In his July 15, 1838 “Divinity School Address” in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Ralph Waldo Emerson said speaking of Jesus, “…whose name is not so much written as ploughed into the history of the world…” Emerson’s premise was that Jesus’ life and teachings left an indelible mark on history, like a plow turning soil, demonstrating a deep, transformative power that changed the world. All sane men must agree and see the truth in what Emerson contended. Even a cursory view of His life leaves a lasting impression upon the searcher that Jesus no doubt was a supernatural amazement. There is simply no one who ever walked this earth like Jesus!
Consider firstly, His conception. God’s providential law from the Garden of Eden until eternity dawns has been the same for everyone from Cain to the last person born prior to the Lord’s return. That law is unavoidable and undeniable! A man’s “seed” must come into contact with a woman’s “seed” (Genesis 3:15) in order for the life of a human being to begin. Life begins at conception, and without the union of these two “seeds,” humanity cannot exist. However, not so with Jesus. The Holy Spirit prophesied some 700 years before our Lord’s conception that “…a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14b). Never in the history of humanity had this phenomenon ever previously occurred and neither since the day our Lord was conceived has it ever occurred again. The Lord’s conception was unlike any other conception. It was miraculous, brought about by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). At the very onset of Jesus’ sojourn upon earth, which began in the womb of Mary, Jesus proved to be like no other!
Consider secondly, His character. One thing that always amazes me about the great Bible heroes that God allows us to view in Scripture is that even though many of them lived amazingly faithful lives, none were recorded as sinless! All the heroes in God’s “Hall of Faith” (Hebrews 11) have some “smudges” on their lives. There truly is “no one righteous, no not one” (Romans 3:10). That is, except Jesus! All one has to do is walk with Jesus through the accounts that record His perfect life (Matthew–John), and the conclusion is undeniable; His character is unmarred. When exhaustion and frustration were evident, and temptation drew nigh, Jesus still remained “without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). When He stood “toe to toe” with the Tempter of this age (Matthew 4:3; 2 Corinthians 4:4), He sent the Devil packing without one stain of sin upon our Lord’s soul. Years later, those who observed His perfect character were guided by the Holy Spirit to write about Jesus, “Who committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:22). Even those who hated Him could not bring an honest charge against His character (John 8:46). Regarding His character, Jesus is truly like no other!
Consider thirdly, His crucifixion. Because of His perfect character, He was crucified even though He was totally and completely innocent! Even one of the criminals who hung beside Jesus knew that our Lord was innocent. “And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:41). There was nothing all that different about the place where Jesus was crucified. There was not even anything all that different about the people who crucified Him. The pain of crucifixion was completely “normal” for such a victim. Yet, the purpose for which Jesus hung on Calvary was unlike any other purpose ever imagined! His crucifixion was accomplished because of sin! Someone has beautifully said of the three that hung on crosses that day: one died in sin (Luke 23:39), one died to sin (Luke 23:40; 43), but only One died for sin, and that was Jesus (Isaiah 53)! When one examines His crucifixion, truly Jesus is like no other!
Lastly, consider His crowning. Through mankind’s history upon this earth, multitudes of people have been crowned. Many wore crowns of victory for some athletic event or competition they won. Some wore crowns of authority to rule over a particular nation or people. However, only Jesus wore the true Royal Diadem! Jesus was crowned as the King above all kings (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 19:16). While all kings had some authority, Jesus was crowned with all authority (Matthew 28:18). While all kings had some particular territory over which to rule, Jesus rules over every territory in Heaven and on the Earth (Psalm 47:6–8; Ephesians 1:22–23; Colossians 1:18). Furthermore, while all kings had some subjects bow to them and respect their kingly position, Jesus’ crowning causes all men, both the willing and the unwilling, to drop to their knees and confess this King as the only true King (Philippians 2:9–11). Jesus’ crowning when He entered the throne room of Heaven caused “angels, authorities, and powers” to be subjected to Him and Him alone (1 Peter 3:22). Many have worn crowns, but when it comes to Jesus’ crowning, He is like no other!
Skeptics have questioned Him, atheists have denied Him, nations have fought over Him, and the honest seeker has obeyed Him. Even though Jesus “is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26), He still invites everyone to enter and to enjoy His kingdom. It must have been a homecoming like no other when Jesus’ nail-pierced feet marched down the aisle of coronation to the angelic chant “Worthy is the Lamb” (Revelation 5:12). What a sight it must have been to behold the embrace of the Father and the Son for the first time in thirty-three years. From His amazing conception to His authoritative coronation and reign over His Kingdom, honest folks are left with no other conclusion than this: Jesus truly is like no other!
