This question of who He was has been with us from the very beginning. Jesus once asked His disciples, “Whom do men say that I am?” (Mt. 16:13). They replied that there were various ideas about Him, and Peter concluded it by acknowledging that He was the Son of God (16:16).
Christ is the world’s preeminent character. We date our letters, and everything else, from the year of His birth. The greatest event in human history was the coming of Christ into this world. The greatest words ever spoken were His words. The greatest deeds ever done were accomplished by His hands. The greatest gift ever offered was His blood at Calvary. Whatever progress the human race has made has been due to His influence. All history is mystery until it has been understood as “His-Story.” Who is Jesus? If we took a poll, we might get a hundred answers. Most Christians find their best definition rising from their need. To the architect, He is the chief cornerstone. To the baker, He is the bread of life. To the doctor, He is the great physician. To the undertaker, He is the resurrection and the life. To the florist, He is the Rose of Sharon. “Jesus loves me, this I know” is the way little children think of Him. Preachers see Him as a preacher, teachers as a teacher, Carpenters like remembering He was one of them. To the hurting, He is the great Physician. To the confused, He is the Light. To the thirsty, He is the Water of Life. To the broken, He is the Balm in Gilead. To the intellectual, He is the wisdom of God. The guilty may see Him as a judge, coming to scourge the nation.
These diverse definitions of Christ are sometimes reminiscent of the story of the six blind men who touched an elephant and then were asked to describe him. One, falling against His side, said the elephant was rather like a wall. Another, who wrapped his arms around the elephant’s gigantic leg, replied that the elephant was rather like a tree. A third, grasping its tail, said the elephant was more like a rope. The one who touched the elephant’s ear described him as a fan. Each of us defines Jesus from his or her own perspective,
—author unknown
Jesus is all we imagine Him to be—and more. If we give Jesus’ claims a closer look, we will never come away disappointed. He’s not less than we’ve heard, He’s more—much more! He astonishes people. 1People who actually saw Him “. . . were beyond measure2 astonished, saying, He hath done all things well…” (Mk. 7:37). He is the “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending” (Rev, 1:8). As we look into that “light that shineth in a dark place,” the day of faith will dawn, and the “day star will arise in our hearts” (2 Pet. 1:19). His claims are not empty; He is the “fullness of God” (Col. 1:19). He is limitless in the extent of His power and wisdom, and in the sweep of His duration. He is without beginning of years or end of days. He is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in all the Divine attributes. Impressed? Who wouldn’t be?
Endnotes:
1The Gospel Accounts list forty-one specific times that people were “amazed,” “astonished,” or “marveled” at Him (Mt. 7:28: 8:27; 9:S, 33; 12:23; 13:54; 19:25; 21:20. 22:22, 33: 27:14; Mk. 1:22. 27: 2:12; 5:42; 6:2, 51; 7:37; 9: 15; 10:24, 26; 32; 11:18; 12:17; 14:33; 15:5, 44; Luke 2:33, 47, 48; 4:32; 5:9, 26; 9:43; 20:26; Jn. 4:27; 7:15).
2huperperissos, superabundantly, exceedingly,
