“What Would Jesus Say To Osama bin Laden?”
Acts 4:12, Ezekiel 33:11, Hebrews 8:12
INTRODUCTION:
(Use Vs 1 & chorus of the hit song "Where Were You?”[When the world stopped turning] by Alan Jackson)
Where were you? How many can remember where you were or what you were doing when you heard of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11? Much like those of my parent’s generation who can tell you what they were doing in 1941 when they heard about Pearl Harbor, or those of my generation who can tell you where they were when they heard about the assassination of J.F.K, this event will go down as unforgettable. But there’s a subtle difference. Back in the 40’s people had to hear about the events of the war over radio or read them in the newspaper. In the 60’s, TV, still in it’s infancy, gave us the news in B & W, several hours delayed. But this.. this event was “live and in color.” Many actually saw the second plane crash into the World Trade Towers, as Alan Jackson sang we saw “the black smoke rise against that blue sky,” the burning Pentagon, the charred woods in Pennsylvania, as it happened. And those images are burned in our memories forever.. and so will this one. (pic of bin Laden) It was not very long after the attacks that we started hearing this man’s name as the one who master-minded this incredible crime.. Osama bin Laden. How many, before Sept. 11, had heard his name? President Bush calls him the “Evil One”and there is a reward out for him like in the old days of the west.. “Dead or Alive.”
As we continue in our series on what Jesus might say to some of the contemporary people of our day we want to discuss what the Son of God would say to Osama bin Laden. Now, let’s clarify two things as we begin: (1)I hope you did not come today expecting to hear what I would say to this man; because I am not qualified to pass judgement on any soul, that’s God’s job. As we mentioned last week, one of the things we don’t want to do to any of the people we profile, is to make this a “slam or finger pointing” session. David Berkwitz of Newsweek asked the question in a web article on 12/22, “What Would Jesus Do About Bin Laden?” He asked different religious leaders their opinions but the only “Jesus” he could find that he agreed with was Jesus (hey-soos) Ayala of Brooklyn who said: “We should kill him and (castrate) him. Not necessarily in that order.” Berkwitz concluded: “Now, that’s a Jesus most of us can live with.” After what we’ve seen that kind of anger is understandable isn’t it? (2) But that’s why we need to talk about what we think the Lord might say to this man. Jesus specialized in talking to the undesirables.. what the religious leaders in His day called “sinners.” When they asked Jesus why He bothered with “those kind of people,” He said, “It’s not the healthy who need a Doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mk. 2:17) So, I believe Jesus would be anxious to talk to this man. Now, all of us would probably agree that it would be appropriate for Jesus to pronounce eternal judgment on Bin Laden. He does deserve it doesn’t he? But I don’t think that’s the only alternative Jesus would offer. And as we’ll see, that’s not only good news for Osama bin Laden but for us as well. Would Jesus say? I think He’d say at least three things in an effort to pry open the hardened heart of Osama bin Laden.
I. I, (JESUS), NOT MOHAMMAD, PROVIDES SALVATION: (Acts 4:12)
Osama bin Laden is not exploring or experimenting with the spiritual. He doesn’t wonder what God would want of him. On the contrary, this man is convinced, by his upbringing and extreme religious beliefs, that he is on the right path. Let’s learn a little about him.
He was born in 1957, to a Syrian mother, and to his father, Mohammed Awad bin Laden, who like many in the Arabian culture, practice polygamy, having a harem of wives. Osama was the 7th son among 50 bothers and sisters. His father started his life as a poor laborer in the 1930’s but ended up as owner of the biggest construction company in all of Saudi Arabia. This was due to the close relationship the senior Bin Laden developed with the then King of Saudi. He was so impressive to the King that he was eventually given the exclusive right to build all construction projects for the royal family. So, Osama’s father was a very ambitious, successful, very powerful and he was also a very dominating personality. He insisted that all of his children be kept in a large house so they could be watched. He was a tough disciplinarian and made sure each child observed, strictly, the Islamic code in order to protect them from the “corruption of the infidels” or non-believers. Osama revered his father, obeying his every instruction and was devastated when his Father died when he was 13.
