Why Jesus?
In a skeptical world where our Faith on what’s seen and heard; ourselves, technology, science, and TV ads, have eclipsed our faith in The unseen God, many of us struggle with this question:
Why Jesus?
Hollywood, cognizant now of the untapped market of faith based movies has finally gotten the message. Movie executives, some moved by the dollar sign, others by the sign of the Cross have gotten the message: Christian and Bible stories are near and dear to multitudes of believers who ‘re glad to pay for a movie ticket or a priced DVD to watch them. Believers, seekers, and those who’re curious are paying to see “The Bible”, “Son of God”, “Noah”, “God’s Not Dead”, “Heaven is For Real” just like they’ve paid over $600 million to watch Mel Gibson’s 2004 “The Passion of the Christ”.
But why Jesus, we ask?
Two thousand years ago in a Jewish Temple in Israel, Jesus answered this very same question to a group of skeptical God- fearing religious leaders, seekers, and curious listeners. He announced to them His mission Statement and the reason why humanity must believe in Him.
His words agitated, frustrated, and infuriated His audience who rose up to 
devour Him, just like they still do today in our modern world. Here are the words, as recorded in the New Testament, that Jesus uttered in Aramaic two millenniums ago. The same words that He utters today even through movie executives and Hollywood’s “The Bible”, “Son of God”, “God’s Not Dead”, “Heaven is For Real”, and “The Passion of the Christ” to our technologically savvy but faith lacking generation.
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free
Luke 4:18
Read these poignant and piercing words again and reflect with me on their ocean deep meaning.
Friend, what these words tell me and you is mind-boggling, and anger-provoking to the self-righteous and self sufficient among us.
Jesus’ words tell us these simple and inflaming facts: we’re all captives, all blind, and all under the spell and oppression of a very dark power of evil; Satan.
But Jesus does not stop there. Instead, He fans the flames of anger and fury in His listeners’ hearts and minds back then and now with this conclusion and solution to our human captivity, and blindness: I came to set you free from your captivity, I came to restore you from the blindness of your sight, I came to help you overcome the evil one in this earth who oppresses you.
So back to our question: Why Jesus? 
The answer to this question hinges on what you and I choose to believe.
Do we want to believe that without Jesus we’re physically, spiritually, and emotionally captive to things or people, blind, oppressed and under Satan’s evil control. That we’re totally lost and ignorant of the Truth?
And do we choose to believe that Jesus fully meant what He said with His proclamation that He came to set you and I free form our dark captivity and blindness and to lead us into the light of God’s Truth?
The “Before”
Friend, reflect with me for a minute. Close your eyes tightly and think about the prospect of walking with your eyes closed in a room with a metal door that you can’t open. Now, what’s going on in your mind? Are you starting to worry, and feel uncomfortable as you begin to miss the freedom found behind your locked room door? And as you stay for a while blinded in this captivity are you starting to crave the light, the sights of your surroundings, and becoming fearful of potentially walking on your daughter’s sharp edged toy on the floor, or your hot tempered cat’s tail?
The “After”
Now, open your eyes and turn the knob of your now unlocked door and see what you’ve been missing; the lights, the sights, and the freedom from worries and from the darkness of your captivity. Can you sense now a sigh of relief and a rise in your inner heart’s sense of relief and rest?
Friend, Jesus came to open the door of my soul’s captivity and yours, and to restore our eye sight. He came to lead us to freedom from our locked and dark soul rooms . From “The Before” to “The After”
Meditate for one more time with me on our lives “Before”. Do you see your 
life in the past, and perhaps even in the present, the way Jesus sees it: imprisoned in a barbed fenced ‘plantation’ and enslaved by ruthless captors and enslavers named guilt, anger, greed, jealousy, fear, misplaced lusts, sadness, and confusion. Now, to those of us who chose Jesus’ conclusion and solution that He is our Savior and Liberator from captivity , and sight restorer of our blindness can we tell the difference in our lives?
Is your life and mine “After” our liberation and sight- restoration amazingly better and filled with inner peace and joy even as we face life’s storms and many adversities? All of us who made that choice for Jesus continue to grow day by day in the depth of our understanding and in the embracing of this freedom from our heart and mind’s captivity and blindness. And to those of us who never made this choice, the answer to this question is a resounding “yes”.
It takes quietness, mediation, and time of reflection to recognize that we’re all offered this freedom from our dark prisons and that the door of our captivity is no longer locked. Come on, let’s push open this detested jail cell door to our freedom and unto the amazing light and sights awaiting us.
To the former slave ship master and slave- trader -turned -Christian John Newton life in “The After” is way, way much better than his life in “The Before”.
John Newton saw, felt and experienced that faith- building seed that enters and grows in our doubting hearts as we reflect and meditate on our lives “Before” and “After” .
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, but now I see.
First Stanza of Amazing Grace
John Newton (1725-1807)
Ex slave trader
And friend, this is the faith that our scientific, and technologically savvy world lacks and the answer to the “why Jesus?” question.
Jesus calls us to have faith in Him and His Word. This is the faith you and I need to be free, to live a better life, and to experience joy and peace amidst the storms here on earth and beyond the grave.
Christ is Risen
Risen Indeed
Christós Anésti
Adel G Hanna, MD
Author:
Soldier to Soldier; Heart to Heart
A Doctor’s Stories from a Military Camp