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2 . The character of Jesus was a perfect demonstration of the
active love of Allah.
No other man has ever equaled his character,
because no other man was declared by Allah to be his Word. He could say
to his enemies: "Which of you can silence me by pointing out one
sin that I have done?" 9 All other human beings have needed
forgiveness: David asked for it; Abraham asked for it; but Jesus neither
asked for nor needed forgiveness.
His close companion, John the apostle, said: "In him is no
sin," while his friend, Peter the apostle, said: "‘He
committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’" 10
The book of Hebrews adds that he was "tempted in every way, just
as we are — yet was without sin." 11 What a witness —
from those who knew him best!
3. The words of Jesus were different from those of any prophet.
He
had the gift of speaking in parables and telling stories that gripped
the attention of his listeners, even his enemies. These parables are
like a spring of water that is so crystal clear that you can see right
to the bottom, and yet it is very deep. He told of a shepherd who went
in search of one lost sheep, leaving the other 99 safe in the fold; he
told of the lost boy who left home and spent all his inheritance on
riotous living, yet was welcomed back by his loving father; he told of
the woman who searched for her one lost silver coin. Each parable grips
our human hearts as no other stories ever could.
Once his enemies, the chief priests, sent soldiers to arrest him and
bring him in for trial and condemnation. The soldiers came to where he
was speaking to the people. They listened, perhaps for hours. Finally
they returned to the priests without him.
"‘Why didn’t you bring him in?’"
"‘No one ever spoke the way this man does,’ the guards
declared." 12
Jesus was not content to tell people what to do. He said, "I
have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you."
"Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the
light of life." He said, "I am the light of the world." 13
A wise old man once explained the relationship of Jesus to all
prophets this way: he is like the sun, while they are like the moon
which merely shines with reflected
light. Moonlight is a wonderful thing and we are grateful for it in
the darkness of night; but when the sun rises no one cares any longer
for the moon. The prophet Malachi calls Jesus "the Sun of
righteousness." 14 He never wanes as the moon does, and he
shines on every human heart around the world as does the sun. Even the
poorest man can have sunshine!
I was once a visitor in the city of Zurich, Switzerland, looking for
a camping place. I asked a Swiss gentleman if he would kindly tell me
how to find it. "No," he replied, "it will be better if I
take you there." So he graciously took me all the way across that
great city up and down hills, around drives and circles where I would
have become hopelessly lost, until we arrived at the camping place.
Jesus is not like a road-map telling us where to go; he says, "I
am the way." 15
The names and titles of Jesus are unique.
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