You may be wondering why I chose to use those words for the title of this short article. Well the reason I did this is because it is of the utmost importance that we keep in mind, and never forget, who the real Jesus Christ is and the purpose of his coming into this world. There was a time when Jesus questioned his own followers about what people were saying about him and who they thought he might be. After that he asked them the very same question:
“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias (Elijah); and others, Jeremias (Jeremiah), or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13-17)
The followers of Jesus Christ let Jesus know that the people in general had all sorts of thoughts about who he might be. It is interesting that the general crowd somehow thought that Jesus was somebody who had lived in the past such as Elijah or the prophet Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets. It was quite obvious that the people in general knew that Jesus was definitely a “somebody” but they were not quite certain about who that “somebody” really was. So when Jesus put that same question to his followers Peter immediately responded “Thou art the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God”. Do not miss what Jesus said after that. Jesus told Peter that he was a BLESSED man because the revelation that Peter received did not come from flesh and blood (other people) but it came from his Father in Heaven!
Any person who has truly been born again of the Spirit knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ came into this world from Heaven above, and they know that he was in truth the Christ (Messiah), and the Son of the living God. That knowledge did not come from the words of mere men but it came down from Heaven above, because it was the power of the Holy Spirit that showed us these things. When I came to know the Lord Jesus Christ in truth I knew that he was sent down from Heaven above to die for my sins (and not mine only) and I also knew that he rose from the dead and ascended back into Heaven again! Where did this revelation concerning Jesus Christ come from that absolutely flooded my soul? It came down from Heaven above! Did I earn this revelation? Absolutely not. The only thing that I earned (and everyone else too) was the wages (penalty) of sin which was death! After I came to know the Lord Jesus Christ in truth, there was no doubt in my mind that I would have died in my sins and gone to Hell previous to the moment I was saved.
Listen to the words that Jesus Christ used when he prayed to his Father in Heaven:
“O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.” (John 17:25)
Did you catch that? Jesus told the Father that the world (generally most people) had NOT known him, but the believers knew that the Father sent him into this world. Did you know that Jesus Christ came from above and that he was sent into this world? Did you know that he was sent into this world to die for sinners like me and you? Did you know that you WILL die in your sins without him?”
“Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come. And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (John 8:21-24)
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18)
One of the most mind-boggling truths is that the person that we know as Jesus Christ was sent into this world to save us from perishing in our own sins, which would ultimately land us in an eternal Hell. Jesus was sent into this world by the Father to SAVE us and to give us everlasting life! He did not come to CONDEMN us but to SAVE us. Another mind-boggling truth is that this same Jesus Christ created the very ground that you and I walk upon this day!
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1-3)
“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:10-14)
Jesus Christ was the WORD that CREATED all things, and he was the WORD that was made flesh and dwelt (lived) among us also! Do you know him today? Do you know that he was sent into this world for YOU? Do you know that he will SAVE you no matter how wicked a life YOU have lived? It is NOT too late to get saved if you are reading this article right now. One of the most wicked persecutors of Christians was the Jewish apostle Paul, who consented to the DEATH of many of those whom he persecuted, and the Lord saved him also. Paul went on to become a powerful preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and he wrote this later on:
“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:15-17)
After Jesus Christ rose from the dead and proved that he had CONQUERED death for people like us this is what happened:
“And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them. And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24:36-48)
So what does all of this have to do with you? Well the bottom line is that there is absolutely NO other way to be SAVED except through Jesus Christ. Either you repent and believe the gospel (good news) or you do not! Either you take Jesus Christ at his word or you do not!
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
“Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:10-12)