I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas. We may have differences of opinion on various topics within Christianity but the bottom line is we are all
Christians. In other words, we all believe that Jesus is God, the Son of God. There are many hundreds of millions, if not a couple of billion people that will
adorn their homes with decorations and Christmas trees at this time of year. They will have sumptuous feasts, give gifts to children, invite their friends over
for drinks and be comforted that their families surround them but how many of them will in truth give glory to God? I am not a hypocrite that celebrates the
birthday of someone I don't believe in. For me, when I see non-Christians celebrating Christmas and the last thing on their mind is Jesus Christ, it
saddens me. Those who renounce Christianity and attack it, even in their inmost being, still follow the Christian ideal because neither their subtlety, nor the
ardour of their hearts has been able to create a higher ideal of man and of virtue, than the ideal given by Christ.
Socrates taught for 40 years. Plato for 50. Aristotle for 40 and Jesus for only 3. Yet the influence of Christ's 3 year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching from these men who were among the greatest philosophers of all antiquity. Fundamentally, our Lord's message was himself. He did not show up on the scene merely to preach a Gospel. He did not come merely to give bread. Jesus said, I AM the bread of life. He did not come to show us the door. Jesus said, I AM the door. He did not come to remain an unknown shepherd. Jesus said, I AM the good shepherd. He did not come merely to shed light. Jesus said, I AM the light of the world. He did not come merely to run a vineyard. Jesus said, I AM the true vine. He did not come merely to talk about the resurrection. Jesus said, I AM the resurrection and the life. He did not come to simply tell us of the beginning and the end. Jesus said, I AM the first and the last and I AM alpha and omega. Jesus did not come to merely point the way. Jesus said, I AM the way, the truth, and the life.
Jesus Christ was a man born in an obscure village in a little known corner of the Roman empire, the son of peasants. As a man, He worked until He was thirty and then for three years was an itinerant preacher. He never owned a home. He never went to school. He had no children. He never travelled more than 200 miles from his parents home. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. He had nothing to do with this world except the naked power of His divine manhood. While still young, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. His accusers insulted Him as he was bleeding to death. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth while he was dying and that was his coat. When He died he was laid in a borrowed grave. Such was His human life. And if He was really only a man, it should have ended there.
2000 years later Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of the human race and the leader of the column of progress. Jesus, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander the Great, the Caesars of the Roman Empire, Genghis Khan, Mohammed and Napoleon. Without science and learning, He shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined. Without the eloquence of school, He spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet. Without writing a single line, He set more pens in motion and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art and songs of praise. than the whole army of great people of ancient and modern times.
I am within the mark when I say that of all the armies that ever marched, of all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings, queens and leaders that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of humans upon this earth, as powerfully as that one solitary life. Only God the Father could have conceived Christ because there is something so pure, frank and noble about Him, that to doubt his sincerity would be like doubting the brightness of the sun. Jesus Christ is the unsurpassed supreme master of the art of laying bare the innermost core of spiritual truth.
Merry Christmas. I challenge all of you to plant a seed in the heart of a non-believer in the New Year. God bless you, my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Ron (Katabole)
Psalm 147:5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
Socrates taught for 40 years. Plato for 50. Aristotle for 40 and Jesus for only 3. Yet the influence of Christ's 3 year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching from these men who were among the greatest philosophers of all antiquity. Fundamentally, our Lord's message was himself. He did not show up on the scene merely to preach a Gospel. He did not come merely to give bread. Jesus said, I AM the bread of life. He did not come to show us the door. Jesus said, I AM the door. He did not come to remain an unknown shepherd. Jesus said, I AM the good shepherd. He did not come merely to shed light. Jesus said, I AM the light of the world. He did not come merely to run a vineyard. Jesus said, I AM the true vine. He did not come merely to talk about the resurrection. Jesus said, I AM the resurrection and the life. He did not come to simply tell us of the beginning and the end. Jesus said, I AM the first and the last and I AM alpha and omega. Jesus did not come to merely point the way. Jesus said, I AM the way, the truth, and the life.
Jesus Christ was a man born in an obscure village in a little known corner of the Roman empire, the son of peasants. As a man, He worked until He was thirty and then for three years was an itinerant preacher. He never owned a home. He never went to school. He had no children. He never travelled more than 200 miles from his parents home. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. He had nothing to do with this world except the naked power of His divine manhood. While still young, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. His accusers insulted Him as he was bleeding to death. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth while he was dying and that was his coat. When He died he was laid in a borrowed grave. Such was His human life. And if He was really only a man, it should have ended there.
2000 years later Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of the human race and the leader of the column of progress. Jesus, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander the Great, the Caesars of the Roman Empire, Genghis Khan, Mohammed and Napoleon. Without science and learning, He shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined. Without the eloquence of school, He spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet. Without writing a single line, He set more pens in motion and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art and songs of praise. than the whole army of great people of ancient and modern times.
I am within the mark when I say that of all the armies that ever marched, of all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings, queens and leaders that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of humans upon this earth, as powerfully as that one solitary life. Only God the Father could have conceived Christ because there is something so pure, frank and noble about Him, that to doubt his sincerity would be like doubting the brightness of the sun. Jesus Christ is the unsurpassed supreme master of the art of laying bare the innermost core of spiritual truth.
Merry Christmas. I challenge all of you to plant a seed in the heart of a non-believer in the New Year. God bless you, my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Ron (Katabole)
Psalm 147:5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
Bravo. Thanks for this post.It brought a lot of
things to my attention that I never really though about. I mean Our Father is always great but never did I really think about it in those ways.We must always
Thank Jesus for the influence here on eaarth cause if it was not for him then where would we be???????
