Throughout history, the influence Jesus had on the
lives of people has never been surpassed. No other great leader has inspired so
many positive changes in the lives of his followers. People who encounter the
risen Christ are totally transformed. Their outlook on life is altered
forever. To uphold their faith, they do not hesitate to face hardship,
persecution and even death. Many consecrate their lives to serving others,
disregarding their own needs and desires. First
Century Christians Following Jesus'
crucifixion, his disciples were devastated. They had forsaken him in the
Garden of Gethsemane to save their own skins. But after they met the
resurrected Christ, they were radically changed. Suddenly, they were willing
to give their lives to tell Jesus' story to the world. Many were tortured and
killed because they proclaimed Jesus was alive. Skeptics and enemies were
also transformed. Jesus' younger brother, James, didn't think Jesus was
anybody special. But after his resurrected brother appeared to him, James not
only believed Jesus was Lord but became the leader of the Jerusalem church
and died a martyr in 62 AD. Saul of Tarsus was the
chief persecutor of early Christians. He dragged people to prison. When they
did not recant their faith, he was a party to their execution. But he had a
dramatic encounter with the risen Christ on his way to Damascus and he was
transformed from Saul, the enemy of Christianity, to Paul, the main
propagator of its message. He left his position of prestige in Jewish
society, to become a travelling missionary who experienced incredible
suffering in order to share the love of Christ throughout the Roman empire. Roman governor Plinius
Secundus wrote in his Epistles X96 that Christians were people who
loved the truth at any cost. Although he was ordered to torture and execute
them for refusing to curse Jesus, he was continually amazed and impressed
with their firm commitments "not to do any wicked deeds, never to commit
any fraud, theft, adultery, never to falsify their word, not to deny a trust
when they should be called upon to deliver it up." For centuries, true
Christians around the world have stood as shining examples of the standards
of truth and love established by Jesus of Nazareth. Historian Philip Schaff
described the overwhelming influence which Jesus had on subsequent history
and culture of the world. "This Jesus of Nazareth, without money and
arms, conquered more millions than Alexander, Caesar, Mohammed, and Napoleon;
without science...he shed more light on things human and divine than all
philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of schools, he
spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since, and produced
effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a
single line, he set more pens in motion, and furnished themes for more
sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art, and songs of
praise than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times." Modern
Day Christianity The power of Christ knows
no boundary of time or space. In our own age, many skeptics have been
convinced just as thoroughly their first-century counterparts. For example,
Lew Wallace, a famous general and literary genius, was a known atheist. For
two years, Wallace studied in the leading libraries of Europe and America,
seeking information that would forever destroy Christianity. While writing
the second chapter of a book outlining his arguments, he suddenly found
himself on his knees crying out to Jesus, "My Lord and my God." When confronted by solid
indisputable evidence, he could no longer deny that Jesus Christ was the Son
of God. Later, Lew Wallace wrote the book Ben Hur, one of the greatest
English novels ever written concerning the time of Christ. Similarly, the late C.S.
Lewis, professor at Oxford University in England, was an agnostic who denied
the deity of Christ for years. But he, too, in intellectual honesty,
submitted to Jesus as his God and Savior after studying the overwhelming
evidence for his deity. Over the years, he wrote many books to uphold the
ideals of Christianity, including Mere Christianity and The
Screwtape Letters. Many other men and women
in our century have dedicated their lives to spreading the Christian message,
often braving torture and death. For example, one of Romania's most widely
known Christian leader, Richard Wurmbrand, spent 14 years in prison and was
repeatedly tortured for running the underground church under Communist rule.
Even after international pressure secured his release from Romania, he
continued to receive death threats from the Communist regime. But these
attempts at intimidation did not silence him. He kept publicly spreading the
good news of Christ. Similarly, in Korea, Joon
Gon Kim, a well-known Christian leader, witnessed his wife and father
slaughtered before his eyes by Communist sympathizers from his own village.
He himself was beaten senseless and left for dead. He survived the beating
and asked God to give him love for the souls of his enemies. He eventually
led 30 Communists to believe in Christ, including the person responsible for
the death of his family members. Not only does the love of
Christ impel Christians to face persecution and death but also to work to
make the world a better place. Mother Theresa was an outstanding example of a
life poured in the service of Christ. Of her well-known ministry among the
poor, she said: "Our work is only the expression of the love we have for
God." Like her, many others
have given their lives to serve the destitute and the outcast, either in
their homeland or abroad. William and Katherine Booth, founders of the
Salvation Army, believed that ministering to the poor was like ministering to
Christ himself. The movement they launched enlisted the tireless efforts of
enthusiastic people who wanted to make a difference in the world around them.
You may also wish to
encounter the living God and experience His transforming power. Christ's
desire is to enter your heart and give you a new life in him. To learn how to
develop a personal relationship with Jesus, just go to the You section. |