The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1920-12-09
THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS
Prof. John 4. Smith

MOST OF us are accustomed TO look
for direct statements in the Bible
concerning the authority Of Jesus in
order to satisfy our minds that He
really possessed divine authority. On
this point we find a very direct state
ment pronounced just after He was
baptized, This is my beloved Son."
This Of itself is very strong endorse
ment, but 1t is greatly reinforced by
other evidence that may easily be
read between the lines Of the gospels.
Some of these evidences follow:
l. His personal magnetism.
Jesus was in many particulars like
other men. But the human qualities
which He possessed were of such su-
perior kind that He could never be
classed as an ordinary human. His
ability to draw men and charm them
with His personality was superior to
that possessed by any other man.
2. His splendid oratorical ability.
As public speaker Jesus possessed
the rarest ability. People crowded
about Him by hundreds and thou
sands TO hear His words. Never be-
fore nor since has a man had such
audiences under such circumstances.
There have been other great orators,
but none so wonderful as He.
3. His insight into human nature.
Other men have shown rare
powers Of discerning the thoughts
and character Of people, but no one
else possessed powers equal to those
of the Man Of Galilee.
4. His choice Of illustration.
The illustrations employed by
Sturgeon, Moody, Beecher, other
great preachers are familiar to every
informed pulpit and congregation in
the land. But none of these are more
apt, more simple, or better told than
those employed by Jesus. His genius
for choosing illustrations that would
illustrate was superior to all others.
5. His ready answers to questions
Jesus had the keenest minds to
deal with. They represented the best
product of the very excellent system
Of Jewish education. But in all His
arguments He was never entrapt. He
turned the tables on His opponent
and came away with credit.
6. His ideas of political economy.
He was a poor man-purposely So
but He knew the value and the proper
uses of wealth. He believed that
men should make money; He abhored
shiftlessness. There have been other
brilliant men who have set standards
of political economy, but these have
never excelled those set by Jesus.
His ideas have stood all tests for
two thousand years and are still re-
spected
7. His standards Of daily life.
There have been other great sys-
TENS of ethics, but these have proved
effective only so far as they approach
the standards established by Jesus.
8. His grasp of great life prob
lens.
Reared, as He was, in home that
knew poverty, and having very linz
tied opportunities for broad edu-
cation. one would suppose that Jesus
as a man would have little concep-
tion Of the great universal problems
of life. But it was quite otherwise.
Although He travelled little, and that
over very limited region, His grasp
of things that affect the lives of peo-
Pile was most extraordinary. No or
binary human could have possessed
such understanding.
These are but a portion Of the
evidences. Other men have pos
sessed all these qualities, but they
were not raised to the superhuman
degree of excellence. There is only
one way of accounting for the rare
powers possessed by Jesus; He was
more than human. He had to be
divine.