8 • JESUS CHRIST – THE TRUTH
If Jesus was all he claimed to be then our quest for someone to guide us to the truth is over: we have found who we are looking for. If he is not, then either we must look elsewhere or we must admit that any search for meaning is doomed. Everything hinges on Jesus and his claims. The Importance of Jesus Let’s begin. Jesus was a man from a low social background who was born over two thousand years ago into a despised race at the edge of a vast empire. He travelled no great distance, held no public office and left no writings. In the briefest of careers, barely three years, he trained twelve disciples from equally unpromising backgrounds, infuriating the religious leadership of his day and being publicly and shamefully executed. To say that he had an undistinguished life would be an understatement. And yet . . . •
About a third of the world’s population today consider themselves to be followers of Jesus.
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Although it may prefer to overlook the fact, Western culture is firmly rooted in the Christian faith centred on Jesus. The emphases on such things as truth, honesty, the value of every individual and a concern for the poor and weak, can all be traced back to the ethical teachings of Jesus.
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The followers of Jesus are not restricted to a single culture, social level or language but occur in their hundreds of millions in every inhabited continent.
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Jesus’ teaching has proved to be extraordinarily durable. Throughout the last 2,000 years it has frequently found itself in opposition to great powers, brutal regimes and influential ideologies. Such bodies have often sought to erase the faith yet, when the dust has settled, the empire or the kingdom is gone and Jesus’ teachings and his followers remain.
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English, the most commonly spoken language in the world, has been enormously influenced by Christianity. Three texts have moulded it: the Authorised Version or ‘King James’ Bible, the
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