JESUS CHRIST...
THE WORLD'S GREATEST CHARACTER, PT. 2

By Homer Hailey

The initial temptation was followed in short order by two others, which also are such as experienced by all mankind. Being taken by the devil to the high pinnacle of the temple, the Lord was tempted to cast himself down (being assured, by the devil, that no harm could befall him; he even quoted Scripture to sustain his confidence). But once again, the Christ answered with “It is written, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” Being thwarted in this endeavor, Satan tried his final assault. Showing the Lord all the kingdoms of the earth, and the glory of them, he said, “All these things I will give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” And, as before, the Lord responded with a quotation from the word of God, “It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God; and him only shalt thou serve.”

Luke tells us that following the temptation, the devil left him “for a season.” We can be sure that season did not last long; for very quickly we find the Lord disputing with false teachers – men who had substituted human traditions for the revealed will of God. These false teachers hounded him daily, seeking always to ensnare him or entrap him in something that would enable them to stir up the populace (and the Roman authorities) against him. Failing in this, they finally resorted to physical violence, and contrived to have him put to death by the most agonizing and excruciating pain that the evil genius of mankind had ever been able to devise. But in all these things, Christ was more than conqueror. The sinless perfection of his character, tempted at every point, points to him as the noblest person who ever lived upon this planet.

III


But Christ is entitled to be called the “greatest” not only because of his divine origin, and his sinless character; but the works he did also attest to the greatness of his being. First of all, he came “to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10; Matt. 1:21). His name was given him by the angel when his miraculous birth was foretold, “And thou shall call his name Jesus; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:21). The word Jesus actually means “savior;” the Old Testament form of it is “Joshua,” and, as was generally the case with Hebrew names, there was significance in the very name itself. He came down to save his people from their sins.

Writing to the saved ones in Colossae, Paul reminded them that they had “put off the old man with his doings, and (had) put on the new man, that is being renewed upto knowledge after the image of him that created him, where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman: but Christ is all and in all.” (Col. 3:10, 11). Christ made it thus possible for men to be renewed in the image and likeness of God. It may be spoken of as a “new birth;” or “adoption;” or perhaps, a “new creation.” It is without question the greatest privilege and opportunity that mortal man ever has had, or ever will have. And Christ is the one who made it all possible. In doing so, he founded a moral and spiritual kingdom that will never be destroyed.

IV


Christ came to establish an eternal kingdom of truth. When Pilate asked him if he were a “king,” the Lord replied, “Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end have I been born, and to this end am I come into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice.” (John 18:37).

This is the kingdom foretold by the prophets of old. Daniel said that it would never b e destroyed. Isaiah had many, many things to say about this kingdom. Jesus set it up, and in doing so, performed the greatest miracles the world has ever known. The one final miracle, which proved his Divinity, was his own coming forth from the tomb (Rom. 1:4). This was the thing that declared him to be the Son of God, and established forever his claim to our homage and worship. The miracles performed during his lifetime, great though they were, would probably have been long since forgotten by the race of men had he not put the final irrefutable proof of divinity upon his claims by this overwhelming demonstration of power. He is indeed King of Kings, and Lord of Lords!

His divine origin, his sinless life, his miraculous works combine together to give him a status far above that of any other being who ever walked upon this planet. He is the “greatest” the world has ever known – and will remain so through all time and eternity.

Note: This mornings article is taken from a 1977 edition of the Christian journal, Vanguard.