Below is Part I of a two-part devotion from my friend Michael Neveu.
Summary
Jesus is not “all that” because Christians needed a mascot, a slogan, or a spiritual celebrity/influencer with better media. Jesus is “all that” because He alone is the eternal Son of God made flesh, fully God and fully man, sinless in life, crucified for sinners, raised bodily from the dead, supreme over creation, and the only mediator between God and humanity. Word.
That is not decoration. That is detonation.
So, when a young Christian, old Muslim, ancient skeptic, or spiritually exhausted twenty-something asks, “Why is Jesus all that anyway?” our Christian answer is not, “Because my church says so.” That answer has all the voltage of a wet napkin.
The answer is because Jesus is unique in identity, unique in rescue, and unique in authority.
1. Jesus Is Unique Because of Who He Is.
John Stott called Him incomparable. John Piper wrote of His “unique excellence.” R.C. Sproul emphasized His supremacy. Billy Graham said plainly that Jesus is different from every other religious leader because He is God in human flesh. They are all circling the same blazing center. Jesus cannot be simply filed under “religious teacher,” “prophet,” “good man,” or “moral influencer.”
Those categories are too small. They crack under His weight.
John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Then John 1:14 drops the chisel. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Christianity does not claim God sent a memo. Christianity claims God stepped into the room.
Islam honors Jesus as Messiah and prophet, born of Mary, mighty in word and sign. That is something special. But Christianity goes further. Christians confess that Jesus is not only sent by God, He is God the Son incarnate. Colossians 2:9 says, “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.”
Not some fullness. Not borrowed holiness. Not a prophet carrying divine mail. All the fullness.
That means when Jesus speaks, God speaks. When Jesus forgives sin, heaven is forgiving sin. When Jesus says, “But I say unto you,” He is not just another commentator in the human circus. He is the Author correcting the footnotes.
Human opinion is noisy. Jesus is the One and Final Word.
2. Jesus Is Unique Because of What He Did.
Alot of religious systems admire Jesus. Admiration is easy. Humans admire things constantly, then ignore them professionally. The sharper question is this. What happened at the cross?
Cuz Christianity stands or falls right there.
Jesus did not merely die as a martyr, victim, reformer, or misunderstood teacher. Scripture says, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3). That means His death was not an accident. It was not divine damage control. It Was the rescue mission.
Here is the straight razor edge. If Jesus was not crucified, Christianity loses its center. No cross, no atonement, no forgiveness of sins, no resurrection, no victory over death, no gospel. Just candles, hymns, committees, and people pretending brunch is fellowship.
But the New Testament doesn’t just whisper this to us. It testifies loudly. Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He died. Was Buried. Rose on the third day. Paul says the risen Christ appeared to Peter, the Twelve, and more than five hundred at one time (1 Corinthians 15:5–6). That is not presented as an opinion, feeling, gossip or religious slogan. It is presented as public truth.
Timothy Keller described Jesus as the King who bears the ultimate burden. Human kings send others to die for their thrones. Jesus leaves the throne to die for His enemies.
Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Not after we cleaned up.
Not after we became impressive.
Not after we stopped embarrassing heaven. While we were still sinners.
That is why Jesus is not merely inspirational. He is necessary.