THE UNIQUENESS OF JESUS Based on John7:25-46
An advertisement that was originally printed in the
Miner's Magazine as a serious add was later published by
the Reader's Digest as humor. The ad read, "Wanted:
Man to work on nuclear fissionable isotope molecular
reactive counter and three-phase cyclotronic uranium
photosynthesizers. No experience necessary." Of course, it
was a joke. No one is that unique. On the other hand, how
can you find anyone with experience in a field that never
existed before?
The New Testament has a similar problem in the spiritual
realm. The complex task of saving sinners, and yet
remaining just an absolutely loyal to his nature of holiness
was God's problem. Of course, it is only a problem from our
point of view. In His eternal wisdom it was solved before the
world began. The job called for an extremely unique person.
He had to be fully man, for only a man could live a perfect
human life. If he was not truly man, the life he lived would
not be truly human. Yet, only God could insure that such a
life could be lived. The paradox is that only God could do
what was necessary, but it could only be done as a man. The
solution could only be Jesus Christ-the God-Man. All the
paradoxes and problems of the relationship of God and man
are resolved in Christ who was both.
Robert C. Moyer wrote, "In Jesus divine omnipotence
moved in a human arm. In Jesus divine wisdom was cradled
in a human brain. In Jesus divine love throbbed in a human
heart. In Jesus divine compassion glistened in a human eye.
In Jesus divine grace poured forth from human lips." Jesus
was the most unique of all men, but not just because He was
God, but rather, because He was really man. That is, He
was the only complete example of ideal manhood ever seen
on this planet. Adam was the only other man who was ever
perfect in his manhood, and he fell. Jesus alone lived a
perfect human life. Jesus was unique, not just because He
was more than a man, but because He was fully a man. He
was the man par-excellence.
We need, therefore, to stress His humanity as He did of
Himself. His favorite name for Himself was the Son of Man.
In the bureau of standards in Washington there is a gold bar
exactly one yard long which is the standard by which every
measuring instrument in the United States is judged. There
has to be one, and only one, final absolute standard. Jesus is
that standard in the realm of human life, morality, and
character. As deity He was no standard for human life.
Only as man did He become our standard and ideal. In the
incarnation the human ideal became real.
Herman Horne points out that realism and idealism are
combined in Jesus Christ. He writes, "Human nature at its
possible best gives us the ideals for man. If we want to know
what the ideals of man's complete living are, we must know
what human nature is at its best; what it's elements are;
what it is possible for each element to attain in its
development. Thus the real is the basis of the ideal; the real
at its best is the ideal; the real is the actual; the ideal is what
is possible for the real to become. Such idealism as this has
its feet on the ground; is practical. Idealism without
reference to what the real can become is visionary."
Christian idealism is based on the real of Christ. Jesus is the
example of what the real man can become. He is the ideal
which we shall attain, for we shall be like Him when we see
Him as He is, according to John.
Meanwhile, it is our task to learn of Him, and strive
toward His ideal manhood. Paul said in Eph. 4:12-13 that
the gifts of Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and
teachers was, "For the equipment of the saints, for the work
of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all
attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the
Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ." He is our standard, and we
are to measure up to Him as the goal of all our study,
listening, worship, and service as Christians.
O Man of the far away ages,
O Man of the far away land,
More art Thou than all of the sages,
More art Thou than creed or command.
To crown Thee we need but to know Thee;
We need but to live Thee to prove,
For time nor decay can o'er throw Thee-
Humanity's ultimate Love.
Author unknown
Jesus has no competitors in the field of perfect manhood.
Hunter Blakely writes, "Men can conceive nothing higher
than to be Christ like. It is significant that non-Christians
all around the world have been revising the character of
their deities with one purpose--to bring them into
conformity with Christ. Mohammed is not compared with
Buddha, nor Confucius with Krishna, but one in all are
brought before the moral masterpiece, and the question has
to be answered, is it Christ like?"
Jesus is universal because of the perfect balance of his
manhood. He combines in his life and character every type
of human goodness. He fits into every age and culture.
Whatever goodness is being emphasized in a particular age it
will be found exhibited at its best in Jesus. This uniqueness
of Jesus in combining every value of manhood in perfect
balance can be abused. All men have to do is take one aspect
of Jesus and exaggerate it as the whole, and ignore the facts
that bring balance, and thereby have a Christ for their
cause. W. A. Vissert Hooft, former president of the World
Council of Churches, an author of numerous books, gives
concrete examples of this abuse.
