History’s Most Significant Human Being!

 
Who is History’s Most Significant Human Being? By Pastor Dan Kennedy © December 15, 2013 www.pastorkennedy.com Can Computer Gurus use Statistical Algorithms to Tally Who Is the Greatest Person in the History of the World? We are in the most unique period in the history of the generations of mankind – from the beginning of time. With social media and computerization a whole new avenue of significance and ability to measure significance throughout history, has arisen. More than ever in mankind’s history, our generation lives in a global society that has the means to measure an individual’s significance – throughout time or currently, through… Measurable popular opinion in social media o Email o Twitter o Facebook o Google + o YouTube o And a host of other networks and sites On-line, world-wide, revisable encyclopedias such as Wikipedia, Published books and library resources, A host of other digital assets, and Schools, colleges, local groups, programs, political parties, associations, temples, churches, synagogues, mosques, and organizations or societies that have risen to support, laud or defame concepts, philosophies and/or individuals associated with them. Most of these entities have a traceable digital record on-line – available to any who is searching. We live in an age that gives considerable significance to those who have a giant following on Twitter, or who have a great many “likes” on Facebook, make great sums of money, or have an enormous viewing audience on TV or YouTube, or a myriad of other sources. Movie stars, musicians, sports personalities, politicians, authors and other celebrities seem to be highly enamored with these successes and vie for higher and higher social standings in order to confirm their success rating, when measured against their peers. Such success can also be very temporary. It only takes one “non-politically-correct” slip of the tongue, an unfortunate accident, or some other inadvertent circumstantial misfortune to plummet a galactic career and send it spiraling downward until little or nothing is heard again about the “star”. Such are the “successes” and “failures” of those in whom the world takes pleasure. Not only can those involved in social and digital media clamber to measure the successes of those who are imbibed in its likes and dislikes of the world’s most popular...the computer gurus of today have statistically formulated algorithms to determine something that has never been accomplished before – they can actually reveal some of the most accurate assessments of the significance of famous people both today and from the measurable historical past…and what lasting impact each of these noteworthy individuals have had, and are having, on the world. If you could process millions and millions of pieces of data from all social media, all news media, all known books, all the information in the libraries and on the internet from every historical and modern source available, then take this information and quantify it into underlying variables, including data on how often the individual appears in books published each year, so that one could watch the rise and fall of a person’s popularity, then analyze information from tens of thousands of groupings, so you can see where each person ranks in each crowd, you could begin to understand how significant an individual might be to the world. Who do you think the person from the beginning of time until now would be rated, by those in the world, as history’s most significant human being – by a wide margin? “The recent book, Who’s Bigger? Where Historical Figures Really Rank, by Steven Skiena and Charles Ward (published by Cambridge University Press) (http://www.whoisbigger.com) is about measuring the significance of historical personalities. It does not answer these questions as historians might, through a principled assessment of their individual achievements. Instead, the authors evaluate each person by aggregating the traces of millions of opinions in a rigorous and principled manner. They rank historical figures just as Google ranks Web pages, by integrating a diverse set of measurements about their reputation into a single consensus value.” Jesus Christ is Measured to be the Most Significant Person Ever Through their exhaustive analysis they determine that Jesus Christ is "the most significant person ever." They measured meme strength, how successfully is the idea of this person being propagated through time. “With over two billion followers a full 2,000 years after his death, Jesus is an incredibly successful historical meme.” What Makes Jesus Christ the Most Significant Person to have Ever Lived? The following are dimensions of who Jesus Christ is…and why His Significance has been of such importance to those who have been and are in this world. • Where Jesus Came From… • How Jesus Came to Earth… • How Jesus lived on Earth… • What the Reason was for Jesus’ Death… • That Jesus Rose Again… • The Continuing Fulfillment of Prophecy • The Formation of the “Body of Christ” in the Church, the “Bride of Christ”… • The Authentication of God’s Word, the Bible… • That Jesus is Coming Again… • That Jesus will be the Eternal King of kings and Lord of lords! The Incomparable Christ Original Author unknown [adapted] More than two thousand years ago, there was a Man born contrary to the laws of nature. He was born of a virgin. This Man lived without financial status and was reared in obscurity. He did not travel extensively… Only once did He cross the boundary of the country in which He lived and that was during a time of exile in His early childhood. He possessed neither wealth nor influence. His relatives were inconspicuous and He had no education other than what His Father provided. He possessed no physical attractiveness that would naturally draw people to Him. In infancy, His birth was announced by a host of angels, a brilliant star, and notable sages, and because His tiny, helpless life was so clearly prophesied, He threatened a tyrannical, ruthless king, who put numerous innocent children, two years and younger to death in a desperate attempt to murder Him! In childhood His knowledge and understanding puzzled immanent theologians of the day. In manhood He ruled the course of nature… He walked on waves as surely as one strides across the earth, and commanded the raging sea to become peacefully calm! He freely healed the multitudes without medicine, even raising the dead – giving back loved ones, fully alive, to those broken in grief at their loss. He never wrote a book, and yet libraries in