Here I Stand. I Can Do No Other

I heard something on the radio recently which I had never thought about in the context in which it was broadcast.

The narrator was talking about the expectations and demands of various religions, and he made the statement, (paraphrased)

“There are various religious sects whose gods, as part and parcel of their worship, require animal sacrifice. But there is only one God among the gods Who not only required sacrifice, but Who

…became the sacrifice;

in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ.”

He became the sacrifice.

As one of my late ministers was prone to say,

“Think of that!”

In the New Testament, John Chapter 14, Jesus made the claim,

“I am THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life. No man comes to the Father but by Me.”

We live in an age of Political Correctness and I realize in a culture in which many gods (and lack thereof) prevail, we are admonished against definitive statements; (except perhaps statements which promote the implication that good is bad and bad is good). And it has become especially anathema in an age of Ecumenicalism to assign absolute messiah-ship to any prophet, (as if He owned exclusive rights to the keys of heaven).

But simply put,

…Jesus was Politically Incorrect.

He left no bones about it. He left not a hair or a whit unsaid or undone. In another passage of scripture, when speaking to Jewish leaders, He used two words for Himself which enraged the religious authorities so much that they were ready to execute Him for blasphemy.

…“I AM.”

The eternally existent One. A moniker reserved for God, Himself.

As a Christian I realize it is politically incorrect to assign absolute deity and messiah-ship to Jesus Christ. After all, aren’t we living in the age of enlightenment when “all roads lead to Rome?”

The Jewish leaders, and the crowd which had welcomed Him into Jerusalem over a week before, finally had their way, and persuaded the Romans to nail Christ to the cross. As I implied in the opening illustration, scripture teaches that, as a result of our sins, a just God demanded a sacrifice; one in which bulls and goats would never be sufficient. As a result, God’s providential plan provided a once for all, sufficient sacrifice in the form of One Who never knew sin, but became sin for us.

The God Who demanded sacrifice became a sacrifice for us.

There’s a popular phrase going around social media right now which accents the foregoing implication.

“People tell me I shouldn’t take Christ so seriously. Well, now how can I not take Him seriously? He took me pretty seriously.” (So much so that He voluntarily and purposely bore the pain and anguish of a cruel cross).

To rise again and to ultimately ascend into heaven.

As scripture portrays Him, Jesus bore the duel roles of High Priest, and Sacrifice. Never before or since has anyone fulfilled both roles. Only one in all creation had the credentials to do so.

Politically Correct?

No, in an age when all roads lead to Rome, and we are cautioned not to offend another person’s sensibilities,

as Martin Luther once so eloquently exclaimed,

“Here I stand. I can do no other. So help me God. Amen!”

In this of all things, I will go to my grave,

…Politically Incorrect.

 

By William McDonald, PhD. "(Mc)Donald's Daily Diary" Vol. 4