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The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever. Isaiah 40:8 (1:1) Just by looking at Christ's words and deeds, we can clearly discern His distinction. His words were powerful yet gentle. They expressed supreme love, courage, wisdom, compassion, forgiveness, and self-sacrifice. Then, by His deeds, He proved what He meant. His enduring influence came from both His words and His deeds: (1:2) He [Christ] was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. Luke 24:19 (1:3) How could a seemingly ordinary person from a poor family make so much difference? (1:4) That mighty Jewish nation toppled and crumbled away, but those few souls who sought shelter beneath the Messianic Tree [Christianity] transformed all human life.4 'Abdu'l-Baha (1:5) Those who regard Jesus Himself as the essential evidence can never be disappointed, for His thoughts, His words, and His deeds are clearly distinct and distinguished. An ordinary person can in no way compete with His excellence. Is the proof of the sun in its light and glory, or in some records left by previous observers? Which is more reliable? (1:6) In his classic work Caesar and Christ, historian Will Durant states: (1:7) That a few simple men should in one generation have invented so powerful and appealing a personality, so lofty an ethic and so inspiring a vision of human brotherhood, would be a miracle far more incredible than any recorded in the Gospels. After two centuries of Higher Criticism the outlines of the life, character, and teaching of Christ, remain reasonably clear, and constitute the most fascinating feature in the history of Western man.5 (1:8) In our search for truth, instead of following our own fantasies, illusions, and assumptions, we should submit to God's standards: (1:9) O friend! It behooveth us not to waive the injunction of God, but rather acquiesce and submit to that which He hath ordained as His divine Testimony.6 Baha'u'llah (1:10) Say: The first and foremost testimony establishing His truth is His own Self. Next to this testimony is His Revelation.7 Baha'u'llah (1:11) Christ never said "Ye shall know God's Messengers by their miracles," yet that is what most people do. He did say, "Ye shall know them by their fruits," yet that is what most people do not do. (1:12) What constitutes the evidence of truth? What are the proofs of the One who claims that His Word is the Word of God? Discovering the answers to these questions should be the first and foremost concern of every seeker of truth. (1:13) Baha'u'llah proclaims repeatedly, as did Christ and other great Messengers, that He speaks only the Word of God, that He teaches nothing from Himself. Should we accept His claim without seeking evidence? (1:14) When God sends a Messenger, He endows Him with distinctions that no other human being can copy. He makes Him shine as brightly as the sun with peerless glory and splendor. Otherwise, how could anyone be accountable for denying Him? How could anyone be accountable for following falsehood, for choosing an impostor? (1:15) Refernces: 1. saq 101:. 2. The 100, A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History, M. Hart, 1989: 3. Why I Believe, Waco, TX:, J. Kennedy p. 96: 4. sdc 82: 5. The Watchtower, June 15, 986, p. 13: 6. kiq 205: 7. gwb 105.
(1:16)
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