I BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST
PHIL. 2:1-11
August 21, 2016
Chilmark Community Church
Rev. Armen Hanjian
Who is Jesus? What we know of him can be summarized in short order. He was born 67 generations ago – 6 B.C. as the calendars have been corrected. He was born in Bethlehem, about 5 miles South of Jerusalem; born of devout Jewish parents. He was reared in Nazareth of Galilee together with James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas his brothers and at least two sisters. His father , Joseph, was a carpenter and Jesus probably learned the same trade. Because we find no evidence of Joseph’s presence in the later part of Jesus ‘ life, it is assumed Jesus, being the oldest son, took upon himself the support of his family.
Of his youth we only know of the incident in the Temple when Jesus astounded the scholars with his understanding of God. Of his early years, we only have the testimony that he “….grew and became strong, filled with wisdom and the favor of God was upon him.”
When Jesus was about 30 years old he left his trade, journeyed South to the banks of the Jordan river, and was baptized by his cousin John the Baptist. Jesus spent two more years teaching, preaching and healing; in that time he gathered a small band of followers including some women.
In the period of another year he was put through the mockery of a trail and was unjustly executed by crucifixion – the form of punishment used by the Roman government to do away with criminals. His disciples then and to this day have always believed that Jesus still lives.
Basically, that’s all we know; details of these facts can be read in the four Gospels – writings which amount to far less than the length of a Sunday paper. We know little concerning Jesus life, though we know almost nothing of Pilate the Governor; we know very little about Caesar the ruler of the world in those days and we know nothing about the richest men of the day or the socially prominent.
From the gospels we can form a picture of what Jesus was like. First, let me point out that Jesus was a real human being. If he were not truly a man, he would not have a complete sympathy for our human situation. I remind you of this because too often we put Jesus up on a wall as a picture of God and forget that he was born, ate, laughed, hurt himself, was hurt by others, felt happiness and loneliness; he sweated in toil, knew temptation, and cringed with pain when nails were driven into his body. We must add that he was either the highest of idiots or the highest expresser of love when he walked towards Jerusalem with the full knowledge that those who would put an end to him would see him on a cross. We know that Jesus in offering his life was expressing love and not acting the fool, for he had opportunity before Pilate to have himself released. If I were in his shoes, I would have escaped death somehow and rationalized by saying God needs me here on earth to do his work. Our Lord knew full well the desire of God when he offered his life that would end in crucifixion.
Let me also remind you Jesus was not a woman. Surely he had gentleness and tenderness in him, and many artists have used women to model for the face of Jesus in order to portray these loving qualities.
But don’t be fooled, no man who works day after day as a carpenter all his life to support at least 8 family members would in his last few years have lily white hands – rather his hands would be calloused and his body strong with muscles. Whatever his appearance, he attracted men, women and children to his side; and he still does.
Above all, Jesus was in love with all people. Each person he met was a child of God. To put it bluntly, he was saying God loves you no more than he loves Assad or Hitler or Hanjian. His ministry was for others – for people. He lived and died for people; he out lived people because he out loved them. As it is so well put in John13:1, “….having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” Or in his own words, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” As Nevin Harner put it, Our Lord would be much easier to follow, if he only loved others a little less.” (I Believe, p.191)
From beginning to end, Jesus’ life revolved around the love and the will of God. Surely, the disciples who lived and walked with him would have doubted him when he said, “I and the Father are one.” But after the Resurrection, they knew that fact to be as true as anything can be true.
Paul said this way, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.”
The good news that God loved the world and that there was hope for even the gentiles was so hot, that the disciples dropped everything and spread the word like gossip.
For the disciples, there was little worry as to whether Jesus was born of a virgin or that his miracles were sound. Many good Christians believe in the Resurrection, yet not in the virgin birth. The virgin birth is referred to in only two brief places – in Matt. and Luke. Many hold to it for it sets Jesus apart from all other humans; other Christians hold that if Jesus were truly a man, he must have been born like other men. It was common in in our Lord’s time to attribute to all great men a god as their father. The important thing is that all Christians affirm that Jesus in some sense came from God. As Harner put it, “If you can believe in a virgin birth, well and good. You have a firm basis for your conviction that Jesus came from God. If you cannot believe it, do not worry about it, but in your own way hold fast to this same conviction. In either case try to view with understanding those who differ with you.” (p.22)
In regard to the miracles, there is little doubt, for they are too interwoven into the fabric of the gospels. Yet even here good Christians differ as to whether Jesus healed with the natural powers and laws of God – powers and laws we do not yet understand or whether he used a special unique power From God. Again, if you put your faith in the supernatural miracles of Jesus, well and good. If you cannot, don’t say you can not be a Christian. The important thing about Jesus was not the marvelous acts reported about him, for he himself refused to be known as a wonder worker. He even said to his disciples, the things I do you will do and greater things.
The important question about Jesus is: Who is he? In answering this question, we must distinguish between the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith. Jesus of history is that carpenter who 2000 years ago lived a good life and was unjustly killed. The Christ of faith is that eternal and divine spirit which made Jesus the Christ. These two phrases express the earliest Christian doctrine that our Lord was both truly human and truly divine. It is difficult to find anyone who holds that Jesus never lived; only the Christian affirms that this Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ. We have called him Emmanuel, God with us, for he lives today as he has thru the years.
Who is Jesus? Who is Jesus to you? is the real question here. If you are more than a Christian in name only, then Jesus is your Lord. He is your master and you are his servant in glad obedience. You follow him when he calls, you attempt to fulfill his commandments and you seek to do what he did and be like him. In short, you put your who trust in him.
In the mountains of Europe, there are many Summer resorts at which acrobats walk the tight rope from one peak to another, crossing ravines of 1,000 feet with only a balancing pole to help. A visitor at one such resort said, “If you can do that with such skill, I trust you could do anything.” “Do you think I could take this wheel barrow across?”, he asked. “Oh yes,” you can do anything.” He went across and back with the wheel barrow. Then he said to her, “Madam, if you trust me, get in the wheel barrow this time.” That is how we must come to put our complete trust in Jesus. Either he is our Lord or he is not.
Thru the years we have affirmed a variety of creeds. The earliest creed was this: “Jesus is Lord. “ You see, after the emperor Trajan, not only was the citizen to give honor to the emperor, but also to worship him as god. So Christians were forced to say the emperor was the only lord of their lives by saying publicly: “Cursed be Jesus.” To refuse to say it meant death in times of persecution. Many a Christian died with the words “Jesus is Lord” on their lips.
Who is Jesus? Yes, he is our yardstick, making us aware of our shortcomings. He is always loving; we are not. He is always forgiving; we are not. He is self giving; we are hoarding. He is the way to abundant life; following our own wills leads often to sickness and dead ends. The life Jesus so perfectly lived, makes us aware of our feeble lives; but Jesus doesn’t leave us hopeless. That is why he is more than judge, he is one who saves. Not only has he given us the perfect example for living, he has enabled us to be at one with God. Jesus came into the world to draw all people to God, to bridge the gap, to fill the emptiness which separates us from the love of God. To experience this is to participate in eternal life even now, in this life.
Who then is Jesus? As the scriptures say he was the one who “emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, ( If Shakespeare came in we would all stand.) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Are you willing to get into that wheel barrow?