Osama bin Laden is well educated, has a college degree, and is very, very wealthy. His share of his father’s wealth was 300 million dollars! He was very influential due to his family’s continued friendship with the royal family. So he grew up with a stern upbringing, totally committed to his faith, and with great influence in the Arabian world. Without boring you with all the details Osama bin Laden fell into disgrace with the royal family of Saudi Arabia in the late 80’s due to his militant speeches against King Fahad, a boyhood friend, over what he felt was too mild an attitude toward the Soviets who invaded Afghanistan. Osama became so irrate with that difference and with the King’s friendship with America that he talked of government overthrow. Finally, in 1994 he was stripped of his citizenship. Osama, felt betrayed by his childhood friends & by his county. Dr. Aaron T. Beck in his book Prisoners of Hate talks about people who create enemies due to perceived persecution. He says like Genghis Kan, Hitler or Stalin, people like Bin Laden feel they have to punish or eliminate those that are the source of that hurt. For bin Laden, because of his painful experience, that meant the rulers of Saudi Arabi and everyone that had influenced them. And he uses the religion of Islam to justify it. Let’s look at Islam for a moment.
Islam is one of the world’s fastest growing religions. It is estimated that there are 2 billion followers of Islam, (Muslims) worldwide and that there are close to 6 million converts in the U.S. I’ve listed for you some of the main differences between Islam and Christianity. (1) Christians believe God’s will is revealed in the Bible, while Muslim’s believe it’s revealed through the Qu’ran. The Islamic Holy book was said to be given through one person - the prophet Mohammad. One of the reasons God, in His wisdom, used different people to write the Bible was to give it credibility. When a number of people given similar testimony it lends reliability to a document, but when you must depend on one person who says he’s the only one that God spoke to, without anyone else’s verification, it can be very suspicious. (2) Muslim’s are forbidden to try to persuade people to become a part of the Islamic faith. Christians on the other hand are commissioned by God to help others learn of God’s love and to become a part of the Christian family. This commission can be dangerous. Do you remember Dayna Curry & Heather Mercer, who were imprisoned in Afghanistan? Why were they jailed? For trying to convince others of the love of Jesus. (3 )Muslim’s believe they receive salvation by rigidly doing good works for Allah (God) where Christians believe that they cannot earn salvation but is given by God as a free gift.
And herein lies the greatest difference between the two beliefs: how salvation is obtained. The Muslim’s believe that Mohammed was given God’s will and therefore he is to be revered and salvation comes by doing what He says. Jesus Christ is referred to in the Qu’ran but only as a good teacher, a prophet, and the Qur’an denies that Jesus died on the cross or resurrected from the grave. That’s why I believe that the first thing Jesus would say to Osama bin Laden is, “I, not Mohammed, or anyone else, provide salvation. I died on the cross, taking your sin on my body, so that you could have an eternal relationship with God.” The Bible certainly bears that out. Jesus Christ said in Jn. 14:6 - “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.” (NCV) Those that followed Jesus understood this truth. In Acts 4 two of Jesus’ followers were questioned after they had healed a man in Jesus’ name. When they were asked about who Jesus was they gave the answer found in Acts 4:12- (Bulletin) “Jesus is the only One who can save people. His name is the only power in the world that has been given to save people. We must be saved through him.”(NCV)
And there are many who like Osama bin Laden think Islam not Jesus is the way to God, or think that all religions are equally right and so therefore provide many different ways to God. But Jesus Christ said that salvation is only through Him. God could of just wiped us out because of our sin, but His plan all along was to bring us back to Him through Jesus. 1 Thess. 5:9 - “For God has not chosen to pour out his anger upon us but to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ; he died for us so that we can live with him forever..” This is serious stuff.. our very souls are at stake.. Heb. 2:3 asks, “What makes us think that we can escape if we are indifferent to this great salvation that was announced by the Lord Jesus himself?”Osama bin Laden is no different than anyone who doesn’t have Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, they are doomed for eternity. So, Jesus would say, in fact has said, to each one of us.. “I love you, I died for you.. Please, come to Me, because I’m the only one that provides salvation.”