He writes, "...There is an 18th century Jesus who looks
strangely like a dignified free-mason, and a 19th century
Jesus, who resembles in all essentials an enlightened
democrat of the liberal variety. There is the revolutionary
Jesus of the Communist Barbusse, the pacifist of Tolstoy; the
militant Jesus of the Kiser. There is the Aryan Christ of
H.S. Chamberlain and the "German Christians;" the Jewish
Christ of the liberal Jews, the Russian Christ of Dostoievsky.
The Indian Christ of Radakrishman. Some of these portraits
are better than others. Some are naiev or cynical attempts
to exploit Jesus for some cause which has no imaginable
relation to his message and mission. Others are attempts to
honor him by bringing him into the closest possible relation
to the concrete realities of our time. All, however, reveal a
tendency to use this man for some extraneous purpose which
originates, not from him, but from some other source."
It is good for us to be aware of this as we study Jesus.
Wherever there is power there is exploitation and abuse, and
in Jesus Christ there is great power, for even as a great man,
apart from his deity, his influence is great. If you can
persuade others that Jesus backs your program and ideas,
you have the best possible support. Let us keep in mind,
therefore, that Jesus Christ is the perfect man with perfect
balance. No cause has exclusive claim on Christ, nor does
the advocate of any particular virtue. Perfect balance must
characterize any true study of the character and teaching of
Jesus.
Take the question of whether Jesus was manly or
womanly in character. Some authors will dwell exclusively
on his strength and courage. Others will magnify his
compassion, gentleness, and loving care of children. Both
are right, but both are wrong if they imply their picture is
the whole of Christ. Jesus combines in his personality the
ideals of both sexes. Perfect manhood must combine the
virtues of male and female. How could Jesus be the example
and standard for all if he had none of the feminine ideals in
his character. Westcott wrote, "Whatever there is in men of
strength, justice, and wisdom; whatever there is in women of
sensibility, purity, and insight, is in Christ without the
conditions which hinder among us the development of
contrasted virtues in one person." Failure to keep this
balance led to the feminine virtues of Jesus being forgotten
in the Middle Ages. Jesus was presented as just and severe.
Men longed for tenderness and compassion also, and the
result was that Mary was exalted to provide these qualities.
Mariolatry could have been avoided had a full picture of
Christ been presented to men.
In reaction to the Christ of severity a pietistic Christ was
developed. Sentimentalism characterize the Christian, and
Christ was made effeminate. Men left the church to the
women and children, for they sensed Christ had nothing to
offer to fulfill the masculine aspirations of life. We are still
suffering from this defective portrait today. A balance view
of Christ would reveal he is the perfect ideal of both the
masculine and feminine. He redeems the best in both.
Christ has done more to lift womanhood to a level of dignity
and respect than all the religions of the world combined. We
should rejoice that Christianity is a woman's religion, for
our mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters are women, and in
Christ they can be the best of women. Women feel that no
man really understands their feelings, and they are probably
right, but Jesus, the unique and perfect man, understands
completely.
There is no male and female in Christ, for he combines
both in one complete whole. This is why we see women
following Jesus, and being loyal to him all the way even
through his crucifixion. It is good and wonderful that this is
so, but men must also see the masculine Christ. The Christ
in our text could make such an impression on the officers
sent to arrest him that they were afraid to lay hands on him.
When they reported back to the Pharisees without him, their
reason was, "No man ever spoke like this man." This is the
testimony of his enemies. They said he was the most unique
of men. He spoke with such authority, power, and certainty.
He was a leader of men and captured the allegiance of strong
men like Peter, and zealous men like Simon the Zealot. He
offered men a challenge that called for the best that a man
can be. Jesus calls all men to heroism. He calls him to take
up the cross and follow him.
The history of heroic men is the history of those who have
followed Jesus Christ. Our first conviction about the
manhood of Christ must be that he was unique. Not only did
no man ever speak like him, no man ever lived like him.
Grace N. Crowell wrote,
“One man alone to change the ways of men!
One humble man to draw the world to him!
Never before, nor will there be again His like
The stars made fade, and the sun's light dim,
And still no one will walk as once he walked,
Among the lowly, healing every ill,
And still no man will talk as once he talked,
To teach mankind to heed God's holy will.
Never a man like this-no one at all
Moves as he moves within a circling light.
Head-high above all others, straight and tall
He stands, imbued with power and with might.
He is the one, o men, who sacrificed
His life for ours--the loving, living Christ.”
It is when we see Jesus as one of a kind in his humanity
that we most see the reality of his deity. He was the most
unique of men.
