The Uniqueness of Jesus
Stanley Samuel
One of my favorite months of the year is December. This is when my mom used to make the famous Christmas cake or more commonly known in India as the fruit cake (very different than the American fruit cake). Growing up in India, that was my most wonderful memory of Christmas. However, as I grew up, I started questioning what Christmas means and why I celebrate it. Do I celebrate it because I was born into a Christian family or for some other reason? This curiosity led me to search for the roots of Christmas. So let me take you through my journey looking at history and religion to find out more about this special day in December.
As I began my journey through the roots of Christmas, I was reminded that on a basic level, I grew up with the understanding that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ some two thousand years ago. It is interesting to note that the Gregorian calendar reminds each and every person on this earth of the number of years that have passed since the birth of Jesus. So this year it would be 2016 years from the day Jesus was born. It is amazing to note that this reminder does not happen with any other person, or incident for the past six millennia. It seems to be a stark reminder and many questions linger in my mind, like Why is it a reminder? What is this date challenging me to consider? Am I supposed to act upon it, if so how?
Next I looked into the Jewish sacred writings of the Torah. It was interesting to see that from the thirty-nine sacred books of the Jews, there are 300 or more direct and indirect references about the life of Jesus Christ before the birth of Jesus. It is amazing to observe how precisely these references about Jesus were fulfilled in His birth, life and death. This fact is evident in a couple of historical books written by Jerome, a famous historian in the 3rd and 4th century. This is also evident from the writings in the Christian New Testament, written in the 1st century by the disciples and apostles of Jesus. Many of these manuscripts have been discovered through archaeological findings, validating the proof of this information. Being a student of math it amazes me to know that the probability of 300 or more predictions being fulfilled by one man, is next to zero. Yet the birth and life of Jesus seems to have fulfilled it. This amazing theory boggles my mind.
For example, what is the likelihood of predicting the exact city and town in which the future President of America would be born, about 100 years from today? Interestingly, Micah and Isaiah from the Jewish scriptures stated this about 700 years before the birth of Jesus. Also what is the probability of predicting the life details and death of a prominent business man in the future. That will be impossible, however that is what King David did hundreds of years before the life and death of Jesus.
Interestingly, as I looked into the Quran, I realized that it also has limited references to the birth of Isa-Al Masih through a virgin called Mary, translated as Jesus who is the Messiah. The Quran also talks about the return of Jesus in the last days of this world. These limited details about the birth of Jesus and the return of Jesus are strikingly similar to those in the New Testament Bible.
As I continued this journey, I realized that that Christmas points us to the ultimate purpose of the coming of Jesus, which was to die. This did sound awkward since all men die. Why is this death so important? I came to an understanding that the very existence of Christianity hinges on the death and resurrection of one man called Jesus.
The Rig Veda and Upanishads from the Hindu Scriptures talk about the nature and purpose of only one supreme sacrifice known as “Purush Prajapati” the Lord of all creation who became Man. This Purush (man) is the only way to eternal life. As a matter of fact, the Rig Veda seems to lay out the details of Christ’s crucifixion with precision. I wonder how come these details landed up in these documents?
So today, as I celebrate the birth of Jesus and savor my favorite Christmas fruit cake, my curiosity about this man Jesus has simply increased. I wonder what is so unique about this man? How come his name and his details are mentioned across so many historical and religious books of the world? What makes him so unique? Is there are a reason why portions of his birth and life details exist across these documents across thousands of generations?
Somebody once said, if something is important, it will be repeated. This means that the birth of Jesus must have a real significance in the lives of all the people of this world. This may be why details about his life are scattered across the globe across multiple religions, like no other person in this or the other world. Hence, this Christmas celebration is not just mine to celebrate, but for each and every person on this earth. So as you get together and exchange gifts with family and friends during this season of celebration, don’t forget the reason for this celebration. It is all about Jesus who is Christ and his existence continues to permeate into yours and my life for generations to come.
Merry Christmas!!
With love and Prayers
Stanley Samuel