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 put Christians in prison. When they would not denounce Jesus Christ he sent them to be executed. But he had a fantastic experience with Jesus on the way to Damascus and he was completely transformed. He became Paul the minister to the Gentiles.
Roman governor Plinius Secundus wrote in his Epistles X96 that Christians were people who loved the truth at any cost. Although he was order to torture and execute them for refusing to curse Jesus, he was continually amazed and impressed with their firm commitment. “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.”The power of Christ knows no boundary of time or space. In our own age, many skeptics have been convinced just as thoroughly as 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.” 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.In this modern day I have also found a savior in Jesus Christ. We have more time to do so many things but there are still problems that keep us down.
We can either turn to Jesus or just go with the flow, and do what everyone else is doing. I chose to follow Jesus. I try to do what Jesus tells us in the bible to do, but I fail many times. I praise God that his grace is sufficient.
