Why Jesus?

(John 4.5-11,13-14)

There was a comedian on the telly a couple of weeks ago. I didn't catch his name, but he was listing some of the questions to which he would love to know the answer.

- "Why do you never get a letter containing good news from an envelope which has a window in it?"

- "How is it that aliens supposedly navigate billions of miles through outer space, ...but when they reach Earth they crash?

- "Why is the word 'big' so small?"

- "Why is the word 'abbreviation' so long?"

They are all good questions, aren't they? They concern things that we all might take for granted, ...but they were questions that I had never thought of before.

Here at St. Bartholomew's we get quite a lot of parents from the area who turn up at church and ask us to 'christen' their baby.

We are normally very happy to do that, but we like to encourage the parents to think about what they will be doing. So I, or someone else from the church, will usually go round to visit them, and go through the service with them.

And I might say to them, "At the beginning of the service the parents and godparents must stand up promise to bring up Archibald as a Christian. ...but what is a Christian?"

(Pause)

It's not as funny as the questions that I began with, ...but it's a question that many people take for granted, ...and yet have never really thought about.

There was a time when many people thought that being a Christian was much the same as being British. I suppose it comes from the days of the British Empire when Britain was sending out missionaries throughout the world.

It's a view that's not often expressed today, but perhaps it's still there under the surface. After all, when asked their religion, most people will say 'Church of England', even though they may not have been inside a church for many years.

It's true that much of the things that we value in our country have come from it's Christian tradition. Many of our laws are based on the teaching of the Bible.

Nevertheless, being born in Britain doesn't make you a Christian, ...just like if you were born in a garage it wouldn't make you a car.

As we watch the national news, every day we here about murder, rape, and other horrific crimes. Our prisons are full to overflowing. Being British doesn't automatically make us Christian.

So, what is a Christian?

Well one thing that people often say, is that "a Christian is someone who tries to live a good life."

A few months ago I visited someone whose husband had just died. And his widow said to me: "He wasn't at all religious, ...he didn't go to church, and he didn't believe in God, ...but he was the best 'Christian' in the world."

Well I knew what she meant by that. Jesus taught us to love our neighbours, ...and even to love our enemies. And these weren't just empty words, he himself put them into practice. As he hung on the cross he prayed for those who were killing him, "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing". (Lk.23.34 - although not all early manuscripts.)

A Christian should try to lead a good life, ...however, many other people live good lives who aren't Christians.

When I lived in Walsgrave my next door neighbours were the best I could ask for. They were very hospitable, and if I ever needed anything they were always willing to help.

But if I had said that they were good Christians they would have been deeply offended. For they were good Hindu's.

And there are many caring and helpful people who have no faith at all. Living a good life is an admirable thing to do, ...but it doesn't make you a Christian.

Another thing that I sometimes hear is that, "a Christian is someone who believes in God".

Well if you believe in the existence of God it's a great start. ...But on it's own it's not enough. After all, the devil believes that God exists, ...but it hasn't done him much good.

Well the first time that this was pointed out to me I was really taken aback. I was a teenager at the time, and had gone to church, or Sunday school for about nine years. I had just assumed that I was Christian, ...after all I believed in God, ...I'd been christened as a baby, ...I tried to be good and to help others.

...but suddenly it dawned on me that I had missed out what the heart of being a Christian is all about.

So, what was missing?

Well in order to find out, I want us to take another look at our Bible reading, where Jesus met the woman at the well. For there we find three important clues.

First: that Christianity is not so much about a philosophy, ...it's much more about a person.

It's about the person that the Samaritan woman met at the well.

It's about the person that Zacchaeus met up the sycamore tree.

It's about the same person that you can meet today.

I'm not aware of any respectable historian who would deny that Jesus of Nazareth was a historical person who was crucified in Jerusalem 2000 years ago. The evidence is undisputable.

But Christians also believe that this same Jesus was not just an ordinary man, ...but that he was also the Son of God. And that three days later he rose again from the dead.

Now if you're the sort of person who can accept that Jesus was a good man, ...but is sceptical about his resurrection from the dead, ...can I encourage you to take a look at the evidence.

A former Lord Chief Justice of England, Lord Darling, said of the resurrection:

"In its favour as living truth there exists such overwhelming evidence, positive and negative, factual and circumstantial, that no intelligent jury in the world could fail to bring in a verdict that the Resurrection story is true."

Its that evidence which we will be looking at on the first evening of Alpha, this coming Tuesday. So why not come and consider the evidence for yourself.

