by Mick Lockwood, Hall Green Baptist Church, Haworth

WE are used to our politicians making claims of previous successes to persuade us to vote for them. We also listen to their promises of what they intend to do in the future.

Everyone is aware that some claims can be over exaggerated, and some promises over ambitious, but the claims and promises of politicians seem quite modest when compared to what Jesus said.

He claimed that before he was born on this earth he shared God’s glory in heaven, and if we want to know God the only way for that to happen is through him.

He claimed he could forgive us everything we had ever done wrong, and give us everlasting life if we believed in him.

He also promised he would return to judge every human being who has ever lived separating “the sheep from the goats”, and prepare a place in heaven for those who have recognised and received him. Sounds outrageous!

The only way he could ever get any followers was if he had done something truly remarkable to give them confidence that his claims and promises were true. For his words to have any credibility he’d have to show who he really is by coming back from the dead.

That’s exactly how his apostles were convinced after Jesus “presented himself alive to them after his sufferings by many proofs”. Was Jesus exaggerating or over ambitious? Not if he came back from the dead.