all the world have volumes upon volumes, recorded in every written language… exclusively about His Person, His life, and His teachings. He never wrote a song, and yet He has furnished the theme for more songs than any person in the history of the world. He never founded a college or university, but all the schools together cannot boast of having as many students as He. He never marshaled an army, never ran for public office, never called a meeting for more than twelve, yet multitudes of people were drawn to hear His words… No leader’s principles and wisdom have ever been credited with establishing more genuinely peaceful and stable communities, nations and civilizations, than He. He never practiced medicine or established a counseling clinic, yet He has healed more broken hearts and mended more destroyed lives and families than all the doctors, counselors and psychiatrists the world could ever boast. Each week, though two thousand years after His life, in cultures extremely different from His, vast multitudes of 21st Century Christians from every strata of life, gather in homes, churches and worship centers all over the world, to worship, praise and magnify His Name, and to learn from His life and teachings about God, His Father… and to unwaveringly believe in His Return! National dignitaries of the past, including the proud statesmen of ancient Greece and Rome, the rich and powerful in modern China, Russia and the West, In small countries and large, including national heroes of Any country, in every age, at any point in history, have all come and gone, With a relative few to leave any sustained mark in recorded history… Scores of immanent scientists, philosophers, and theologians have become great but have vanished within the dark halls of history’s illusive fame. The name of this Man endures and has continued to be broadcast far and wide… To a much greater degree, two thousand years after His Death and Resurrection, than ever before. Though hundreds of years have passed between the people of our generation and the mockers berating Him at His crucifixion, He is the One who still lives. His enemies could not destroy Him, and the grave could not hold Him. He stands upon the highest pinnacle of heaven’s glory, Proclaimed to be the Eternal King, by God, His Father! He is worshipped by myriads of angels, And adored by millions who have been transformed by His Redeeming love! He is feared by the devil and his demons, whose power He has defeated on the cross And, in the end, whom He will fully judge. One day all those in heaven, those on the earth and those under the earth will honor Him… Every tongue will confess Jesus Christ as Lord! He is the One who said, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and
burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) He is the One who said, "I am the way and the truth and the life, No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6) He is the Incomparable Christ! Why is Jesus Christ the Most Significant Person in History? • Humans in their wisdom do not have unlimited power and authority and cannot indefinitely sustain the limited power or authority that they have… We cannot put our faith in the faltering power of mankind. • Humans in their wisdom cannot eliminate social ills, poverty, or permanently solve the world’s most pressing problems… We cannot put our faith in mankind’s limited ability to solve the world’s problems. • Humans in their wisdom cannot sustain material wealth… We cannot put our faith in the fleeting wealth of mankind. • Humans in their wisdom are unable to control the transitions of power, wisdom and wealth from one generation to another… We cannot put our faith in the generational reliability of mankind. • Humans in their wisdom cannot allows us to keep anything permanently… We cannot put our faith in the security assured by mankind’s pride. • Humans in their wisdom cannot sustain physical life… We cannot put our ultimate faith in the scientific and medical knowledge of mankind to keep us alive. • Humans in their wisdom cannot prevent tragic accidents, life altering sickness or cruel abuse from happening… We cannot have faith that mankind can prevent any tragedy or the travesties of social ills. If we cannot put our faith in the wisdom of man for all of these essential things which are critical for us to have wellbeing and to live with certainty in our daily lives, then how can we trust the wisdom of mankind for our eternal life? • Humans in their wisdom cannot give us any reasonable hope of eternal life… We cannot put our faith in mankind to give us the reality of a life after death and an everlasting future! If we cannot put our faith in the wisdom of man, then in whom do we then put our faith and trust? Ourselves? Let’s focus our attention on the following scripture portion: Colossians 1:15-20. Who is this Jesus Christ, who is so Incomparable? The One in Whom I have put my Faith and trust…to Whom I entrust my very Eternal Destiny? Colossians 1:15-20 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 1. Jesus Christ is the Visible Representation of the Invisible God! “He is the image of the invisible God” Col. 1:15a • Jesus is God and Man – Incarnation’s Firstborn. A Mystery revealing Christ, who is God in flesh – God in human form…fully God and fully man. “… the firstborn of all creation.” Col. 1:15b His incarnation is parallel, to what God wants redeemed humans on this planet to become…Children of God. Christ is God/Man - the firstborn God/Man of all creation; Believers who are “born again” are human/Children of God. These “human Children of God” are to be Christ’s eternal “Bride” (Eph. 5:31,32; 1 Peter 1:3-5)! We, as Children of God - human/Children of God, follow the pattern set for us by Christ, the Incarnate Firstborn God/Man. When we are “born again” we find ourselves in incarnation in reverse, “Christ in us, the Hope of Glory”! “New Birth”, born again (regenerated) by the Spirit of God (Col. 1:26,27, Titus 3:5,6; 1 Cor. 12:3; Gal. 3:26-29). 2. Jesus Christ is the One through whom God the Father Created Everything and by whom all things hold together! Col. 1:16-17 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 1 Corinthians 8 5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. Hebrews 1:1-3 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…. 3. