For over 2,000 years, Jesus has been a hot topic of conversation. In every culture and in every generation since he walked the earth, people ask, “Does Jesus really matter today?” Some answer with an unequivocal “yes” while others with an equally strong “definitely not.” Between those two extremes, people land in every imaginable spot, for all sorts of reasons.
Even with the amazing growth of social media news, political strife, and celebrity stories, Jesus is still talked about today. From the ivory towers of academia to the governmental halls of power, from the media to the most passionate conversations around many family tables, people wonder if Jesus still matters today.
My answer is “YES! Jesus absolutely still matters today!” But for so many today, the deeper question is, “Why?”
Here are three reasons.
1. Jesus is still the Creator
The Bible is one of the most respected books in history and read literally throughout the world for its wisdom and principles for living. From the outset, it teaches that Jesus is the Creator of all things. Genesis, the first book of the Bible, begins with these words: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” And later in the book of John, the New Testament tells us, “All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made.”
Think about that for a second…
Nothing was made without Jesus. He is the creator of all things, and everything is literally held together through him. That’s deep! And that matters.
2. Jesus is still the Savior
In the book of 1 Timothy, we learn that there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Timothy 2:5). That is how the Apostle Paul spoke about Jesus. Many people don’t realize that before Paul’s conversion, he was actively attacking the people who followed Jesus. Not just attacking verbally, but arranging to find them and kill them. Later on, when Paul realized who Jesus is, he devoted his life to telling everyone who Jesus was.
This “ransom” Paul talks about means that Jesus traded his life for ours. So the cross of Jesus, his death for the sins of the world, absolutely still matters today. Because we all fall short of God’s perfection, and there is only one person who came as savior of humanity…and that is Jesus.
3. Jesus still exemplifies real love
We all long to be loved. The desire to love and be loved is a core need of every human being. That’s why matters of the heart can be so dramatic or even devastating to us.
But in the book of John, Jesus took the definition of love to a whole new level when he said, “Greater love has no one than this than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13) He told people about the greatest love, then he did it…he laid down his life for us. At its essence, real love is deeply self-sacrificial. Jesus showed us how to truly love. He doesn’t stop there. He invites us into the process. He wants to see us truly love people. And he empowers us to do it by the gift of His Holy Spirit.
Do you see why Jesus still matters today? Does he have a place in your life? I hope you will watch my video explaining more about how to know Jesus.
Daniel Fusco, author of Upward, Inward, Outward, is the pastor of Crossroads Community Church (Vancouver, Wash., and Portland, Ore.), and hosts TV show Real with Daniel Fusco on the Hillsong Channel. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter: @danielfusco