WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 969, 12 May 1930, Page 14

WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?

MOST IMPORTANT FIGURE IN ALL HISTORY ADDED FORCE OF DIVINITY - "Jesus Christ,” said the Rev. D. D. Scott in the Onehunga Presbyterian Church last evening, “is the most important man in all history. No one, at the time He was on earth, had any idea of how really great He was. No one then realised that He had been placed by God in the centre of His great scheme.” Herod had asked, “Who is this, about whom I hear such things?” fte had already beheaded John the Baptist, and was now confronted with another problem—greater than John, and expressed a desire to see Jesus. One reason why Jesus Christ was the most important man in history was because in the Christian belief He was the Son of God, but even if one tried to think of Jesus as a man in history, apart from the Divine title, He could still be described as the most important man. All efforts to resolve the gospels into myths ended in futility. Ancient sources had been explored with a view to dissolving the central affirmations of the New Testament, but such investigations were carried out with antecedent un belief. The minds of such men were already made up that no such person as Jesus was, or could even be. DISPASSIONATE VIEW “If we divested ourselves of such presuppositions and took a dispassionate view of history, we would see that Jesus of Nazareth was unique in possessing the ability to win men to discipleship, not only in His own life time, but in all ages since. Although nearly 2,000 years had passed, He was still adored as the Saviour of the world,” he said. Napoleon Bonaparte had marshalled millions under his military banners, Julius Caesar had the world at his feet, and great men as they were they had not the power that Christ had of charming men on His side, and of retaining the worship and adoration of all subsequent generations. The names of Buddha, Confucius and Mohammed might be cited as hav-« ing exerted amazing personal Influences, but none of them were so near to the heart of man as Jesus was to the faithful. He had not merely survived as a historical memory, but was regarded by Christians today as the living and abiding Lord. His power of evoking a personal attachment had given Him a place by Himself. His teaching had incited His disciples to do good far beyond what any other man had ever taught. Even after having made a liberal discount for the errors and persecu tions of the church, it remained true that where men truly believed in Him and allowed themselves to be ruled by a determination to be faithful to Him, their on desire was to do all the good they could in the world. Christ’s teachings had given His followers a new meaning to the word love. Such ideals surely marked out their author as the most important figure in history. MORAL BEAUTY A moral beauty shone from His life as recorded in the gospels, which described Him as He was known to His disciples, and although there were some puzzling features in those narratives, yet no other star in the moral sky shone with such lustre as His, for He went about doing good, and His moral attractiveness had taken a firm hold upon mankind ever since. “Was it not also a matter without parallel that Jesus Christ had been proclaimed the Son of God?” asked the minister. This alone set Him in a place by Himself. The reason of man had bowed before the exalted Lord, and no other of the gods of the pagans had been so exalted. In spite of the things that were being skilfully told from a platform by overseas visitors against His great name. He still remained firmly established in millions of hearts today as the Lord and Saviour of man, the speaker concluded.