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church! Col. 1:18-20 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. a. Jesus is not only the Head of the Body, He is the King and Ruler of the Universe! “…He is the head of the body, the church” Col. 1:18a There will not be democracy in the Kingdom of Christ. We have somewhat of a democracy in the Church because of the Priesthood of the Believer and the servant-leadership of pastors and leaders, but there is no democracy in the Heavenly Kingdom. There is only One Head of the Church: Christ. We worship Him, we obey Him, we sacrifice our lives to Him and we submit and yield everything we have and are to Him…He is the Head of the Church. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. God the Father will establish Jesus’ dominion to be a Kingdom that will break all other kingdoms of the world, but it itself will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another. His Kingdom Will Never End. He will reign forever and ever. Jesus is the Head of the Church. Daniel 2 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. Exodus 15:16 18 The Lord will reign forever and ever.” (From the “Song of Moses” when Pharaoh and his hoards were defeated at the Red Sea.) Lamentations 5 19 But you, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures to all generations. Luke 1 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Revelation 11:15-18 15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying,      “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. 18 The nations raged, but your wrath came,                     and the time for the dead to be judged,           and for rewarding your servants,Ò the prophets and saints,                     and those who fear your name, both small and great,                and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.” Do we want to have faith in someone who will rule forever, for Eternity? Jesus is the One in whom we can have faith that will never fail! b. Jesus is the Beginning, the Source, from which all things follow, the Principle Cornerstone, and the Beginning Foundation – the Origin, the Source from which life originates. He is the First and the Last! “He is the beginning [the Source/Origin - ἀρχή]” Col. 1:18 Revelation 3:14 14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning [Source/Origin - ἀρχή] of God’s creation. He is Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the End c. Jesus is the “Firstborn” from the Dead (by the Power of His Father – John 5:21; Acts 3:15; 13:30) “the firstborn from the dead” Col. 1:18c Does your faith need to be placed in Someone who has experienced death, conquered death and hell, experienced the “bruising of His heel”, by satan’s head, but One who conquered all the forces of darkness through His victorious Resurrection? Jesus did just that! Place your faith in Jesus! Acts 26:23 23 that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.” Romans 1: 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord… 4. Jesus Christ is Preeminent and has Supremacy in all Things! “…that in everything he might be preeminent.” Col. 1:18 This is the only time the Greek word for to “have first place” [πρωτεύω], is found in the New Testament. Meaning that Jesus Christ might be “Preeminent” or “Supreme”! He is the “Source” of all life and He conquered death by rising from the dead, as seen through the Power of His Resurrection! Since He is Preeminent…since He is Supreme over all, should He not be the One in whom we can confidently place our faith and trust? a. Jesus has All the Fullness of God the Father dwelling in Him “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell…” Col. 1:19. Colossians 2:8 8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. Hebrews 1 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. b. Jesus Reconciles all things to God the Father, through the Blood of His Cross “…and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” Col. 1:20 Should we not place our faith and trust in the One Who makes peace in the universe by reconciling all things to Himself through His own Blood? • Reconciliation: the Cost of Peace The cost of reconciling any person under sin’s domain, to become a Child of God, is purchased only through Christ’s Sacrificial Blood shed on the Cross. Ephesians 2 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near [reconciled] by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one …so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross… 2 Corinthians 5 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Ephesians 1 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. • Reconciling: the Cost of Judgment Who could open the seals of catastrophe on the world, from the scroll of Judgment? (Rev. 5:5-7) Peace in the world also requires justice… “The Lamb…as if He had been slain”… Revelation 5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” To Whom or in What do we place our Faith? We cannot place our faith for our lives and future in the wisdom of man, we must place ourselves, by faith, into the care of the Creator of the Universe, the Son of God, who loves us and Redeemed us from our sins by the Blood of His Cross! Conclusion In whom do we put our trust – in this world filled with corruption, deceit and sin? What Makes Jesus Christ the Most Significant Person to have Ever Lived? • It is because of where Jesus came from… • It is because of why Jesus came to earth… • It is because of how Jesus lived on Earth… • It is because of the reason why Jesus died… • It is because Jesus rose again from the dead… • It is because of the continuing fulfillment of prophecy about Jesus as the Messiah and Redeemer of the world… • It is because of the formation of the Body of Christ as the Church, the “Bride of Christ”, which will one day be gathered into His eternal Kingdom… • It is because of the authentication of God’s Word, the Bible, regarding Who Christ IS, revealing how He wants us to live our lives, and the revelation of why He came as our Redeemer to Reconcile us to God, His Father… • It is because Jesus is Coming Again… • It is because Jesus Christ will be the Eternal King of kings and Lord of lords! We can Securely Place Our Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! 1. Jesus Christ is the Visible Representation of the Invisible God. 2. Jesus Christ is the One through whom God the Father Created Everything in the Universe and through whom all things hold together! 3. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Body of Christ, the Church. 4. Jesus Christ is Preeminent over all Things, He is the One Who has All the Fullness of God the Father dwelling in Him! He is the Incomparable Christ, in whom we can place all our eternal hope! http://www.pastorkennedy.comhttp://www.whoisbigger.comshapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1