II. EVERY LIFE IS SACRED TO ME: (Ezekiel 33:11)
The second thing I believe Jesus would say to Osama bin Laden concerns the sanctity of life. I believe Jesus would say, “Every life is sacred to me.” Lest we paint the religion of Islam, that bin Laden uses as justification, as a “killer faith,” let me quickly tell you that he represents an extreme side of Islam. Most Muslims believe the 10 Commandment admonition, “You Shall Not Kill,” and wouldn’t take a life to further their own personal agenda. But like the KKK who burn “crosses,” the very symbol of Jesus’ love, to express their racial hate, or like Timothy McVeigh, who bombed the Federal Building in Oklahoma to express his political anger, Bin Laden represents those who think violence is a justifiable tool to use in their cause. Sheik Omar Bakri Muhammad, a leader in this extreme group, said, “The punishment for those who wage war against Allah and His apostle and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet cut off or imprisoned.” Now, that’s no different than other madman the world has known, but the subtle difference is that they don’t even relish the sanctity of their own lives. They believe the ultimate way to please their God is the sacrifice of self, even commit suicide, for the cause. But Jesus would say, “No, no, that’s such a low opinion of people, every life, is sacred to Me. For someone to take your life because you speak out for God’s love as a martyr is one thing, but for you to throw it away because of your selfish desires or worse, take another’s life because you want your way, is not of God.” Eze.33:11 makes that clear: (Bulletin)“‘As surely as I live,’ declares the Sovereign Lord, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.’”God would not have us kill and won’t even be happy if Osama himself is killed. Why? Because what God wants most of all is for people to turn to Him. Please understand.. While God is perfectly loving, He is also perfectly just and will deal with wrongdoing. The principle of the sanctity of every life was expressed from the beginning of time. God says in Gen. 9:5-6- “I will demand the life of anyone who takes another person’s life. Whoever kills a human being will be killed by a human being, because God made humans in his own image.”(NLT) If Osama bin Laden does not turn from his ways He will pay for his unspeakable crimes & his failure to accept Jesus Christ, forever. But the point I think Jesus would make here is that life is sacred to Him and we must remember that too.
Life is sacred even if people are different from us. We are to treat all people with respect for they have been made in the image of God. Race, age, gender, belief, appearance, these are not to be ridiculed or mocked, certainly not sacrificed for our own cause or convenience. We are not to hurt people and that doesn’t just apply to killing. We’ve learned from some of our school shootings, how terrible it can be to tease, deride and make fun of people because they are different than us.
One of the great contemporary, moral issues that faces our country has to do with this very issue of the sanctity of life and that’s abortion. Now the great question of abortion is: When does life really start? Well, the Bible clearly teaches that to God, life begins at conception not delivery. Consider with me the following scriptures:
Ex. 21:22-23 - “Now suppose two people are fighting, and in the process, they hurt a pregnant woman so her child is born prematurely.. if any harm results, then the offender must be punished according to the injury..”(NLT) The life of both the woman and the unborn child were valuable to God! Psa.139:13 -16 - “..you formed me in my mother’s womb..” Do we have the right to get rid of God’s work in progress? V:16- “All the days planned for me were written in your book before I was one day old.”(NCV) David says that God already knew him and had ordained his days while he was still in the womb. In Lk. 1:41 it says that John the Baptist was 6 months developed in his mother’s womb when Mary came to visit his mother Elizabeth & she said in Lk. 1:44- “What an honor this is, that the mother of my Lord should visit me! When you came in and greeted me, my baby jumped for joy..” The baby leaped for joy.. emotion, life, even in the womb. You see, to God, birth doesn’t create life, it just manifests the life that has already been created by God in the womb. The point is: God considers every life sacred! We don’t have the right to take any life for our own convenience or cause. Jesus Christ loves each and every person. He wants us to have an abundant life here and now and an eternal life in the here after. Jesus would say to Osama bin Laden and all of us: “Every life, every life, is sacred to me.. treat it that way.”
