As Historian Philip Schaff stated, “This Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander, Caesar, Mohammed, and Napoleon; without science… e shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined; without the eloquence of schools, he spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a single line, he set more pens in motion, and furnished themes for more sermons, orations, discussions, learned volumes, works of art, and songs of praise than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times. ” This truly sums up the man of Jesus and the impact he has had on the world.
In the first century of Christianity, Jesus helped to jumpstart the early Church and brought it into the world. His message was relevant and far-reaching and has remained so through the ages, still changing people’s lives. The faith he inspires reaches into the very souls of his followers and cannot be shaken. More than any other person, Jesus has shaped the world as we know it and provided the foundation for human spiritual growth and development. After Jesus’ death, his apostles were unsure of what to do next and needed reassurance since they had left Him in the Garden of Gethsemane for death.
Jesus appeared to the apostles and gave them the guidance they needed to start the Church. He was even able to reassure Thomas that He was still living. Most of his apostles died for Him in their ministry of the early Church. To further spread his message, Jesus knocked Saul of Tarsus, an early persecutor of Christians, off his horse at Damascus. He was able to convince him to stop his evil deeds and to spread Christianity throughout the Roman Empire, changing his name from Saul to Paul. Paul worked hard to spread the good news of Jesus. Many of his other early followers were martyred because of their belief in Him.
Jesus greatly helped establish the early Church and later made Christianity a dominant force that changed the world. Western culture was formed on the basis of Christianity and it has greatly influenced it more than any other religion or philosophy. It helped to desegregate society because Jesus teaches us that all people should be treated equally and that no one has the right to judge another based on the color of their skin. It has also helped to highlight the importance of human life and change the world view of infanticide, along with working to end abortion.
Christianity has made the world a freer place by mandating that the people should not be ruled by an oppressive government. Christianity has also brought around more equality for women in the belief that they are equal to men. Finally, America was founded on the principals of Christianity and its documents are based off of the Bible. Jesus has greatly influenced western values and continues to change people’s lives. Even today, people are inspired by Jesus and devote their lives to him. Lew Walace was a “literary genius” who was a known atheist, penning a book that would completely undermine Christianity.
While writing it, he fell on his knees and cried out to Jesus, “My Lord and my God,” and from then on, he was a believer. He went on to write the book Ben Hur set in the time of Jesus. Then there is Joon Gon Kim, a well-known Christian leader in Korea, who watched his wife and father killed by communist sympathizers and was then brutally beaten and left for death. He survived and he asked God for love to the people who brutally slew his family and he was able to convince 30 communists to believe in Jesus. As another example, there is Sister Dorothy Stang who was inspired by Jesus to be a rainforest activist in Brazil.
She tried to stop loggers from cutting down the rainforest because it was hurting the indigenous population. Because of this, she was shot dead carrying a bible under her arm. Finally, there is Mother Teresa who devoted her life to serving the poor. She often said she saw Jesus in everyone she worked with and helped. Jesus still changes people’s lives, encouraging others to spread the faith even if they may be tortured or killed. Jesus of Nazareth still inspires people to this day. Jesus was instrumental in starting the early Church and having the religion spread. He also helped to change western civilization through the religion he created.
He finally has caused countless people to change and devote their lives to him. As Roman governor Plinius Secundus remarked “Christians were people who loved the truth at any cost. Although I was ordered to torture and execute them for refusing to curse Jesus, I was continually amazed and impressed with their firm commitments not to do any wicked deeds, never to commit any fraud, theft, adultery, never to falsify their word, not to deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up. ” Christians around the world are great examples of how to live good and holy lives because they continue to follow in Jesus’ footsteps.