Our second clue is this: eternal life is not something we earn, ...rather it's a gift which we receive (v10).

And I'm glad about that, because if we had to earn our way to heaven, then I for one won't make it. (Just ask my wife! - she knows what I'm really like!).

How many of you made some New Year resolutions this year? How many of you have managed to kept them all?

Well I'm always falling short of my own standards, ...how much more then must I fall short of God's standards.

Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind."

And I don't even achieve that.

(pause)

But the good news is that eternal life is not something you earn, ...rather it's a gift which you receive.

If Zacchaeus had to earn is way to heaven, then he wouldn't have made it. After all he was a fiddler and a diddler, a rake and a rip-off. He was a thief. ...But Jesus forgave him, and said "Zacchaeus, today salvation has come to you."

(That's also what John Newton discovered, ...and it's what 'amazing grace' is all about.)

On the cross Jesus died as our substitute. He paid the penalty that our sins deserved. He died in our place, and that's why we can be forgiven.

And if that's all new to you, you'll be pleased to know that it's what the second Alpha evening is all about. The topic for that evening is "Why did Jesus die?".

Eternal life is a gift, and as Jesus said to the Samaritan woman:

"If you only knew what God gives, and who it is that is asking you for a drink, you would ask him, and he would give you life giving water." (v10)

And our third clue from the passage is this: Christianity is not so much about a rules, ...it's much more about a relationship (v14).

The story is told of a small boy who was listening to the radio shortly after the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. He looked at his father anxiously:

"O dear", the boy said, "I hope they haven't found any more commandments!"

Of course Christians try to follow the Ten Commandments, but Christianity is not primarily concerned with rules. First and foremost its about a relationship with the most important person of all. Our relationship with the God who made us.

Relationships are exciting, aren't they? They are the most important aspect of our lives.

I remember the first time I met the girl who later became my wife, ...and hoping that we would soon meet again.

I remember the first time that I asked her out. It was in front of all my friends, and I desperately hoped that she wouldn't embarrass me by saying 'No'. ...and my great excitement when she said 'Yes'.

I remember going for a walk on our first date, and tentatively taking hold of her hand...

I could go on... but you know what I mean, ...relationships make our lives worth living.

And you and I were created to live in relationship with God.

Until we find that relationship there will always be something missing in our lives. As a result we are often aware of a gap. People sometimes describe it as an "emptiness deep inside".

People try to fill this emptiness in various ways. Zacchaeus tried to fill the gap with money. Others try drugs or alcohol abuse. Still others try hard work, music, sport, or seek success. There may not be anything wrong with these things themselves, ...but they don't fill that emptiness deep inside.

Jesus said to the Samaritan woman:

"Whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring which will provide him with life-giving water and give him eternal life." (v14)

Now the life-giving water that Jesus was talking about is the Holy Spirit. When a person becomes a Christian, God sends his Holy Spirit to come and live within them.

God is no longer someone out there, ...but someone in here. And it is God's Spirit who fills the gap deep inside.

So, I return to the question we started with:

What is a Christian?

...being British isn't enough to make you a Christian,

...living a good life isn't enough to make you a Christian,

...believing in God isn't enough to make you a Christian.

A Christian is someone who believes that Jesus died that they may be forgiven, and who has God's Holy Spirit living within them.

Different people may have come here this evening for many different reasons. But I want to finish by addressing to types of people.

First, I want to address those of you who would like to find out more. It doesn't matter how little experience you have had of the Christian faith, or how much, ...if you want to find out more, Alpha is for you.

In a few minutes David will give you some practical details about Alpha.

Second, I want to address any of you who feel ready this evening to begin a new relationship with Jesus. Once again, it doesn't matter how little experience you have had of the Christian faith, or how much, ...what's important is that you feel ready to take a step of faith.

The way that people take this step of faith varies enormously, but I want to describe one way in which you can receive God's gift of eternal life.

I'm not going to ask you to do anything embarrassing, ...I'm just going to suggest that you silently pray a prayer with me.

It's a prayer in which you can say sorry for the things you have done wrong in your life,

...say thank you that Jesus died on the cross for you,

...and finally, to say please, as you ask the Holy Spirit to come into your life.

It's the most important prayer that you can pray, ...and is not to be taken lightly. So if you're not yet ready to pray it, please don't. But for those of you who are ready, ...please silently repeat these words after me.

(read prayer from Why Jesus?)

That prayer was taken from a booklet called Why Jesus? If you prayed that prayer this evening could you please tell me when you leave church, because I would love to give you a free copy.