The news from Egypt and Syria comes into our homes daily. There is so much upheaval in our world. Russia, China and other nations are beginning to speak about what will happen if Syria is attack. I have this past week read things from people claiming to follow Jesus. There is increasing interest in Isaiah 9, Psalm 83, Daniel 9 and Ezekiel 37. Because of this upheaval in the world, the message is now going out that these events signal the return of Jesus to the earth to set up His kingdom. Whether from the political side or spiritual side, there are two men whom the world is now speaking about. One is Mohammed and the other is Jesus.
One man, Mohammed, claimed while in a cave to have heard from his god which is called Allah. The other man, Jesus claimed to be God. When Jesus was put on trial, no witnesses could be produced to show this Man in any way was a threat to the Roman empire. On the day He was crucified, the charge placed above His head was that He was the king of the Jews. If we return but a few moments prior to His crucifixion we have a conversation between Jesus and the Roman ruler, Pilate. What have you done, asks Pilate (John 18:35). Jesus replies by telling Pilate that His kingdom is not of this world because if it were, His disciples would fight (verse 36). Pilate then hit on the point of why the Jews had delivered Jesus. Are you a king, then?
The answer from Jesus is that He came into the world to be King (verse 37). Surely this Roman ruler would have understood this Man therefore was a threat to Rome? Pilate did not see Jesus as a threat. Where is the evidence this Man went about teaching insurrection and death to all enemies of the Jews? Instead the physical evidence was the blind were seeing and the deaf were hearing. What king or ruler would object to such things taking place among their population? Men like Herod had heard of Jesus. When Jesus was brought before Herod, the Roman ruler hoped to have seen some miracle done by this Man (Luke 23:8). Luke tells us in this same verse that Herod for a long time had wanted to meet this Man.
Years later when Peter was at the house of Cornelius, a Gentile, he said that the Gentiles knew about Jesus from all the reports (Acts 10:37). Another Roman ruler, named Felix, had more perfect knowledge of the way and desired to hear more about this Man (Acts 24:22). Following this there was a meeting between Festus and a king named Agrippa. Festus explained that he had a prisoner named Paul. He was in jail because of charges brought by Jews against him. Festus tells Agrippa, this man Paul was in jail due to questions about the religion of the Jews and one Jesus whom Paul says was raised from the dead (Acts 25:19). Agrippa heard about Jesus from Paul in Acts 26. In the defense of Jesus, Paul declared this thing (that is the life and death of Jesus) was not done in a corner but everyone, including Agrippa knew about Him (Acts 26:26).
Under normal circumstances, the nation of Rome dealt very quickly against anyone whom they perceived to be a threat to Rome. We know for example how Pilate ordered the death of some Galilaeans while they were engaged in worship (Luke 13:1). There was a man named Theudas who gained a following and was put to death with the result being that his followers disbanded (Acts 5:36). Another man named Judas of Galilee formed a group and he likewise was killed (verse 37). The point being that any person who was a threat to Rome was put to death. Pilate nor Herod found anything in Jesus to be a threat to Rome. He was crucified because of Who He was, that is the Son of God.
What is the historical record of the other man, Mohammed? He taught and at a given point in time he put a sword in his hand and proceeded to conquer territories and people. There is no evidence that he ever laid down the sword. Blood shed and violence were the key elements of what he believed. We find then two men who at this very point in time raise some serious issues for all mankind to consider.
One man claimed to have heard from god and one Man claimed to be God. One man took a physical sword and went to make all the world agree with him. The other Man took the sword out of the hand of one of His followers and never allowed His followers to ever take up the sword again. He went about conquering the world by conquering men’s hearts with the truth about Himself. Whom do you think the world should follow? In the ultimate sense that is the question. Not what others think but what do you think. We should stand with Thomas, Jesus is “…my Lord and my God “(John 20:28).