Over the years I have noticed a number of books that are searching for Jesus. One only needs to open a Bible and find the answer. I recall a note in a church bulletin that went like this:
Jesus: “Who do men say that I am?”
Pharisees : “You are the eschatological manifestation of the ground of our being; the kerygma in which we find the ultimate meaning of our interpersonal relationships.”
Jesus: “Whaaaaat?”
I was once a Chairman of the Liturgy Committee at my church, and we were having a discussion on how to teach young children about Jesus. A member of the committee, a young priest, pointed out that children cannot be taught about Jesus because He is too difficult for children to understand. He then offered a solution:
“We need to teach them about one or two famous people that the children can look up to as models for Jesus!”
Unfortunately, the two heroes were not, in my opinion, appropriate role models. One was a plagiarist and an ordained serial adulterer and the other was a professional adulterer. When I pointed this out, there was shock and awe in the meeting room.
Anyone who reads the New Testament cannot come away without the knowledge that Jesus, who is the Son of God, was born in very humble circumstances and brought the Kingdom of God to Earth. Moreover, His death on the Cross gave mankind a route to Eternal Salvation for all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Those who have difficulty believing in Jesus reflect the opposition Jesus received from the time of His birth to His death. When Jesus returned to Nazareth, He quoted from the book of Isaiah and pointed out that the reading was fulfilled on that day (Lk. 4: 14-21). Instead of accepting Him, they threw Him out of the Synagogue and threatened to kill him. This was only the beginning! Jesus faced death from the moment He was born until His Death (Matt. 1:16-18)!
All through Jesus’ ministry, He was followed by opponents, especially the Pharisees whose power and wealth were in danger if the people followed Him.
More egregious was the rejection by the Pharisees who were keepers of the law and knew the scriptures regarding the coming of the Messiah, but fought Him at every opportunity. They sent spies to follow Him and report back to them. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the spies rushed to tell the Pharisees (Jn. 11:46-48).
Throughout the ages, man has tried to control their behavior by passing laws. The Pharisees had so many laws that an ordinary person could never make it through life without breaking many of them. What is so interesting is that Jesus’ Laws are so simple:
Love God, Love Neighbor
This law is so simple, but so difficult to uphold. Imagine, if everyone followed this simple law, we would have a paradise on Earth. Unfortunately, man simply cannot handle a simple law like this, and we must wait until we get on the other side to really appreciate this remarkable law.