JESUS VS. ALL THE OTHERS
What makes Jesus different from the other so-called gods? After all, aren't all religions really the same? Many people claim, "Your truth is true for you, and my truth is true for me," as if all truths augment one another. The same person may ask, "Why does anyone have to be wrong?" as if there is a truth cafeteria, coerced simply by the discretion of an individual's given appetite or persuasion.
But an astute response to that would be, "Is that true?" For if there is no truth outside of ourselves, even that premise cannot be true. If there is no objective TRUTH, not contingent on the beliefs or feelings of any individual, there is no truth to be treasured on the face of this earth. Even opinions cannot be true from the standpoint of logic if there is no truth.
How about when a rapist rapes and feels he is being "true" to himself, does that make it ok? Is it ok to abuse children if the abuser feels like it is his or her "truth" being made manifest in abuse toward an innocent child?
If your truth is true for you, and my truth is true for me, there is no truth, and we are all in trouble!
But if there is a compass of truth outside of our own feelings, logic follows that we could also be prone to a lie, which could explain why an atheist cannot escape his relentless, guilty conscience. If there is a moral, pure and righteous God in existence, one thing is for certain: there is only One with those attributes. And if such a God exists, we need a Redeemer, because we are not moral, pure or righteous enough on our own for such a holy God to befriend us with no deceit found in Him.
Someone may argue, "I don't need a Savior. I don't need saving." A response would beckon, "You? You, in all of your filthy lust, addictions, lies, and deceit? You don't need a Savior?" The person may continue, "But 'Jesus' is like some sort of fairy tale made up for weak people. I am too smart to fall for such a fairy tale!" Ah, but a more far-fetched story can be passed down from generation to generation: YOU as your own savior--believing you can save yourself in your wretchedness –is a far more fantastic fairy tale. Don't expect any rational person to fall for that!
Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies from the Old Testament to the New, such prophecies made hundreds of years before His birth. But people were still not expecting a Savior like Jesus. He was a Man of Sorrows, humble enough to wash the feet of those who followed Him, yet He got angry enough to turn over tables of vendors setting up merchandise in the temple without apology. He was not focused on making people like Him all the time, because "the Truth and the Life" loved righteousness and honesty more than making people feel comfortable. People were amazed that He knew more than the most educated scribes and Pharisees, because He was not a "learned man." He went against the system as a Hebrew, though He lived a sinless life. When He died, He died in humiliating crucifixion like He was nothing, between criminals while people yelled mockeries like, "If You are really the King of the Jews, save Yourself now!" He prayed from the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." History records that the earth began to quake when He died, and the temple veil was torn in two from top to bottom. The people got scared. Maybe this was Someone of divine importance after all. They had His tomb guarded just in case.
Three days later, with Roman soldiers outside the tomb, Jesus disappeared from the grave. Death could not hold Him, just like He promised. He appeared to over 500 people after the resurrection, and they believed in Him so much that they were beaten and flogged and died martyrs' deaths for their faith in Him as God, for their faith in Him as eternal life. There was no doubt in their minds about His deity. These people were either crazy lunatics OR they knew…
This Jesus was no mere "christ consciousness." No new age guru would suffer on a bloody cross for "universal consciousness'" sake. No, Agape Love died for a reason much more faithful and utmost. He suffered as the Redeemer for you. Won't you decide to follow Jesus and give up your life to find it in Him forever? There is just one place in the whole, entire world where God's grace is enough for you: at the foot of the mocked, lonely, challenged, ridiculed, history-making, blood-spilled, victorious, Satan crushing, death-defeating cross of Jesus. For He bled and died for you there, if only you would want a Savior unlike a god of your own understanding. If only you would want a Savior like Him.
