In modern life, Jesus is still cherished and worshiped extensively. Although opinions concerning who he was do not match, everyone has got something to say about him. Jesus is conceived differently by different people. Religions always depend on a higher power and Jesus is considered essential in this subject. The point is that He is acknowledged widely by many. The real difference between the Christians, Muslims, and Hindus is that they all offer different accounts of Jesus (Porter, 1999). Back in the days, Jesus was given many names that spoke of his deeds and was referred to as the anointed one by prophets of the Bible.
From the secular perspective, a lot of people look at Jesus as at one of the prominent men on earth. It is supported by the many wall posters of him in many homes. People look at him as at a sort of guardian. These pictures usually portray him crucified or showing the sacred heart while wearing a crown of thorns on his head. The main reason why Jesus earned the trust of many people is because he was assassinated by the authority. He continues to remain the most loved martyr. It is not easily perceived that there lays the admiration for those who died for a cause in the people’s hearts.
The Christianity and Christians consider Jesus one of their deities contrary to the Muslims who do not regard Jesus as a son of God. Instead, they recognize Muhammad as a prophet of the Lord. Looking at these antagonistic claims, one is left to wonder which one is true. It eventually leads to arguments. The war of religions is still on now. Faith is the belief in a Supreme Being that is in most cases God. Many people cast their problems and challenges before God, whereas Jesus is the son of God according to the Christian community. It is particularly common to see pictures of the Son of the Man on which His followers entrust their business to him. Such a move clearly shows that He is considered to be the protector of the human race. Just like an umbrella, Christianity incorporates other religious doctrines. Not all Christian churches share the same opinion of Him. The Bible clearly calls Him the son of man and elevates Him to the high status of the God’s son. He laid His life on the cross for sinners. It is perhaps the strongest belief people can ever have seeing Him as a martyr “being sacrificed for the sins of others”. He can only be looked at as an epitome of quality in the society. The Bible says that His only cause was to see the good in the world (Barnes, 1991).
Both formally and informally, Jesus has been given many titles and names: “The Light of the World”, “The servant lord Jesus”, “The Prince of Peace”, and many others. These themes are discussed in the Bible studies and discourses, with exceptional songs composed on these themes in order to address conferences. All these seldom acts move into the congregation as people do not heed. The most common way is sticking to their understanding or maintaining the influence of the independent electronic media.
Consequently, Jesus of the Charismatic Preacher is another perception of him. It finds its basis in a traditional point of view looking at him as a magical portent. Being the body guard who offers protection to their master, he is the perfect health policy and also the one who matches makes on all relationships. It puts him as the direct governor of everything done in the world. It is that all that should be offered are the donations to the Charismatic preachers for the favors to continue happening. Those that are taken by the Jesus of Charismatic do not worry themselves about the unfortune in the society as long as they are supplied. The easy way for them is to ignore the needs of others because they blame them for choosing not to believe in Jesus. So, the calamities and happenings are the result of their faith and dedication to God. Even when there is a national crisis, it remains the same.
Human beings have the desire to be emancipated. Freedom is their craving. It is most poignant in the third-world countries where social evils, corruption, and poverty reign. Jesus is also called the liberator with His images arising in communities in the Latin American churches to curb violence. It was then noted that images of kingly Christ became a justification of the social order that is unjust and oppressive. There is a conviction that only the Son of Man can ease the burden of sinners and sufferers. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Jesus addressed with these words to his people. Some of them believe that the true solace cannot be reached until Jesus becomes their personal Savior and Christ.
There are quite a lot people who seem to have a different account of Jesus. The Muslims, for instance, do not look at Jesus as at the son of God but as at the prophet of the Lord. According to Islam, it is a disbelief to say that God has a sibling. The Muslims do not put God in the capacity of human beings, thus such attributing is wrong. Known as the twenty fourth prophet and the Messiah by the Muslims, he will liberate the righteous on the last day. Consequently, it is the separation between these two groups — the Christians and the Muslims. It only tells that Jesus is there in the hearts of those who have faith in the Higher Power desperately waiting for him as promised in their Books. He is expected to arrive like a thief at night, i.e. uninvited and unexpected by all during the last days on earth. In spite of overcoming the death, he promises a home in heaven for the righteous (2Peter 3:10).
Redemption and sin, salvation and evil are all found in the very fabric of the human existence. Individual people are not only the strong ones as well as social systems are just or unjust. “Evil is the blemish of our species, it will not spare even the best man” (Kant, 1885). It is common that many people talk about Jesus only when they are in danger, thus showing that He is the Powerful One. Prayers made today have one thing in common: by the words “”¦through the name of Jesus I pray”¦” they show that Jesus is considered to be a channel to God. Moreover, He shares divinity, so that he can also be called God that is found in the holy trinity.
The fact that Jesus was just and calm has caught up with those who believe in it. The Christian tradition can also be oppressive. The death of Christ has been used a lot to keep people in a situation of powerlessness. A sermon is now preached on how suffering like Jesus can help to achieve one’s goals. Clearly, the church can be its own enemy. It would create a society that does not speak out their needs and in the long run they would not live freely. Jesus was a brilliant world leader. Religious leaders will confirm that true leadership comes from above and only God can take it away. All religions that have an account of Jesus tend to hope that one day He will come back to rule the world at the end of times. The hope that a savior will come for them gives them strength to live positively. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has appointed me to bring happy news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, to give the blind new sight, and to set free all who are oppressed,” — that is what Jesus told to his crowd (Luke 4: 16-18).
