve the original masterpiece.  Now they saw the truth.  Better shatter a dream than conceal the truth.

I am about to shatter a dream … a dream which has grown up through the centuries … a dream portrait of Jesus that many hands have touched.  The original portrait is in the gospels, but many have tried to improve the original and thereby have spoiled it.  By trying to make Jesus more attractive, they have made Him unattractive.  By trying to make Him more appealing, they have lost His divine appeal.  It may hurt to shatter a dream.  But, better shatter a dream than conceal the truth …

Clean the canvas.  Get back to the original.  Not this religious weakling of our imagination.  Not this affected emotionalist of our pretty pictures.  But the Christ commanding in His manner, challenging in His message, conquering in His manhood, compelling in His mission -- the revolutionary Christ!  It may hurt to shatter the dream, but shatter it we must to see the true Master.  Better shatter a dream than conceal the truth. 

-- H.S. Vigeveno in “Jesus the Revolutionary”

#6381