Six Great Truths About Jesus Christ

by David Gibson

Distilled truth

“By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:
He who was revealed in the flesh,
Was vindicated in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Proclaimed among the nations,
Believed on in the world,
Taken up to glory” (I Timothy 3:16 NASB).

This passage is a concise, one-verse summary of the greatness of Jesus Christ. Obviously, it does not tell us everything about Him, but what it does say should be enough to fill us with wonder.

A life-changing message

But consider who wrote this. At one time, he did not believe a word of it. More than that, he violently opposed those who believed it. But all that changed suddenly and dramatically when the glorified Christ appeared to His arch-enemy Saul as he was on his way to arrest more Christians. Three days later, he was baptized, and soon the gospel’s greatest foe became its greatest advocate.

We know him today as the apostle Paul. For the next thirty or so years, he “Proclaimed [Him] among the nations” so that He could be “Believed on in the world.”

Like no other

From Jesus’ birth (“revealed in the flesh”) to His ascension (“Taken up to glory”)—in those 33 years, Jesus made a far more powerful impact on our world than anyone else who ever lived before or since. That’s because of who He is and what He said and did.

If you doubt that, I challenge you to read the first five books of the New Testament. Then decide.