In our society, we know less and less who they are. There is a lot of confusion about what is right and distrust grows as a result. In the time of Jesus, there were also tensions and people wondered “who is this man?”. Jesus answered that question and he said, “the truth will set you free!” Yet the question remains, “who is Jesus Christ?” Does the answer depend on the person with whom you speak or is there such a thing as an universal truth?
The doctor Gor Khatchikyan puts it this way, quoting C.S. Lewis here: “I believe in Jesus Christ as I believe the sun exists. Not because I can see the sun, but because it allows me to see all things.”
The pastor Ronel Álvarez from Cuba grew up in family that practiced voodoo religion. He became a drug user and he even wanted to end his life. In this video he explains how Jesus changed his life.
Scripture says that no one is good. I can almost hear you say: “What a negative self-image say. We have to get rid of that!’ The great thing is that this discovery was a liberation for Pastor Ronel! In order to achieve that insight, it is necessary that a covering is removed.
Consider, for example, washing your hands before eating. As long as there is little light, it is easier to assume that your hands are not dirty. That will change when you turn on the light and look carefully. The Bible says that Jesus is the Light in darkness. When He, the Light, comes closer, you start to look at yourself differently, you also see more of yourself but you also see more of His compassion for you and others.
There are things that are relative such as taste and preferences. But there are also things that are absolute, such as gravity and that trees absorb CO2 and we need oxygen. We commit a fallacy if we base our conception of God and Jesus on our preference. Our preference or opinion has no influence at all on who God and Jesus are. All we are asked to do is to search for truth and do it. Is there room for search and the great mystery? Certainly, God is so much bigger than we are!
Yet the Bible has not left us in the dark about the identity of Jesus Christ. Three times we read that the writers of the Gospel who were with Jesus heard a voice from heaven speaking to Jesus as His Son. During his lifetime He did extreme things such as raising the dead, healing the blind, etc. This is also mentioned in sources outside the Bible, including by historians such as Josephus Flavius.
At the time of his crucifixion, a solar eclipse took place. After his death, the identity of Jesus Christ becomes even more visible. He literally rose from the grave victorious over the darkness! He was seen at the same time by the apostles and later by 500 men who were together. It went exactly as predicted in the books that were more than 400 years old at the time and were seen by the Jews as authoritative scriptures.
What does Jesus’ victory mean to you now? It begins for you to call upon the victory that Jesus Christ has done for you! Everything that is between you and God who is holy, Jesus has taken upon himself on the cross and He has already paid the penalty for it. His resurrection means victory over evil in your life! By simply saying with all your heart that you want to invite Jesus into your life and that you entrust yourself to Him, your life will be changed in the blink of an eye! You get a new identity! You become a child of God! A new beginning!
You don’t understand Easter until you’ve done this. The MMA fighter in the UFC Trevor Peek (Abhishek Dabur) puts it this way: “whether I win or lose a match, it doesn’t change my identity. I belong to Jesus and that’s what it’s all about!