Just who was Jesus Christ? Perhaps the best way to describe who Jesus was is to list just how the Bible refers to Him throughout its pages. He has been called:
“Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6)
“The Way” (John 14:6)
“The Lord God, The Almighty (Rev. 15:3)
“Savior” (II Peter 2:20)
“The Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25)
“Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6)
“Word of Life” (I John 1:1)
“Alpha and Omega” (Rev. 1:8)
“Light of the World” (John 8:12)
“The Cornerstone” (Eph. 2:20)
“Messiah” (John 1:41)
“King of Kings” (Rev. 19:16)
Quite an impressive array of titles to be bestowed on any one individual, you might say. For the most widely read book in the history of our world to shower such an incredible barrage of accolades on one man should at the very least arrest our attention to ponder just what sort of a person this Jesus Christ was.
The most scholarly and influential encyclopedia in the United States, the Encyclopedia Britannica, clearly recognized Jesus Christ’s phenomenal impact in our world by devoting more space to this one man than to any other human being who has ever walked the earth.
And when we talk about impact, perhaps historian Philip Schaff summed it up best:
“This Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms conquered more millions than Alexander, Caesar, Mohammed, and Napoleon; without science or learning, He has shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of schools, 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 men of ancient and modern times.”[1]
The noted historian Kenneth Scott Latourette added: “As the centuries pass, the evidence is accumulating that, measured by His effect on history, Jesus is the most influential life ever lived on this planet. That influence appears to be mounting.”[2]
H. G. Wells, the famous English writer and historian, commented: “I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history.”[3]
In addition, more books have been written about Jesus than any other person in history. His Sermon on the Mount established a new paradigm in ethics and morals. Schools, hospitals, and universities have been founded in His name. And even slavery was abolished in America and Britain due to Jesus’ teaching that every human life is valuable.
Just who was Jesus Christ? He was fully man and fully God. He was also fully unique and definitely the most influential personage in history.
[1] Goodreads.com: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8345526-jesus-of-nazareth-without-money-and-arms-conquered-more-millions
[2] Josh McDowell, More than a Carpenter (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1988), p. 8.
[3] Apologetics315.com: https://apologetics315.com/2013/06/h-g-wells-on-the-historicity-of-jesus/
Awesome!