Characteristics of Jesus and the Impact of His Life Among His Disciples - Essay Example

Full A Chat with Jesus Henry Longfellow’s words saying that, “A single conversation across the table with a wise man is better than ten years mere study of books” is essentially true because of the impact it has on a person. A wise man who has the discipline of considering the essential things in life finds answers from those who came before him and many have spent much for the answers that are found only in people who are rarely found. The high price of such experience shows the value found in wisdom, a treasure more valuable than gold and diamonds. As there are rare people who truly have the wisdom that promotes prosperity not only in the financial aspect of a person’s life but includes philosophical, psychological, emotional and spiritual prosperity; it is indeed important to consider the people a person deals with. If given the chance to speak with one person for twenty four hours, the choice would definitely the man who was crucified because of his claim that He is the Son of God. There are many courageous people who would claim what or who they are but probably would never dare to say that they the sons God. Being a prominent figure in the generation He lived with, Jesus never sought to be famous instead, he eluded political power which could have been easily his with the help of his supporters and the Jews who were unfairly treated by the Roman government. In a world where fame and fortune are important, it would be wisest to hear from one who has looked to better things rather than what is seen in the present. In addition, it would be a great advantage for a person to get himself involved in the spiritual discussions of a master, a teacher who knows about the centuries-old questions about life after death. The very reason why Jesus Christ was crucified was because of His claim of being the Son of God which, to the Pharisees’ and Sadducees’ point of view, was a means of equating one’s self with the Creator of man, God. This was considered blasphemous, for a man to consider Himself equal with God, yet Jesus with all the courage He could muster and despite the knowledge of what disaster awaits Him, Jesus still declared Himself to be the man He claimed to be, the Son of the Living God, enraging the teachers of the law and endangering His life. One of the things people look up to these days, is the courage and boldness a person has in presenting himself, to be highly applauded and well-considered. If indeed this is a need that is to be met in this generation for a person to be able to be competitive and successful, then listening to the advice of a person who had all the confidence in declaring himself to be the Son of God, would be a great help. Many scholars study about confidence building as they see it important in a person’s life and probably, for a person to be able to survive in a world like ours, one has to have the attitude of being sure of one’s self. Of course, not everyone is equipped with such confidence for even other great philosophers and prophets had their own slice of uncertainties. For Jesus, He was so sure of Himself that even if it meant death to Him, he still stood for what he believed in, for which, on another perspective, would be considered honorable and making him highly distinguishable. Fame and fortune are one of the things modern people chase but with Jesus, having all the abilities and capabilities, he chose to live a simple life, out of the limelight despite the good things He did. Surely, there is something more important in life than the aforementioned essentials of modern living. Getting an education about the matter would be a great experience with the teacher who could have the best reasons why He chose not to get himself involved in politics and other forms where he could acquire wealth. Reading books could inform me in years and probably provide me with all the information needed but authors may be misconstrued and readers forget. As mentioned earlier, speaking with a wise man face to face is far better than just reading books. This is so because the wise man can give a lot of information in a shorter time compared to reading books. There would be interaction between two people where verifications could take place, making a more profitable discussion as compared to simply getting information from the printed pages. One of the reasons why this writer wants to speak with Jesus about important matters in life is the impact of His life among His disciples. He chose to get unlearned people, fishermen and farmers, those whose lives were considered ordinary, and changed them into extraordinary witnesses of what He could do. Peter for instance, was a tactless fisherman who was cowardly, famously known to be the apostle who walked on water to Jesus but seeing the big waves, sank as he approached his teacher and also known for denying his master during the times of the latter’s troubles. However, after the death and resurrection of Jesus, he became bold enough in declaring Jesus as the only way to heaven. Paul, on the other hand, was a Roman citizen and at the same time a zealous Pharisee who killed early Christians, became a zealous preacher of Jesus after his encounter with the Lord on his way to Damascus to kill the Christians there. Jesus is truly an influential teacher who knows what true fame and fortune is. For the aforementioned disciples, they have lived to learn what good fame and fortune is all about. That fame is being linked to Jesus, the Son of God and fortune is having a story that can last many generations as the story of Peter and Paul have reached this age, inspiring and encouraging modern people and instructing them in the way they should live as Christians. One of the questions that bugged people for years is about life after death. Surely, there is no better person to ask about such a matter than one who has been there and that is Jesus Christ. It is popularly known that Jesus died on the cross, was buried and on the third day, he rose from the dead showing himself to his disciples and fellowshipping with them for forty days before going to heaven. Many people do not believe in life after death because of the argument that a person cannot be a witness what he has not seen and this argument surely cannot be refuted unless a person who himself has seen life after death would stand up as a witness. This is a driving force for this writer to have a conversation with the person who is believed by millions of people around the world, throughout the ages as a trustworthy witness of what is in heaven or hell. Heaven and hell as part of life after death are important things people have to think about because they are parts of the essence of life here on earth. If people exist today and perish tomorrow, forgotten forever, then what would be the use of getting rich, educated, having children and enduring all the hardships of life when one could simply sleep, eat, drink and enjoy life to the fullest while it lasts? Surely, there is more to this life than just the skin and bones returning to dust. Surely, there is something that makes a man different from animals, not only the ability to work, invent and do many other things but that which is of more value, life after death. A soul? Probably, the soul is what defines a man and differentiates man from animal. Who would be more knowledgeable about such matters than the man who claimed himself to be the Son of God? Words are aplenty but few are those whose words are trustworthy and true. Among them is Jesus, a person who for years have been sought, considered with critical eyes and thoughts yet through the ages has proven himself time and again that He indeed is an unquestionable witness to his teachings as well as his claims. Deceit was not found in him and if there would have been, motives were not found supporting such accusations. The very characteristics of Jesus do not only qualify him for a good conversation but rather place him on a pedestal where people could clearly see the truth to his words. Being the self-acclaimed Son of God, this author believes that Jesus has everything it takes to declare himself so. Beyond the fortune he could have acquired, there could be more to wealth and fortune that Jesus dismissed the idea of being crowned the king of the Jews, ruling them in Royal garments and the scepter on his hands instead, chose to be crowned with thorns. Life after death could be a great mystery to many but to the author of life and death, there is an illumination for those who would want to sit and talk with Jesus. Read More