Introduction

This is a unique question. If you were to ask about most people of history, the question would be “who was ___.” But Jesus is not like most people of history. He is not like any other person in history. What makes Him so unique?

1. His claims John 8:58; 10:30-33
2. His life 1 Peter 2:22-23
3. His teachings John 7:46
4. His death Matthew 26:28
5. His resurrection Acts 2:30-31; John 10:17; Acts 17:31

His Claims

1. His claims. Jesus is unique because of the claims which He not only made but which He sustained. What did He claim and how did He sustain that claim?

Claim #1- To have existed before He was physically born.

Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.' (John 8:58).

Claim #1 Sustained

An Old Testament prophet named Micah prophesied that someone would someday come to this earth who existed before he came. His prophecy reads, But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5:2). How do we know that this is Jesus? Because He uniquely fits all of the other prophecies concerning One who was coming. Every detail of Isaiah's prophecy concerning the suffering Savior (Is. 53:5-7, 9 with Mk. 15:3-5, 14-15, 27-28, 43; Mt. 26:28) and Zechariah's prophecy of the King on a colt (Zech 9:9; Jn. 12:14-15) uniquely fit Jesus. Thus, if Jesus is the “coming one” of whom God had prophesied, then His claim of pre-existence is sustained.

Claim #2 - To be equal with God the Father.

"I and My Father are one." Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?" The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God." (John 10:30-33).

Claim #2 Sustained

Eyewitnesses recorded the things that they saw Jesus do. Matthew recorded Jesus demonstrating power over the laws of nature (Matt. 8:24-26). Mark recorded Jesus demonstrating power to heal sickness and forgive sin (Mk. 2:5-11). In verse 7, the Jews acknowledged that only God can forgive sins. John records Jesus affirming that He would raise Himself from the dead (Jn. 2:19). These are the things which testify that Jesus is God, which makes Him a unique character of history.

His life

Jesus “committed no sin” (1 Pet. 2:22). This is no miracle but is the result of One who chose to do the will of God the Father, even when it was painful and required self-denial. Who in the history of this world lived a sinless, selfless life? Despite the evil efforts of His enemies, Jesus didn't retaliate in hatred and bitterness (1 Pet. 2:23). Even when his friends betrayed Him, He maintained a righteous spirit. Human history has its share of good, kind people, but only Jesus maintained a righteous mind and body every day of His life.

His Teachings

History records many great teachers, but even Jesus' enemies acknowledged, “"No man ever spoke like this Man!" (Jn. 7:46). This has remained unchanged in the centuries following Jesus life.

The Golden Rule has been cross-stitched, framed, and hung in homes around the world. "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them” (Mt. 7:12). One man made the following observation concerning these words, “Socrates, Buddha, Confucius, Hillel (Jewish Rabbi) each groped after this truth, but they stated it thus: 'Do not do to others what you would not have done to you.' Thus making it a rule of not doing rather than of doing. But the striking difference between these teachers and Christ lies not in the statement so much as in the exemplification.”

It might be easier to understand Jesus' enduring legacy if His teachings were only positive, never condemning. If He had gained the reputation of “The Smiling Preacher” instead of “The Suffering Savior,” then the secret behind His immense popularity might easily be discovered. But from the beginning, Jesus held those who claimed to follow Him to a strict standard.

• "But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery” (Mt. 5:32).
• “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Mt. 6:24).
• “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” (Mt. 10:37).

Many religious leaders today have recognized how unpopular these lessons are and have subsequently stopped teaching them. Jesus didn't. It is part of the reason why He was crucified. And it is another reason why Jesus is unique.

His Death

History is full of martyrs who willingly died for causes in which they strongly believed. So what makes Jesus' death unique?

Jesus' death was prophesied by Old Testament prophets hundreds of years before Jesus came to earth. In the section His claims, we noted Isaiah's prophecy concerning Jesus' death. Zechariah also prophesied Jesus' death, and Jesus was aware of it (Mt. 26:31; Zech. 13:7). Several times, Jesus foretold His death (Jn. 2:19; 10:17-18). He had the power to lay down His life, and He did just that.

Jesus' death was also unique because of it's purpose. His body and blood were given “for many, for the remission of sins” (Mt. 26:28). Whose death could lead to the remission of sins? No other man's death before or after Jesus had this significance.

His Resurrection

The Bible records only a few cases of men being raised from the dead, so the fact that Jesus was resurrected alone puts Him in a small class of people. But there are other factors which put Him in a class by Himself concerning His resurrection.

First, His resurrection is unique because it also was a matter of prophecy. Peter said while speaking of David, "Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. (Acts 2:30-31; Ps. 16:10).

Second, in Psalm 89:48, David asks, “What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?” That is a good question. What man can deliver his life from the power of the grave? None, save God the Son. In John 10:17, noted above, Jesus not only claimed to lay down His life, but He also affirmed that He would take it up again. What man will claim, much less accomplish that? Only one!

Finally, Jesus' resurrection was unique because of what it signified. Again, due to prophecies, it identified Him as the object of all the Old Testament prophecies. Also, Paul said that this was a sign to indicate that God will judge the world through Jesus (Acts 17:31). It is also the pattern after which baptism was taken (Rom. 6:3-4). Out of the pool of those who were raised from the dead, none of them can claim that their resurrection would have such significance.

Conclusion

These are a few basic things that you should know about Jesus. I hope that they will provoke a life-long hunger in you to know and serve this Jesus.