Why Jesus Christ?
Because Jesus Christ is real. He is not a myth, a legend, or a fairytale. His life (including His words, deeds, miracles, death, and
resurrection) is more credibly documented and recorded than those other ancient historical figures (e.g., Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Julius Caesar) that we accept as real
without question. Besides the writers of The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), the secular historian, Josephus, was a contemporary that had recorded Jesus' existence. To deny Jesus'
existence, a person would have to ignore the compelling historical evidence.
More than any other person who has ever lived, Jesus Christ has made the greatest impact on the world, despite that His life on Earth was short (33 years), He was poor,
and there were no modern means of transportation and communication in His time. Western civilization uses His life as the major demarcation in its calendar; B.C. (Before Christ) and
A.D. (anno Domini, Latin for "in the year of the Lord" ). Jesus lived the most remarkable life ever, and, as a result, He is the central figure in man's history. Jesus Christ drastically
transformed lives 2,000 years ago, and He is doing the same today. No fabricated person could have accomplished all this.
Because Jesus Christ restores our relationship with God. Sin (literally meaning "missing the mark") separates us from God. God
is holy and hates sin, but ever since Adam and Eve, man has chosen to "do our own thing" and disobey God, and consequently, break our relationship with Him. No matter how good we try to be, even
the best of men fall far short of God's perfect standard. However, God loves us so much that he made Himself human in the form of His only Son, Jesus (we know...this is a difficult concept to
understand, but our minds are finite, and we are dealing with the infinite and eternal), to live amongst us and be the perfect sacrifice that would bring forgiveness for our sins
and restore the broken relationship. Jesus obediently accepted the full punishment for all of mankind's sins; past, present, and future. Jesus Christ was the perfect and
sufficient sacrifice because only He has ever lived a perfect, sin free life. Jesus Christ is the bridge that spans the separation between God and man.
Because Jesus Christ saves us. All of us will die. The ultimate concern is where we will spend
eternity after our relatively brief time on Earth is finished. We deserve judgment and punishment for our sins, just as criminals deserve judgment and punishment for their crimes.
The consequence of sin (ultimately, crimes against God) is death and separation from God forever. Jesus suffered and died on the cross to serve the sentence that was supposed to
be ours, but He also came back to life three days later and proved his power to conquer death for us. So, although we will die, Jesus showed that through His power we may live again. And,
instead of being condemned to an eternal existence without God, where there is no love, goodness, peace, and joy, we have the hope of spending eternity with God in a place that is
perfect beyond our ability to imagine.
Because Jesus Christ is The Way. Jesus said that "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) He didn't say "I am a way" or "I am one of the ways." Jesus' claim to exclusivity might sound arrogant, but it's a claim that came with a heavy
burden. Jesus knew of the humiliation, pain, suffering, death, and separation from God that He would be experiencing. On the night before His death, it agonized Him so much that "His
sweat was as drops of blood." (Luke 22:44) Jesus even prayed regarding the suffering he was about to face, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you
will." (Matthew 26:39) If there was another "way," all of what Jesus went through would not have been necessary and could have been easily avoided. Why would God sacrifice His totally
sinless, blameless, and beloved Son if there was an alternative?
Because there is no one so bad that they can't be saved by Jesus. The lives of murderers, child
molesters, rapists, drug dealers, etc. have been turned around and restored by the power of Jesus. You don't have to wait until you are "good" to become a follower of Jesus Christ. In fact, Jesus
said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick...For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matthew 9:12-13) Furthermore, if Jesus could forgive those who were directly
responsible for His own murder (Luke 23:34), He can forgive you. If you deny Jesus' ability to cleanse you of your sins, then you are denying that His death was a good enough sacrifice.
Remember also, that part of God's character is His grace; in other words, His unmerited favor. (Ephesians 1:6-7) We don't deserve His forgiveness or eternal life, but God loves us so much that
He gives them to us through Jesus Christ, if we ask.
Because there is no one so good that they don't need Jesus. Some people are hopeful that God grades
our lives on a human based curve. They feel that they are "basically good," and that it wouldn't be fair if they were kept out of Heaven if they've treated people nicely and haven't broken any
major laws. Or, they may feel that compared to most people they've led good, productive, charitable lives. But how "good" is good enough? Even if their lives compared favorably with, say, Billy
Graham or Mother Teresa, they still need Jesus Christ in order to spend eternity with God. The Bible says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) God and Heaven
are totally sin-free and perfect, and that will never change. If people feel they deserve to spend eternity with God in Heaven, then they deserve to be judged as acceptable according to
God's perfect standards. In other words, if you want to get to Heaven without Jesus, God's test is "pass/fail" and you need to have a perfect score; to have lived the perfect, sinless life.
Impossible.
Other points to consider:
How can I benefit from who Jesus Christ is and what He has done? Jesus will not come into your heart uninvited. It's up to you to decide
to accept this gift from God. All of the wonderful things Jesus Christ has accomplished are available if you receive Him into your life by faith; believing in who He is and what He has done.
This personal relationship with Jesus Christ is initiated by; admitting that you have sinned and desiring to turn away (repent) from that sin, acknowledging that He died for your sins and
rose again to be your Savior, and asking Him to be your Lord by directing your life.
If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, but would like to:
It's simple. Just sincerely pray the following:
"Dear God, I want to know You personally. I know that I am a sinner, and I ask that You help me to turn away from my sins. Thank you for sending Jesus Christ who died for my sins, and rose
again to be victorious over death. Please come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. Amen."
If you have prayed this prayer:
Congratulations! You have begun your relationship of knowing God personally, as opposed to just knowing about Him. The Bible also promises that; Jesus Christ comes
into your life(Revelation 3:20), you become a child of God (John 1:12), your sins are forgiven (Colossians 1:14), and you have eternal life (John 3:16). You may or may not feel any different, as
everyone reacts in their own way. However, be assured that you have just made the best and most important decision of your life!
Please contact us and let us know about your decision. We will be glad to send you information and resources to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ. Just like any personal
relationship that you want to mature, getting to know the other person and your commitment are essential. Jesus already knows you completely and has proven His commitment to
you. It is also important for you to belong to a church where Jesus Christ is honored. Please come and visit HKCC if you can! We will also be glad to assist you in finding a church no matter
where in this world you live.
To know Jesus Christ better or if you are uncertain about Jesus Christ:
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