No moderation

The real test of anyone’s grasp of Christianity is what they think of Jesus. Belief in God can mean lots of things: people give all sorts of meaning to the word ‘God’. But Jesus is the one who really sorts us out.

There are still those who believe Jesus was merely a good man or a wise teacher. They figure that it was only his fanatical followers who made him something more. And yet reliable records such as our text today remind us that Jesus himself taught of his special status. Other founders of religions made no such claims to divine status. For example, there is no way Mohammed would claim to be Allah—it would be sheer blasphemy.

Jesus was different, having no hesitation in saying that he and the Father are one, and that he who has seen him has seen the Father. This is why he aroused such strong reactions. Some hated him, some feared him, others adored him. He never seemed to stir up feelings of merely mild approval.

You either reject him as an impostor and thus necessarily dismiss all the wise and good things he said. Or you embrace him as God in human form. Jesus is either of supreme importance or no importance. The one thing he can’t be is moderately important.

Blessings
David Reay