[543 words]
Jesus Christ is the most unique individual who ever lived. Some have attempted to compare him to other religious leaders like Buddha, Confucius, and Mohammed, but when the evidence is considered Jesus stands head and shoulders above everyone else who has ever lived. Reflect on some truths that show the uniqueness of Jesus.
He is the only One who ever chose to be born. You and I did not have a choice in whether we were born, but Jesus did. Philippians 2:6-8 speaks of how Jesus chose to leave heaven and , “come in the likeness of men.” This fact ought to cause us to contemplate the greatness of his sacrifice for us. “Though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich” (2 Cor. 8:9).
He is the only One whose birthday split history in two. For more than two thousand years, history has been recognized as being divided into two parts based on the time of Jesus’ birth – “BC” which stands for “Before Christ,” and “AD” which stands for “Anno Domini” meaning the “Year of Our Lord.” Modern skeptics do not appreciate these designations and so have tried to replace “BC” and “BCE” – “Before the Common Era” and “AD” with “CE” – “Common Era.” Regardless of how one chooses to designate the two eras, it is highly significant that the birth of a child in Bethlehem is the event from which nearly the entire world (believers and unbelievers alike) records the dates of history.
He is the only One who never sinned. The Scriptures show Jesus as the One who has “done all things well” (Mark 7:37). He certainly looked, behaved, and thought differently than the people around Him, but this merely was a manifestation of His sinlessness. “[He] committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth” (1 Pet. 2:22).
He is the only One who can mediate between God and man. Jesus can be our Mediator because He is equally related to both God and man, and He is equally interested in the welfare of both parties (cf. 1 Tim. 2:5; Col. 2:9-10; Heb. 2:9ff). no one but Jesus could legitimately say that they fully understand the interests of God and man at the same time (Heb. 7:25). When one contemplates the work of Jesus, one is compelled to exclaim, “O what a Savior!”
He is the only One who can save. Jesus Himself made this exclusive claim when he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). The apostles later repeated this claim: “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The tombs of Mohammed, Buddha, and Confucius are occupied, but Jesus left an empty tomb (John 20:1ff). Resurrection and eternal life are only found in the One who has Himself come back from the grave, never to die again.
These are but a few of the truths that show the uniqueness of Jesus. May all of us be more thoughtful and reflective concerning the identity of the One whose name we wear.
John Baker
via Brown Trail church of Christ
Bedford, TX