Jesus is standing patiently in front of you. You hear Him speak to you again.
“Who do you say I am?”
You search your memory for what you do know about Jesus. Think! Think! What do I know about Jesus?
You remember the writings of Dr. James Allan Francis from 1926. He seemed to well sum up Jesus’ Life. You clear your throat and tell Jesus,
“You were born in an obscure village,
The Child of a peasant woman.
You grew up in still another village,
Where You worked in a carpenter shop
Until You were thirty.
Then for three years,
You were an itinerant preacher.
You never wrote a book.
You never held an office.
You never had a family or owned a house.
You didn’t go to college.
You never visited a big city.
You never traveled two hundred miles
From the place where You were born.
You did none of the things
One usually associates with greatness.
You had no credentials but Yourself.
You were only thirty-three
When the tide of public opinion turned against You.
Your friends ran away.
You were turned over to Your enemies.
And went through the mockery of a trial.
You were nailed to a cross
Between two thieves.
While You were dying,
Your executioners gambled for Your clothing,
The only property You had on earth.
When You were dead,
You were laid in a borrowed grave
Through the pity of a friend.
Twenty centuries have come and gone,
And today You are the Central Figure
Of the human race,
And the Leader of mankind’s progress.
All the armies that ever marched,
All the navies that ever sailed,
All the parliaments that ever sat,
All the kings that ever reigned,
Put together, have not affected
The life of man on earth as much as Your
ONE SOLITARY LIFE.”
Adapted from a sermon by Dr. James Allan Francis ©1926
Jesus has not moved His Gaze from your face. He is still smiling at you. His Voice is gentle.
“But you,” He says.
“What about you? Who do you say I am?”
Points to Ponder
How would you answer Jesus?
What if you tried Peter’s Answer next? Do you agree with Peter that Jesus is “The Messiah, The Son of The Living God?”
If you believe that Jesus is The Messiah, The Son of The Living God, what does that have to do with you?
To listen to the audio version of One Solitary Life, click here.
