If He Isn't God, We Aren't Saved

Twice last week I had conversations with people who believe that Jesus was a great man, but that he wasn't divine. "Why do you believe he was God?" one person asked. "If God can do anything he wants, why can't God just send a powerful messenger?" I replied, "God can certainly do anything he wants. And in the 1st Century, the thing he wanted most was to become flesh and live among human beings on the Earth for a few years. So he did."

Some people assume this is a popular new idea; the notion that Jesus was a great man, but that he wasn't really God. Perhaps it is popular, but it's not new. When the Council of Nicea summoned church leaders from all over the world in 325 AD, one major purpose was to address that new idea. This charismatic teacher named Arius had created quite a buzz with his doctrine that Jesus was wonderful, but not divine. Some 300 church leaders opened up their Bibles and searched the scriptures to find the truth. In the end, all of them but two voted against Arianism.

It's an appealing thought for some that Jesus might only be a messenger. If he was simply a messenger, maybe his message was for a specific place and time- not for all people and all time. If he was only a spokesman for God, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if a few of his ideas were slightly wrong. And if he was indeed only a prophet, he'd be right there in the company of Mohammed, Brigham Young, and a host of other more recent religious celebrities. But for those of us who value truth more than comfort, the Bible speaks clearly about the identity of Christ.

• Early in the first year of his ministry, Jesus observed the faith of a man who was paralyzed, and promised him, "Your sins are forgiven." Needless to say, this was offensive to some scribes who witnessed the event. They shouted that only God can forgive sins. Christ then healed the man and directed him to pick up his bed and walk. The purpose of the miracle was to prove that Christ could not only heal sickness, but could forgive sins. He was presenting himself as divine. (Luke 5:24.)
• John's Gospel begins by describing the creation of the universe through the power of The Word; a force that was with God and was God. John 1:14 continues, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory- the glory of the only begotten son of the father, full of grace and truth."
• In explaining the virgin birth, the Angel Gabriel explains to the virgin Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy- the Son of God." Christ's mother was a human being, but his father was God. (Luke 1:35)

Of course, an ordinary prophet could have delivered the Gospel Message. But Christ had much more than a message; he had a mission. His chief function was to be sacrificed for the sins of the world. Had he simply been a perfect man, he could have exchanged his life for one sinful life. He could have exchanged his life for Peter, and died for Peter's sins. Or he could have exchanged a perfect life for Joseph of Arimathea, and died for Joseph's sins. But only God could offset the sins and treachery of the entire human race. Only God could swap his eternal righteousness for the overwhelming unrighteousness of the race of man. And that is why God did more than send a prophet. He sent Moses to deliver Israel. He sent Paul to evangelize the Gentiles. But when it came to blotting out the sins of the world, God came in person and took care of it himself.