Jesus is baie meer as 'n bekende historiese figuur

Johannes 12:20-21 (2020 Vertaling)

20Daar was 'n aantal Grieke onder die mense wat gekom het om op die fees te aanbid. 21Hulle het toe na Filippus gegaan, wat van Betsaida in Galilea was, en hom gevra: “Meneer, ons wil Jesus sien. ”  (“Meneer, ons wil Jesus graag ontmoet.” 1983 vertaling)

Soos wat ons reeks "Ons wil Jesus sien" vorder, word my verbeelding meer en meer aangegryp deur die persoon van Jesus Christus. Uit al die bewoners van die aarde sedert die ontstaan van die mensdom, het net ‘n klein handjievol dit reggekry om ‘n wesenlike, blywende verskil te maak wat die wêreld verander het. Uit daardie klein groepie mense - is daar een persoon wat kop en skouers bo die res uittroon - sy Naam is Jesus Christus.

Adrian Rogers (bekende Baptiste leraar van die VSA) skryf oor hierdie Persoon -

“More attention has been given to Him; more devotion has been given to Him; more criticism has been given to Him; more adoration has been given to Him; more opposition has been given to this one person than all of the others. Every recorded word that he said - has been more sifted, analyzed, scrutinized, debated - than all of the historians and the philosophers and the scientists put together. Yet, He was here 2,000 years ago. And, after 2,000 years, there is never one minute on this earth that millions are not studying what He said. Think about it: here’s a person who lived in a miniscule, tiny little land two millenniums ago; and yet, His birth divides the centuries BC & AD; Before Christ and Anno Domini (the year of our Lord.)

He never wrote a book that we know of; and yet, library after library could be filled with the volumes, the multiplied millions of volumes, that have been written about the Lord Jesus. He never painted a picture, so far as we know; and yet, the world’s greatest art, the world’s greatest dramas, the world’s greatest music, the world’s greatest literature has Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, as its source. Jesus never raised an army, so far as we know; yet multiplied millions have died for Him. He never traveled very far from His birthplace; and yet, His testimony has gone around, and around, and around the world. He only had a handful of little followers that followed Him there, in His ministry; and yet, today, over 30% of the world’s population names His name—the largest such grouping on Earth today—Jesus of Nazareth. He had a public ministry of only three short years. He had no formal education. He didn’t attend a university or seminary; and yet, thousands of universities, and seminaries, colleges, and schools are built in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. And, in my estimation, in my humble opinion, no one can call himself, herself, educated who does not understand Jesus Christ.”

Jesus is baie meer as 'n historiese figuur. Hy was hier vir 33 jaar, het vir 3 jaar bedien en 'n groepie mense geroep om hom te volg. Hy is gekruisig, is begrawe, het opgestaan en opgevaar hemel toe om sy plek op die troon in te neem. Sy Gees het aarde toe gekom. Hy heers op die oomblik oor die heelal. Hy gaan weer kom by die Wederkoms. Hy is weg maar hy is ook hier! Hy is God. Wat 'n voorreg om Hom te ken en elke dag beter te leer ken.