Inspired by an Article of the Africa Study Bible titled “Jesus Compared to Founders of Other Religions”

Jesus is different from any other leader in history. Whether he is compared to a leader of another religion, a president, a king, or a self-proclaimed leader, there are many noteworthy differences between Jesus and any of the above titles. In current times, leadership is centered around fame, money, qualifications, popularity, and self-promotion. Many leaders in society hold the mindset of, “What can I do for _______ in order to gain ______”? or, “What do I bring to the table that makes me great”? Jesus’s mindset was the exact opposite. His approach, motives, and outcome were vastly contrasting to the ones listed above. His main purpose was to serve, love, and make God the Father known.

The first notable difference between Jesus and other leaders is that Jesus’s birth was miraculous. His birth was prophesied hundreds of years before it came to pass. Jesus is the only baby to be born of a virgin to this very day. Everything that was said was going to happen, happened, and in the exact order. Jesus could have come in another way that was much more glamorous and boisterous, but he did not. No other leader has chosen to be born in such a meek, humble manner, nor have ALL prophesies in their name fully come to pass.

Secondly, Jesus is the proclaimed Messiah and Son of God. These two titles make him unique in that any other leader is merely a human. The fact that Jesus is the one and only Son of God brings a special relational aspect to the table. The Son’s credibility and closeness to the Father opened ministerial doors that changed the world. The people has been waiting for the Messiah, a Saviour to come and make things right. Jesus was that “long-awaited” Saviour that radically flipped the world upside-down for the better. The gospel became a reality day-by-day as Jesus perfectly walked an exemplary life of ministry to the least of these, later to die for the sins of those who hated him. No other leader has lived a perfect life, died for sins, or been the Son of God and Messiah.

Thirdly, Jesus was fully God and fully man simultaneously. He came to earth in human likeness so that he could not only reach us where we were, but also to take the Cross as the sacrificial Lamb. Jesus was and is the living Word of God in the flesh (John 1:1). He showed God’s glory and power through his speech, miracles, and death. No one had ever done what he did, nor will anyone ever be able to accomplish such a thing because there is only one Jesus. He lowered himself to become like us, all while never committing a sin or losing the “amount” of God that he was. He was 100% God and 100% man, fully living the human experience as a divine being. Many other leaders raise themselves up above others in order to rule over them and to accept worship for their accomplishments, but Jesus did the exact opposite. No other leader could ever come close in comparison to Jesus the almighty Lord and Christ.

Next, it is significant that no other leader has ever claimed to be God. As the Africa Study Bible states in the article, “Jesus Compared to Founders of other Religions”, “Jesus Christ, on the other hand, made his divinity and equality with God clear.” Jesus not only boldly said “I AM Who I AM”, but followed through with whatever succeeded his claim. He knew he was God, said he was God, and proved he was God. Too many instances where we know “only God could do _______” happened because of Jesus. Muhammad, Buddha, Moses, Abraham, Confucius, etc. never claimed to be God. Eventually, Jesus’s followers and believers came to know him as and call him “Lord God” because of all that they had seen (Colossians 1:15, John 20:28).

Most importantly, Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world on the cross and rose again three days later with over 500 eyewitness reports of his sighting after his death. Family members, friends, acquaintances, neighbors, the disciples, and the tomb guards were among those who saw the Jesus with nail marks on his body walking around on land once again. Jesus washed away our iniquities while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). We were in the crowd, screaming out “Kill him”! even though he was completely innocent. We cursed his name and drove the nails into his body. No other leader has died and come back to life. No other leader has saved people from sins by grace, because they have no grace to give. Jesus did it all and then some. No other leader chooses those who continually make mistakes. Other leaders require good works, but Jesus just wants a friendship.

Jesus does not ask for perfection. He does not ask for anything but our heart’s attention and affection. He does not want or need anything that we can give, rather, he wants to give us life in abundance. He has proven that he is good and faithful. His superiority is undeniable in comparison to any other leaders. Jesus deserves our worship. He deserves our everything. There’s nobody like Jesus (Revelation 7:14). Jesus is different. Jesus is better.

This excerpt is inspired by an Article of the Africa Study Bible titled, “Jesus Compared to Founders of Other Religions”. Africa Study Bible Articles are about the Christian life and critical concerns that face the church in Africa and its people. The articles help you understand how to apply the bible to a specific area of life where God’s wisdom is needed.

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