7 Reasons Why You Could NOT Have Done Jesus’ Job
Although there are many men and women who lived lives worthy of emulating, the deeds of some would have been very difficult for us to have accomplished. The faith of Abraham is worthy of our imitating. Yet when you think about God requiring him to sacrifice his son, Isaac, as a test of the patriarch’s faith, any reasonable saint would begin to wonder whether they really have that great a faith. Personally, I must face the fact I could have never done Jonah’s job. First, of all I do not think could have ever found a sea creature that could have stomached me for three days. Second, Jonah’s sermon was very, very short: “Yet forty days and Ninevah will be destroyed.” I could never have preached such a short sermon. Then there is Paul’s great miracle of raising Eutychus from the dead after he fell asleep during the apostle’s sermon and fell from the third story window. You fall asleep during one of my sermons and you are flat out of luck, even if I could raise the dead. Seriously, no one could have ever accepted the divine assignment given to the Son of God.
You Could Never Have Done Jesus’ Job…
■ Because You Are NOT Deity
In order to save mankind from sin and it’s consequences (eternal death), God had to send His Son (John 3:16). As proof He had sent His Son, God spoke from Heaven three times concerning Jesus. At Jesus’ baptism God said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:17). When Jesus was transfigured on the mountain top meeting with Elijah and Moses, He took Peter, James and John with Him. Peter was so taken in by the scene He went to make three tabernacles each for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. God spoke from heaven, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” (Matt. 17:5). Four days before Jesus died on the cross He spoke with Greeks who had been seeking Him. Again, God spoke from heaven (John 12:18-33).
Jesus was able to prove Himself the Son of God by fulfilling every prophecy concerning the Messiah and by performing many miracles (John 20:30,31). Contrary to what many skeptics are saying about Jesus today, He really did claim to be Deity. He said, “I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30).
No man could have filled Jesus’ shoes on earth, because He was more than a man – He was the very Son of God.
■ Because You Could Never Have Fulfilled All the Messianic Prophecies
Throughout the Old Testament are approximately sixty different major prophecies about the coming Messiah. These Messianic prophecies can be broken down into about 270 different ramifications.
Just what are the odds of a man fulfilling just eight of these ramifications in his lifetime. Eight prophecies fulfilled by one man hundreds and sometimes thousands of years after the prophecies were given. Let’s just take eight random prophecies fulfilled by Jesus. It was prophesied that the Messiah would: 1) come from the seed of Abraham. Gen. 12:3; Mt. 1:1; 2) from the tribe of Judah, Gen. 49:10; Lk. 3:33; 3) be an heir to the throne of David, Is. 9:7; Lk. 1:32,33; 4) born in Bethlehem. Mic. 5:2; Lk. 2:4,5,7; 5) be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver, Zech. 11:12; Mt. 26:14,15; 6) pierced through hands and feet, Zech. 12:10; Jn 20:27; 7) none of his bones broken, Ps. 34:20; Jn. 19:32,33,36; and 8) His side pierced, Zech. 12:10; Jn. 19:34.
Could some mere man have out of mere coincidence fulfilled the prophecies. The science of probability says NO! Peter W. Stone in his book SCIENCE SPEAKS gives us the probability of or chance that any man living to the present time and fulfilling eight Messianic prophecies as 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. How would you like to win with those odds at the horse track? I don’t believe in gambling and I don’t think there is enough money in the world to pay off such winnings. But then again the probability is so high the odds are against anyone winning at 1 out of 100,000,000,000,000,000.
To help illustrate these odds lets take 100,000, 000,000,000,000 silver dollars and with them cover the entire state of Texas two feet deep. Mark one of those silver dollars, blind fold a man and send him out to find it. Now that is the odds of any man fulfilling 8 out of 270. Yet, not only did Jesus fulfill these eight, but the other 262. We cannot even begin to calculate the probability of any one man fulfilling all 270.
After His resurrection Jesus said, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Lk. 24:44).
No man could have been the Messiah, because Jesus fulfilled all of the prophecies about Him, no man could even fulfilled these eight through mere coincidence.
■ Because You Would Have Never Left Heaven for Earth
One of the hymns we sing asked the question: “Why Did My Savior Come to Earth?” Good question! Especially when one considers all that Jesus had to endure on earth. More importantly consider what Jesus gave up just to come to earth – Heaven. Paul wrote, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:5-11).
Only Jesus had enough love for lost sinners to leave Heaven to endure the cross for their salvation.
■ Because You Would Not Have Live a Life of Poverty
The Son of God had all the riches and glory of Heaven only to live a life of a poor man. This was especially true during His ministry. Jesus said, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” (Matt. 8:20). Most of us like to have things and lots of them. Jesus was not a minimalist because of being lazy. He chose the simple life to serve God and man.
Once Jesus found a rich, young ruler who came seeking eternal life. Although the man had everything going for him, he needed Jesus help to achieve his noble objective. “Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Matt. 19:21,22). Very few men were willing to give up all and follow Jesus.
■ Because You Could Not Have Tolerated the Abuse and Suffering
It is one thing to give up Heaven and come to earth and live life without material comforts and security, but Jesus suffered persecution from the very men He came to save. Jesus spoke of this when He said, “the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children” (Matt. 11:19). All Jesus suffered throughout His ministry pales in comparison to what He suffered on the road to the cross. Before He was crucified, the Roman Governor, Pilate, had Jesus scourged. This is done to a man by use of a flagrum or whip with eight thick leather straps and two lead balls attached to each or lined with several sharp pieces of bone. It was not unusual for men to die from this beating. Jesus went on to be crucified on the cross. Crucifixion was a torturous form of execution. It involved excruciating pain. In fact, our word “excruciate” means “out of being crucified.” Jesus refused to dull His mind with drugs, so He could go to the cross sober. “They gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink” (Matt. 27:34). After observing Jesus’ death on the cross the centurion in charge of the crucifixion, confessed: “Truly, this was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54). Who would give their life for a wicked man (Rom. 5:6-8)?
■ Because You Could Have Never Given Up Having a Life of Your Own
Most men want to live a “full” life with a great career, a loving wife, a family, the ability to retire while still healthy enough to travel. Jesus gave up all of those. Jesus told His would-be disciples, “if anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). Jesus has never asked anyone to give up as much as He had to. This is why no mere man could have ever taken on His assignment to save the world.
■ Because You Could Have Never Lived a Sinless Life
Jesus had to live a sinless life in order to be the perfect sacrifice for sin, that is, without blemish. Could you image being told that you had to come to earth and never commit one single sin all your life? Jesus declared, “and He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him” (John 8:29). He even challenged His enemies, “which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?” (John 8:46). The Hebrew writers claims Jesus “was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15b).
No man could have ever been the perfect sacrifice “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).
Because Jesus was not only able to fulfill the monumental task of being our Savior, no other man including you, could have been the Savior for any other man. This should cause us all to have a greater appreciation for what the Son of God has done for us.
– Daniel R. Vess