Jesus is no hoax

I'm going to break the mold today and rather than sharing with you a piece of news, I want to discuss something I heard today. Perhaps you have been gifted with the ability to hear David Jeremiah speak, if not you should definitely check him out. However, prior to listening to him this evening, I heard Stephen Rummage who was discussing Christ's birth and death given the fact that we are rapidly approaching Christmas. He discussed the fact that people are forced to deal with the Truth of Christ and that they do so in one of three ways: they get angry, like Herod, they are apathetic like the innkeeper or they are awe-struck like the wise-men and all that have followed after them.

Rummage made some really excellent points but what struck me more than any of that was the fact that he was right, when faced with Christ we must make a decision, do we get angry? I mean a lot of people will get down right feisty and heated if you try to talk to them about the necessity of salvation through Jesus. Herod killed every little baby boy born in the same time period for fear he'd have to bow before the King of the Jews. People get ticked when you tell them that they aren't good, that they can't do enough good to warrant entry into Heaven. Then of course there are those who don't care at all; they shrug Jesus off like hippies shrugged off jobs. He's not anymore important to them than the car the person next to them drives, in fact He may actually be less important than that.

Finally we reach the third group of people, the group I hope you fall into, those who are radically changed by the revelation that Christ is all they need in this life, that He came to die for their sorry behinds, that He loved them enough to endure the worst torture possible and that He desired relationship with them so extremely that He stepped down from His prominent position as King of all, Lord of Lords, and visited them in the form of a wee baby in a manger. Here's where the David Jeremiah piece kicks in. He was talking about the fact that he really believes that Jesus was born of a virgin, that He was and is the King, the Son of God. Obviously if you're a believer then you adhere to those faith-based concepts as well but he had an interesting way of proving it (for lack of a better word).

David Jeremiah said that Jesus was nailed to a cross for the crime of claiming to be the Son of God (and he provided Scripture to back that statement though I didn't write it down because I didn't know I'd be relaying it to you and since it's after midnight while I am writing this I think I will forego looking it up). So, he said, there isn't a single human mother that would allow her son to die for something untrue. He said if it had all been some elaborate hoax, if Jesus had been off His rocker, then all Mary had to do was step forward and say, "He's not God's Son, I remember the night I conceived Him..." she could have gotten Him off that cross if He'd been anyone other than Who He really is. She knew He was on that cross not because He only claimed to be the Son of God but because He was and is! WOW!!


As we enter this season that we affectionately call Christmas, let us remember that if Christ had never come this time wouldn't exist and the joy that fills our souls would be nonexistent. Without Christ we are without hope. Praise Him for loving you enough to come here and endure all the persecution that still abounds today. This is not a happy holidays time of year, it is MERRY CHRISTMAS and thank You JESUS! Jesus is no hoax and you need Him!