11. Jesus’ logic, simplicity, coherence and correspondence.
'I am the way and the truth and the life' John 14:6
1. Powerful logic.
As I read the Bible, the powerful logic of Jesus strikes me. It has done so since becoming a Christian. For example Jesus said 'What good is it for you to gain the whole world, yet forfeit your self?' There is a sharp clarity and unshakable logic to this statement. You may not agree with what Jesus says about how people lose themselves but you can't argue with the logic of the statement. It goes further than just the logic. It is the poignancy and clarity that he has about the issues of life. It is no wonder that he tends to quickly divide people into those who love him and those who hate him.
2. Beautiful simplicity.
The poignant insight that Jesus brings to complex issues gives his teaching a beautiful simplicity. It has been said that Bible is deep enough to keep the smartest theologian busy for a lifetime but simple enough for a child to grasp the core. The Bible and Christianity are not unlocked through comprehending complex ideas and abstract concepts. Christianity is about a person called Jesus. You see him in action and you are either drawn to him in trust and love, or you reject him. It's that simple.
The core of his teachings were simple. He said knock and the door will be opened. Salvation is not a complicated list of requirements but about going to a reliable person and Lord – asking for him for help (Matt 18:2-4). Those of us unwilling to humble ourselves and ask for his help miss out. End of story.
3. Far reaching coherence.
Call it supernatural or call it natural selection but the Bible and theology hold together well. If you distort one part then it distorts other parts. It has an integrity and a robustness to it.
When people downplay human sinfulness suddenly the glory of Christ's sacrifice is diminished. The Son of God had to die because the problem was in fact very great. How can God's justice and his love be satisfied with regard to guilty people? A representative substitute took their place. How can Jesus be pay for human sin? By being a human. How can he pay for all humanity and bring God satisfaction? By being divine as well as human.
Like it or not, agree with it or not, there is a far reaching coherence to the Bible and theology.
4. Accurate correspondence.
One part of becoming a Christian was hearing the gospel of Mark explained in my first year at University. I was struck by Jesus' words that the source of our personal evil is our heart – it isn't forced on us by others (Mark 7:21-23). Until then I had graded myself on the curve and thought I did pretty well when compared to the kids at school who got the cane or just lacked integrity. Then I left home and a whole new set of temptations came my way. It had a powerful impact seeing in my thoughts the very things Jesus had spoken about 2000 years beforehand. The accuracy of his knowledge of me struck home with a poignancy and led me to see my need for Jesus as my saviour.