III. NO SIN IS TOO GREAT TO BE FORGIVEN: (Hebrews 8:12)
But I believe maybe the most important thing that Jesus would say to this hardened man is “Osama, you need to know that even for someone like you, I am the Hope of your existence.” How is Jesus that hope? Because God has made Him such. Heb. 5:9-
“It was after he had proved himself perfect in this life that Jesus became the Giver of eternal life and salvation to all those who obey him.”(LB) Wherever bin Laden is at this moment, whether in a cave or some protected palace I believe Jesus would say, “I offer you hope, forgiveness, a fresh start, regardless of the severity of the sin you have committed.”
Now, some people get outraged at the idea that Jesus Christ would actually forgive a cold blooded killer like Osama bin Laden. But, unless you’re perfect, you’ve sinned too, you’re separated from God too. But God says, “No sin is too great to be forgiven.” Lam. 3:21-22 - “I still dare to hope when I remember this: The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction.”(NLT) The love of the Lord never fails! Please understand, there is nothing in the world that you could do that would be beyond the ability or the desire for Jesus Christ to forgive. That does not minimize the seriousness of sin, that doesn’t minimize the depravity of what Bin Laden has done. But it does recognize the great, grace of God!
How is this forgiveness provided? Listen to what God says through His Word: “I want you to know, my very dear friends, that it is on account of this resurrected Jesus that the forgiveness of your sins can be promised.”(Acts 13:9 - Message) “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s judgment.” (Rom. 5:8-9 NLT) How is this forgiveness provided? How are we saved from God’s judgement for our sin? Through Jesus Christ. He has provided that promise by dying on the cross, taking our punishment on Him. This is what some of you desperately need to hear, it’s the very thing you’ve been thirsting for.
So, how is this forgiveness obtained? How do we receive it? The Bible outlines three simple steps. Three “A’s”- (1) Admit your wrongdoing. The first step is to admit that you are a sinner. Please understand that comparing ourselves to someone like Osama bin Laden and feeling pretty good will not help. God says that any sin separates us from Him. He knows about the ethical lapses. He knows about the immorality. He knows about the times we’ve ignored God for our own selfish ends. He knows about the trashed relationships, the pride, the self-righteousness. What He wants us to do is own up to it, to come face to face with th magnitude of our own sin. When we do we can have what David did in Psa. 32:5 -“Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone!” (2) Abandon your path and walk down God’s. Acts 3:19- “Now change your mind and attitude and turn to God so he can cleanse away your sins..”(LB) We need to come to the place where we have the attitude of the heart that says, “As best I can with God’s help I want to abandon the kind of life I’ve been living and I want to follow Jesus with all my heart.” It doesn’t mean we clean up our life by ourselves, it means turning over our life to Jesus, submitting to Him saying, “Take me where you will Jesus, I’m yours.” (3) Accept God’s free gift. Rom. 6:23 - “The payment for sin is death, but the gift that God freely gives is eternal life found in Christ Jesus our Lord.”(GW) You see the bad news / good news in that verse? The bad news is what we’ve earned as just payment is death, separation from God forever but the good news is that what He offers is life, eternal life, the gift of forgiveness, it’s yours if you’ll accept it, no matter what you’ve done.
Let me close by telling you the story of Rusty Woomer. Rusty was also a cold blooded killer. In one of South Carolina’s most notorious murder sprees he killed four innocent people and sat on death row for them. In 1990 Bob McAlister, a Christian and Prison Fellowship volunteer met Rusty. What happened between them exalts the forgiveness and life changing power of Jesus Christ for a man who had committed senseless, brutal crimes. Let me allow Bob to tell it.
