Paul Johnson's Jesus Essay Example

Jesus is the central figure in Christianity and Christian faith. Both Christian believers and those who criticize His very nature have said a lot about him. The mystery that surrounds his birth, life and death makes him a central figure of debate. Paul Johnson’s in his book ‘Jesus’ looks at the life of Jesus and the events that surrounded it. He takes us through more than just what the scriptures give us as he analyses his life and how the events relate to our day to day Christian life. It is a book that shades more light on Christianity and the need for people to actually believe that Jesus is indeed God who manifested in flesh. The main purpose of his fleshly manifestation was to show us that he empathises with the situations that we go through as believers and he is willing to guide us. During his assignment on earth, Jesus went through all the challenges that come with life, faced all manner of persecutions and finally died on the cross for the sins of humanity.
Christian religion is based on faith, an ultimate belief that God exists and that he watches over his people. Even though most Christians were not yet born to experience the life of Jesus, the historical account are recorded in the bible, which remains to be the best Christian manual of all time. Contrary to what many believe that the bible is just another mythical book written by ordinary people to manipulate Christians, there are varied evidence not just by comparing the literature of different scriptures, but more so in the fulfilment of the events that were recorded. Despite the fact that the bible was written many years ago, its literature remains to be relevant in the current days to both Christians and non-Christians. The very fact that it has drawn many Christians signifies its sovereignty. There is simply something irresistible about the bible that people have to debate about it.
The very reason why Jesus came to live with men was to clear some of the doubts that they had towards Christianity. It is however, unfortunate that just as many people still do not believe in his sovereignty, those in his hometown rejected him as the messiah. This however has not hindered the spread of the gospel and the emphasis on the need to pray. Jesus has been referred to by many names in the bible, the titles that all signify his assignment on earth. He however chose to take up the humble position of a sheep as his ultimate goal was to be sacrificed for the sins of humanity. The lowly state that Jesus took did not compromise his nature as God, it however made him equal with man just to fulfil the mission of salvation. He lived an exemplary life just to prove to us that Christianity is about perseverance and fully trusting in God. He exhorted believers warning that they will definitely face tribulations here on earth, yet they had to live lives that were pleasing to God.
Paul Johnson reveals the fact that Jesus knew how to relate with the young children, the old people and even the youth. He knew how to answer to questions that posed to him even by those who were in authority. This is an important lesson to Christians who are supposed to follow the example. There are many times when his answers satisfied those who listened, yet others annoyed him. These are just some of the situations that Christian believers find themselves. Just because a person is a Christian does not imply that they will have to be right and please people at all times. In fact, just as Jesus, many of the Christians will be considered controversial due to the beliefs they hold on to.
Faith, which is the main ingredient of Christian walk, requires a Christian to walk an extraordinary life, which may be considered foolish to the world. For instance, when a person is supposed to believe that they are rich when in the real sense they cannot afford a decent shelter, it may be considered foolishness. This is simply because the system of the world requires us to believe by what we see, yet faith commands Christians to believe even when they do not see. This is a high level of revelation that is required by Christians. It is unfortunate that a person who does not first believe in the sovereignty of God cannot apply some of the biblical teachings. The very reason why most people doubt the very nature of Jesus and the fact that He is God is simply because they look at biblical teachings with a different perspective.
Jesus remained clear in His teachings that he is the way, the truth and the light and that nobody can go to the father except through him. This signifies the importance of acknowledging that Jesus is indeed God and there is nothing that can separate them. It is only a person who is willing to walk the path that Jesus walked through that will ultimately understand God. It is unfortunate that many people want to understand Christianity basing on scientific facts. Such studies have ended up frustrating as it proves the fact that the knowledge of God cannot be challenged. Looking at the life of Jesus, we realise that even though he was not educated or had no experience of the world, he posed knowledge and wisdom that amazed many people. Nobody could understand or even comprehend how he was able to perform the miracles that he did.
