Jesus Christ, who was He? Man? God? Or Both?

In the next series of articles, I want to look at the man Christ. Who was He? Some say he was God incarnate. Was this just Gemeinde theology, that is, the theology of the masses, the community? As we explore who Jesus was and is I begin with two passages one, a poem by an unknown author, and the other, a sort of sequel to the poem, by Tim Challies, a blogger, author, and book reviewer:

One Solitary Life

 He was born in an obscure village

The child of a peasant woman

He grew up in another obscure village

Where he worked in a carpenter shop

Until he was thirty

 He never wrote a book

He never held an office

He never went to college

He never visited a big city

He never travelled more than two hundred miles

From the place where he was born

He did none of the things

Usually associated with greatness

He had no credentials but himself

He was only thirty-three

His friends ran away

One of them denied him

He was turned over to his enemies

And went through the mockery of a trial

He was nailed to a cross between two thieves

 While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing

The only property he had on earth

When he was dead

He was laid in a borrowed grave

Through the pity of a friend

Nineteen centuries have come and gone

And today Jesus is the central figure of the human race

And the leader of mankind’s progress

All the armies that have ever marched

All the navies that have ever sailed

All the parliaments that have ever sat

All the kings that ever reigned put together

Have not affected the life of mankind on earth

As powerfully as that one solitary life

Dr. James Allan © 1926.

        You might enjoy this song of the One who was called the ‘The Stranger of Galilee.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztsgE4Z4yYU.    By complements of the author of this article.  I would also like to encourage each one of you to once again view the presentations of Dr. Subodh Pandit called “Come Search With Me.” Especially the last three if you are rushed for time.  Find these at https://hangonthebestisyettocome.com/links-to-articles-page-6/#Cross%20Purposes.

The Incomparable Christ

More than nineteen hundred years ago, there was a Man born contrary to the laws of life. This Man lived in poverty and was reared in obscurity. He did not travel extensively. Only once did He cross the boundary of the country in which He lived; that was during His exile in childhood.

He possessed neither wealth nor influence. His relatives were inconspicuous and had neither training nor formal education.

In infancy He startled a king; in childhood He puzzled doctors; in manhood He ruled the course of nature, walked upon the waves as pavement, and hushed the sea to sleep.

He healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge for His service.

He never wrote a book, and yet perhaps all the libraries of the world could not hold the books that have been written about Him.

He never wrote a song, and yet He has furnished the theme for more songs than all the songwriters combined.

He never founded a college, but all the schools put together cannot boast of having as many students.

He never marshalled an army, nor drafted a soldier, nor fired a gun; and yet no leader ever had more volunteers who have, under His orders, made more rebels stack arms and surrender without a shot fired.

He never practiced psychiatry, and yet He has healed more broken hearts than all the doctors far and near.

Once each week multitudes congregate at worshiping assemblies to pay homage and respect to Him.

The names of the past, proud statesmen of Greece and Rome have come and gone. The names of the past scientists, philosophers, and theologians have come and gone. But the name of this Man multiplies more and more. 

Though time has spread nineteen hundred years between the people of this generation and the mockers at His crucifixion, He still lives. His enemies could not destroy Him, and the grave could not hold Him.

He stands forth upon the highest pinnacle of heavenly glory, proclaimed of God, acknowledged by angels, adored by saints, and feared by devils, as the risen, personal Christ, our Lord and Savior.

        These two passages, my friends, introduce our topic for this and coming articles.  We well see what history can tell us of the Man Jesus Christ and we will take it from there.  There is a Latin phrase that says in English, laws sometimes sleep but they never die.  In our endeavour to track down this unique individual perhaps we will find some ‘cold cases’ that will throw light on who Jesus was and is.

        These two passages also give us a synopsis of what people say about Christ. But there are other comments to note before we delve deeper into the historicity of Jesus Christ.  In light of the two passages, have you considered what this world would be like if Christ had not been born? Perhaps it would have already ceased to exist.  Nevertheless, there have been people, and perhaps still are today, who were not happy with the birth of Christ.  Friederich Nietzsche whom we read about in a previous article, said that history is the battle between Rome (the Pagans) and Israel (the Jews and the Christians), Nietzsche, The Birth of Tragedy and the Genealogy of Morals, (Garden City, NY: Doubleday Anchor Books, 1956), p. 185.  He bemoaned the fact that Israel (through Christianity) was winning and that the cross “has by now triumphed over all other, nobler virtues,” Nietzsche, p.332. He did not have anything positive to say about Christianity. His philosophical disciple, Hitler also hated Christianity and actually intended to uproot Christianity after uprooting the Jews. Hitler said, “Historically speaking, the Christian religion is nothing but a Jewish sect… After the destruction of Judaism, the extinction of Christian slave morals must follow logically…” Armin Robinson, ed., The Ten Commandments: Ten Short Novels of Hitler’s War Against the Moral Code, (new York: Simon and Schuster, 1943), p. xi, xii.

        Charles Lam Markmann who wrote favourably of the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) wished that the civilized pagans of Greece and Romans had laughed Judaism into desuetude, that way the world would have been spared the 2000-year sickness of Christendom.” (Charles Lam Markmann, The Noblest Cry, New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1965), p. 67.  Stalin and Mao both tried to destroy Christianity in their respective domains and in the process they slaughtered tens of millions of Christians, but they failed in their objective. (David B. Barrett, Cosmos, Chaos, and Gospel: A Chronology of World Evangelization from Creation to the New Creation (Birmingham, AL: New Hope, 1987), p. 52 and 60, listed under years 1934 and 1960 for Stalin and Mao.

        Remember this, folks, if Jesus was false, then Christianity is false and a sham.  It is therefore important for you and me, who are Christians, to settle this issue for ourselves because Christianity tells us that we are all sinners and separated from the family of God because of our sinfulness. However, Christianity also offers us the assurance that God loves us, that He sent Jesus to pay the penalty for sin, which is death for everyone. And depending on our response to this offer of pardon and forgiveness and restoration to the family of God, we will either have eternal life or we will perish, nevermore to live.  

        Is this a Sham?  Or is it true?  The truth of this hangs in the balance of the veracity or truthfulness of Christianity, and the legitimacy of Christianity hangs in the balance of the credibility of Jesus Christ. Notice that well loved verse, John 3:16, ‘for God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life.’ John.3:16.  Is this only sweet murmurings?  Let us check it out for our future could be at stake if we remain stagnant! 

        Should we care whether Jesus is true and that allegiance to Him frees us from sin and death? Or shall we say like that sad character, ‘the great Agnostic’ Robert Ingersoll, that Christianity cannot be true. Remember, the choice each one makes will determine his or her destiny.  May God help us all to make wise and intelligent choices for Jesus if indeed He is found to be the author of Life.  In my next article we will look at the historicity of the man Jesus Christ.  Remember to check the discussion by Dr. Subodh Pandit as your homework.  Find it at https://hangonthebestisyettocome.com/links-to-articles-page-6/#Cross%20Purposes.

If you have any comments or questions, please contact Pr. Ron Henderson at ronhende@outlook.com.