“He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant. He grew up in another village, where he worked in a carpenter shop until he was 30. Then, for three years, he was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a home. He didn’t go to college. He never lived in a big city. He never traveled 200 miles from the place where he was born. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but himself. He was only 33 when the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied him. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While he was dying, his executioners gambled for his garments, the only property he had on earth. When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed grave, through the pity of a friend. Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of the human race. I am well within the mark when I say that 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 this earth as much as that one, solitary life.” -Attributed to James Allen Francis.
Jesus is undoubtedly the most influential person in human history. His birth marks the beginning of the BC/AD divide on our calendars. Today, over 2 billion people claim to follow his teachings, and his name is mentioned daily, whether in reverence or in casual speech.
Moreover, almost every religion seeks to incorporate him into their beliefs.In Hinduism, Jesus is proclaimed to be one of the ten avatars of Vishnu. In Buddhism, many consider Jesus to be a bodhisattva, one who nearly achieves nirvana but stops just short to guide others. Muslims believe he is a prophet, born of a virgin, who will have a second coming. Bahá’ís, Sikhs, Mormons, New Age followers, Jains, and Deists all try to claim Jesus as one of their own.
Nearly 90% of the world’s population belong to a religion that has a tradition of reverence for Jesus. However, the same is not true in reverse. Orthodox Christians do not worship or revere the leaders or founders of other religions. Nor do the other religions seem to revere each other’s founders. Orthodox Muslims do not revere the Hindu gods or the Buddha, nor do typical Buddhists revere Muhammad. Yet, they all desire to incorporate Jesus somehow into their religion.
What is it about Jesus that draws so many to him? As seen in the writings of James Allen Francis, the life of Jesus wasn’t a grand spectacle. He wasn’t a great political leader or conqueror. He was a humble carpenter with a brief preaching ministry who died a horrifying death without a penny to his name.
Was it his wise teachings?
One reason might be Jesus’ wise teachings. While this could be part of the explanation, it doesn’t seem to tell the whole story. The founders of most religions had wise teachings, as did many philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates, yet they are not claimed by the popular religions.
Was it his noble sacrifice?
Some might argue that his noble sacrifice is the reason he is revered, but this doesn’t seem to add up either. Many people throughout history have made noble sacrifices, yet they have not received similar reverence. Socrates’ death, which he faced boldly after being sentenced by the Athenian court, is portrayed as a noble sacrifice. His teachings have been some of the most influential in the history of philosophy, yet no major religion claims him.
Is the global spread of Christianity an explanation?
The global spread of Christianity seems to be a necessary aspect of the equation but not a sufficient one. Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism have spread to every major country, but you still don’t see Muhammad or Buddha revered in every religious tradition. It’s accurate to say that Christianity wouldn’t have reverence in every religious tradition without its global spread, as people wouldn’t have heard of Jesus. However, there seems to be something more about the person of Jesus, something that other religious figures lack, that makes other religions want to incorporate him.
Was it his Divine Claims?
Some claim that Jesus’ unique divine claims set him apart from other figures, intriguing the major religions. However, only certain Hindu traditions see Christ as divine (an incarnation of Vishnu). Buddhism views him as very enlightened, while Islam explicitly rejects his divinity, recognizing him only as a prophet. Moreover, during Jesus’ time, counterfeit Messiahs were common. What separates Jesus from them? Was he simply wiser than the others, making his teachings and claims more compelling? Was he better marketed? None of these explanations seem satisfactory.
As we have seen, wise teachings alone aren’t enough. Jews, Greeks, and Romans were often repulsed by Christian teachings. Jews found the idea of a dying and rising Messiah and a resurrection before the end times absurd. Greeks had issues with bodily resurrection, and Romans viewed the emerging Christian religion as a fringe cultic superstition. Even Jesus’ earliest disciples abandoned him, fleeing for their lives upon witnessing his crucifixion. Jews saw execution as evidence of divine punishment, and crucifixion was considered the most shameful way to die in the ancient world by Jews, Romans, and Greeks alike. Yet, somehow, Christianity overcame all of this.
As stated before, false Jewish Messiahs were common in the ancient Near East, and their stories always ended the same way: they were crucified, and their followers moved on. New Testament scholar N.T. Wright puts it this way:
“If the messiah you had been following was killed by the pagans, you were faced with a choice between two courses of action. You could give up on the whole idea of revolution and abandon the dream of liberation… Or you could find yourself a new messiah…”(1)
What separates Jesus from these other Messiahs? What drew his disciples back? There is something unique about Jesus that no other religious figure in the long history of the world has had, setting him apart.
Conclusion
Historian Arnold J. Toynbee examined many of history’s so-called saviors who tried to prevent social or cultural collapse. After 80 pages in his magnum opus, Toynbee concludes that none compare to Jesus Christ:
“When we first set out on this Quest we found ourselves moving in the midst of a mighty marching host; but, as we have pressed forward on our way, the marchers, company by company, the race. The first to fail were The Swordsmen, the next archaists, the next the futurists, next the philosophers, then there were no more human competitors left in the running. In the last stage of all, our motley host of would-be saviors, human and divine, has dwindled to a single company of none but gods; and now the strain has been testing the staying power of these last remaining runners, standing their superhuman strength. The final ordeal of death, few, please would-be savior gods have dared to put their title to the test by plunging into the icy River. And now, as we stand and gaze with our eyes fixed upon the further shore, a single figure rises from the flood, great way fills the whole horizon. There is the savior; ‘and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand; he shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied.’”
I believe the best explanation is that Jesus is who he claimed to be and proved it by his resurrection from the dead. Jesus, being God incarnate, is who all man-made religions blindly seek, so it’s only natural that when these traditions encounter him, they want to incorporate him somehow.
This isn’t an airtight deductive argument, but I hope it gets you thinking about who Jesus is. How is this lowly carpenter turned itinerant preacher revered in nearly every religious tradition? How is it that we set our calendars by his birth and billions worship or revere him to this day?
These are highly overlooked questions. One thing is certain: Jesus has something that no other religious figure in history has, drawing people to him across religious and cultural boundaries. What else could it be besides his divinity? Even if you disagree with my conclusion or have doubts, I hope you will at least read the Gospels and investigate Jesus yourself. If you are a Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist, your own tradition says that he is a prophet, enlightened, or an incarnation of God. Why not read the Gospels to see what you can learn about him? If you are an atheist, I recommend reading the Gospels with an open mind. Even if you think religions are silly, there’s something unique about Jesus that can’t be explained away by mere superstition. Why not investigate for yourself how this humble person overturned the world? Read his teachings and see for yourself the divine wisdom that radiates from his words.
Expositing Reality 