I look at Jesus as at the example of a life we are to lead on the earth. He was a universal equalizer who showed sinners a chance at forgiveness. The teachings gotten from His time on earth preach pure love and concern for others. He is known to have said that we should do onto others what is acceptable for us. Followers of Christ want to live the life he led and do the kind of deeds he did towards others.
Religious debates have been known for a long time and there have been endless discussions concerning controversial matters. I believe Jesus to be the leader of the entire universe and the greatest individual on earth. God has made the best person who portrays the life we should live. It sets standards that sustain humility and service. The suffering surrounding his death is a powerful symbol of love He had for human beings. Although the death was the God’s plan and the cast was bound, Jesus still fought with the evil with diligence. Yet, even when faced with death, he manages to retain love and compassion: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”. Jesus said these words when he was on the cross (Luke 23: 34). Forgiveness is extremely crucial as evident from these words considering that he has suffered in the arms of the rulers he still opts to forgive. It would be humane for one to seek vengeance, but Jesus did not succumb to this weakness. According to the Bible, one should live like a child in order to reach the heavens. The child’s mind cannot hold onto grudges. On the contrary, it forgives and forgets. We are all advised to embrace forgiveness. Before leaving, Jesus gave his disciples a prayer in which forgiveness is primarily notable. He said: “Father forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us”¦” (Mathew 6:9-13).
Historically, Jesus is one of the most upright men in history. Guided by a code, he sought victory over all the evil in that time. Like the Bible says, he is the King of kings and Lord of lords as all these have been foreseen by the early prophets. The most crucial point to note is that the Bible speaks of the coming of Jesus since the Joel’s to Elisha’s times. The message of the coming Messiah has been anticipated so much by generations and the fact that it has come to pass gives us hope. He will come back to save his people from damnation at the end of times when the world will be full of corruption (1Timothy, 12). Accounts of Jesus have been written and still will be, but the truth is that He is the son of God. Looking at the beginning, Moses writes in the book of Genesis that there was the word which was with God and later became God. It is a little cryptic, but the idea here is that Jesus is the Son of God who was with Him even before sending Him to earth. While being baptized by John the Baptist, the skies opened and then came a voice that said: “This is My Son with whom I am pleased.”
Faith is the true belief and dedication to something or someone. In religion, it is the beliefs one has in his/her heart. Some people believe Jesus to be the Son of God while others view Him as a messenger. It is extraordinarily difficult to judge which side is right, so there goes faith where one is left free to choose. My most critical point is that Jesus is a significant figure for the whole mankind and He should be given that respect. Peter saw Jesus as a saint while fishing in Galilee and confessed to being a sinner and sought forgiveness. The title the Anointed One came from Peter (one of the favorites of Jesus) given to him through the name Messiah that is a common reference in the Bible. Many religious doctrines hold their strong points deriving them from the Messiah’s way of life meaning that He still lives in the hearts of the contemporary society (Jewison et al., 2004).
The Bible is the code that the Christians live to uphold. It could even be called their constitution, in my opinion. It is made up of sixty six books: thirty seven Old Testament books and twenty seven New Testament books. It is undeniable that there is no common Bible version that is general for everyone. People should keep in mind that there are 500 types. Different religious doctrines prefer to use their versions. This fact actually raises a lot of question about the Bible’s authenticity. This book has been translated for an exceedingly long time since the original copy leaving the believers with a range of confusing ideas that are simply put together. Initially, the word was propagated through the word of mouth, but it is now available in print for all to read. The question is, though, what is there to study in the Bible now that the message is distorted. Early translators only did it to suite their different agendas, thereby manipulating the original message (Beal, 2011). It is confusing to learn that the Catholic group has got more books in their Bible. Seven more books are added to the Old Testament books. It is like a game of poker where there is constant shuffling of the cards that are laid on the table.
Why should there be different Bible versions if the message is the same? Should the books be believed in? It is quite hard to answer these questions now that the whole religious thing has become a lucrative business venture. Considering that the Bible was written by people inspired by God, it is surprising why there should be different accounts of the same subject. Information held by people as the news of the Bible was spread over the years so often that the original account got lost in the process. I am convinced that omissions and additions were made to the book and are still being done. Bart Ehrman carried out a research that proved the Bible to be faulty and not quite flawless. In the Gospel by Mark, Mary Magdalene and two friends anointed to the body of Jesus met a man in white who told them about His resurrection and from here on the story is made up (Ackroyd & Evans, 1975). Bart assessed the original version in comparison with the contemporary one finding out that much information was not true. It shakes down the stringent followers but it is true. It is a proof that the modern Bible has undergone a series of changes and that the initial meaning is lost. It would explain the chaotic situation in the churches where the congregation does not know which way to follow.
A lot of people have felt the evidence of the work of God or maybe Jesus, but the real problem is that many religions differ on the cause. It is now common to see many who doubt the Hand of God in things. It is a spear in their faith. Undoubtedly, God is real and He intervenes in all activities however small they seem. Marin Luther, a famous protestant, participated in the translations of the Bible from Greek-Latin to German. The Lutherans are his followers who hold an uncommonly strong view of the Bible content. They seem to believe that true religion is what they have. It is surely a growing religion with over two million followers in America and in the world. They form another group of the Christians who tend to live according to the Luther’s view of the Bible. As the Christians pray, they hope for an answer, even when it is not a yes. I would say that God and Jesus do not always award. It could easily be stated that fate (as many calamities occur) that wreaks havoc, but the Supreme Power cannot intervene to help weak humans. In the long run, we all get the impression that not everything can be averted.