The Jesus of history
My ‘experience’ of Jesus can and must only be understood in terms of God’s revelation of him in the Scriptures. The gospel is anchored in history. In an age which studies little history and puts such a high premium on experience, this aspect of the gospel is often forgotten, yet it is the ground of our assurance.
Often I feel as if living the Christian life is too difficult and am tempted to give it all away. However I remind myself that this is just not on! Jesus Christ really did live. He did die on the cross and rise again. He did ascend into heaven. I am not mistaken. There is no other life to live than the Christian life unless I ignore the facts. So I press on with it.
The Jesus of my ‘experience’ cannot sustain me in a such a moment of temptation because I am not sure if my experience is real and true. The Jesus of history can and does sustain me in such a moment because there is no doubt about his reality. He really did happen.
Know and Tell the Gospel
(Kingsford, NSW: St Matthias Press), 20-21
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