Many scholars who come in the name of challenging Christianity in fact use biblical principles just to try and disprove them. For instance, after Jesus was able to walk on water without sinking, scientists have come up with experiments and theories to explain the possibility of an object being able to swim. This principle has been used to come up with water vessels that are used to transport people across seas and oceans. However, they are yet to prove that actually a person can walk on water without sinking, which is one of the wonders that Jesus performed. Jesus was also able to cure many diseases simply by a touch and a command. This has defeated scientist who have come up with chemicals that are mixed to facilitate cure. This is however not guaranteed considering the fact that the medicines come with their side effects.
The miracles that Jesus performed happened many years ago yet no scientist has been able to come up with an answer to explain such facts. It is however amazing, servants of God are able to perform such miracles. This is an indication especially to many that still doubt the power of Jesus that he is still alive and working in our midst. Those who approach Jesus with an attitude of wanting his help and guidance will be able to comprehend his power. The bible has had different interpretations depending on the occasion and the person who is interpreting it. This was also the scenario when the bible was being written. For instance, when reading the gospels, one will notice the fact that they all talk about the events that took place in the life of Jesus. They are however written on a different approach because of the different people that wrote the gospel.
The similarity in the message is a clear sign that a divine being inspired the message. Jesus taught on the need for people to relate well with others, which is also the core value of Christianity. He was against sin and involving in practices that will defile the body yet he categorically mentioned that the sinners should not be hated. He showed a perfect example on the cross by forgiving those who crucified him on the cross. Jesus understood the fact that there are two powers influencing the actions of human being, this is the power of evil that comes from satan and the power of God. Christians are to be influenced by the power of God yet also understand that other people could be influenced by the power of satan to torment them. A Christian who masters powers and treating them so rather than putting the blame on people will live a victorious life.
This implies that things such as hate, revenge, bitterness and jealousy will not exists among Christian believers. This is simply because a believer will be quick to understand that whenever they feel hatred within their hearts, an evil spirit, which they need to resist, has posed them. A Christian who understands his or her assignment will not have time to hate or feel bitter about anything. Believers are instead commissioned to be peacemakers and the bearer of good news. The only thing that distinguishes a believer from a non-believer is the attitude they hold towards situations that surround them. While a non-believer will look for solutions using human wisdom, a believer will approach it on a godly perspective. This comes from the understanding that God controls everything that happens around them and therefore he is the only one that has the perfect answer and solution. A believer will therefore not waste time trying to figure out or reasoning with the environment why certain things are happening. He will simply go to God in prayer for guidance.
The purpose of Jesus was to deliver man from sins as well as mentor disciples who will carry on with the message of the cross. It should be noted that Jesus, after going through the sufferings of humanity knew how difficult it was to stay in a world dominated by evil. He therefore send the Holy Spirit to guide and convict man. He empowered his disciples with the ability to encourage and even mentor others. It is hence not just enough for a Christian to be well informed about the gospel of Christ but is also required to build and mentor other people. It was never the desire of Jesus that anybody should perish in his or her sin. That is why he was lenient even on those that were considered unclean by the society. He reached out to them with love, providing for their physical needs and ultimately sharing the gospel with them.
There is a lot that is happening in the current world where we see a lot of compromise especially on believers. We are living in a world where sin is celebrated more than righteousness. Those who sin are considered normal yet those who live a righteous life are considered to be abnormal. Even though Christians in the modern world feel that there is much evil in their environment, it was no different from the days that Jesus lived. In fact, it was worse for Christians in those days, as they did not have the power of the Holy Spirit. It is therefore an exhortation to Christians to hold on to the fait with the assurance that Jesus empathises with the situation and that he is still with them through the power of the Holy Spirit,
Paul Johnson has done his very best to bring the aspect of Christianity to the understanding of the people. A book has many inspiring messages and assurance of the sovereignty of Jesus. At least, the book does not take the place of the bible but provides important teachings and revelations that will help a Christian understand Jesus better. For each act that Jesus performed in the bible, it had a significant lesson to a Christian; it is therefore up to the Christian to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to get the revelation. Even though a scripture may appear the same, it speaks differently to a person whenever they read it. This is an evidence of the working power of Jesus through the life of a Christian.