Why Jesus is Important

Okay, there are many reasons. But one forgotten reason I think relates to both liberals and conservatives. Conservatives so often image God as this angry judge, just ready to lay the smack down on wicked sinners. Liberals, on the other hand, have watered down God to a wimpy grandpa God. I think Jesus is the answer to both problems. Jesus as divine and human. Let's look at the Gospel of John: "No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God, who is at the Father's side, has revealed him" (John 1:18).

Do you want to know what God is like? Look at Jesus. Do you want to know what it means to be a human being? Look at Jesus. This what makes Christianity so different from other religions. It's what makes Christianity better than other religions. It's what makes other religions ultimately false. Buddha might have been a nice guy - but he wasn't God.

For those of you who have been told that God is angry and judgmental, look at the mercy and compassion of Jesus and remember that whoever has seen Jesus, has seen the Father. Like Father, like Son.

For those of you who have been told that God is "nice" and doesn't demand much out of you, think about real love, commitment, humility, and self-sacrifice. The thing that made God "nice" was the death of Jesus on the cross. That's what true love is. That's the love we have to image every day. We have to lay down our lives, our wishes, our desires, and even our dreams, for the good of others.

Got it?