Why is Jesus Christ so important? When a confused Christian asked Rev. Billy Graham this question, the popular American preacher simply answered that it's because Jesus was God in human flesh.
"Jesus Christ was different from every other person who ever lived, no matter how famous or obscure they were," said Graham in his Kansas City Star blog.
He added that it is extremely important to understand what this means, and explained that Jesus was not just a godly person with great spiritual insights, nor was he merely a great moral and spiritual teacher. "He was more than these, because he was both fully human and fully divine, which is why he was called the Son of God," said Graham.
He used the Bible verse Colossians 1:19 to back up his statement. It says: "God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him." Graham said that it was because God became a man, and that man was Jesus.
The timing of the question could not have been more significant, added Graham, coming just days before Christians from all over the world remembered Jesus' death on the cross and His resurrection. Those two events answer why Jesus came into the world in the first place.
"By his death, he became the final sacrifice for our sins, and by his resurrection, he conquered death and hell for us," said Graham.
Graham said he hoped the Easter season would be the beginning of a new life for all Christians - specifically, a life that is centred on Jesus. "God loves you. He loves you so much that he sent Christ into the world to give his life for your salvation. By faith, commit your life to him today," he urged.
Graham ended with the Bible verse from Acts 4:12: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."