“Late in the evening, as I walked up to the last cell, I saw a sight I will never forget: Rusty, his face the color of chalk, sitting on the floor - motionless. Crawling aimlessly like so many drunks, dozens of roaches covered the walls and the floor. But what froze my soul were the roaches crawling on the man - his lap, his shoulders and such was his despair that he did not flick them off. I sat down on the floor and tried to talk to him. He could not talk back. He just stared. It was the perfect picture of sin: filthy, degrading, and hopeless. In vain I tried to rouse a response. Frustrated and scared, I prayed aloud that God would cut through the evil in that cell and pierce the heart of its inhabitant. “Rusty, say the word Jesus,” I pleaded. With much effort, he pursed his lips together and whispered, “Jesus.” “Just look at you,” I gently chided. “Your cell’s filthy and so are you. The roaches have taken over and you’re spiritually a dead man, son. Jesus can give you something better.” I asked Rusty if he wanted to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Through tears, he nodded, then prayed. “Jesus I’ve hurt a lot of people. Ain’t no way that I deserve You to hear me. But I’’m tired and I’’m sick and I’’m lonely. Please forgive me, Jesus, for everything I’ve done. I don’’t know much about You, but I’m willin’ to learn, and I thank You for listenin’’ to me.” Late that same night Rusty was baptized into Christ. “I went back to see him the following Monday. I walked up to his cell; it was spotless. Gone were the dirt and roaches and porno magazines. The walls were scrubbed, the bed was made, and the scent of disinfectant hung in the air. “Bob, how do you like it?”exclaimed a smiling, energized Rusty. “I spent all weekend cleaning out my cell ’cause I figured that’d please Jesus.” “Rusty,” I blurted, “it took all weekend to clean out your cell, but it took Jesus only an instant to clean out your soul!” Rusty and I became brothers in Christ, He loved to sit and listen as I read the Bible. During these quiet times of Bible reading, talking, and praying over four-and-a-half years, I hope I taught Rusty something about living. He taught me how to die.
At 11:45 p.m. the night of his execution I accompanied Rusty to the preparation room. I sat at his feet as a Department of Corrections barber, surrounded by a dozen officials, began the grotesque process of shaving his head and right leg. As I was reading to him about heaven a clump of Rusty’s hair fell on my lap; another clump fell on my Bible. I looked up, and, with a half-shaven head, Rusty was smiling, a peaceful smile that I have never seen on another human being. I do not know his thoughts, but they were the thoughts of a man who was not afraid of death. At 12:55 p.m. they came to get Rusty. I followed Rusty to the death chamber, and my final words to him were, “Rusty, look to Jesus.” Rusty was strapped into the chair, a leather strap over his right leg and a leather helmet attached to his head. I heard his last words: “I’’m sorry. I claim Jesus Christ as my Savior. My only wish is that everyone in the world could feel the love I have felt from Him.”
“I wish everyone could feel the love I have felt from him.”Where did Rusty Woomer find that kind of peace? Many of us don’t have it but Rusty found it. Where? He found it in the assurance that comes from knowing that Jesus Christ has fully paid for every sin he had committed. He found it in the promise of Heb. 8:12 where God says: “I will forgive their wrongdoings, and I will never again remember their sins.” And as outrageous as it sounds, that’s what God offers to everyone, including Osama bin Laden, if they will but respond to His Son. And that’s great news for every single person here because if Jesus can forgive the likes of Osama Bin Laden then we can be confident that Jesus will forgive us too. For “There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them.”
J E S U S
Prayer:
Father, how we thank-you for the life-giving love of Jesus Christ. My prayer is for each person within the sound of my voice is that they respond to that love.. To admit their sin, abandon their way for Yours and accept the free gift that you offer right now. Father, for those who have never done that my prayer is that they will seek you even this day. For those of us that have given their life to you I would ask that you transform us.. keep changing our hearts, our attitudes, keep changing us from the inside out.
And Father we continue to pray for those who lost so much in that Sept. 11 attack. How painful it must be. We pray for their peace, their comfort and that their dependence be on you.
And finally Father we do pray for Osama Bin Laden. We know that no man is beyond your ability or your desire to forgive. We pray that somehow, in someway, he would have the courage to open his heart to your message of hope instead of darkness, of life instead of death. For we know the best thing that could ever happen to him, yes the best thing to ever happen to us, is to name the name of Jesus, the Savior of the world and be washed white as snow. Jesus Name, Amen.
