'so, what's the big deal about Jesus anyway?'

A friend once asked me 'so, what's the big deal about Jesus anyway?' Try to picture me now standing in front of her...my eyes are wide, my mouth is hanging open and my mind is on high alert knowing this question needed an answer...and quickly.

I don't remember exactly what I said then but let me try again now.  So, what IS the big deal about Jesus anyway? Well...

• It was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed (Isaiah 53:4-5).
• Or, after telling the stone-throwers that they only got to throw another stone if they'd never sinned themselves, Jesus took the hand of the adulterous woman (the woman they were trying to stone to death for her sin), just like he takes my hand and your hand every day, and said "Where is everyone? Isn’t there anyone left to accuse you?" "No sir," the woman answered. Then Jesus told her, "I don't accuse you either. Now go your way, but sin no more" (John 8:10-11, part).
• And, without Christ, we can do nothing; in Christ, we can do all things (John 15:5; Philippians: 4:13). By the way being "in Christ" means we have come to trust that his work on the cross was a "work" we could never do for ourselves...the sinless Son of God dying for the sins of the world. In other words, he did the work so we don't have to!
• How 'bout this:  the great Martin Luther said that Jesus Christ is the "center and circumference of the Bible."  In other words, who He is and what He did by dying on the cross and rising from the dead, is the foundation of the entire Bible (AND it's fundamental to having a faith that saves you).
•  Also (and boy do I need this), We have a great high priest, who has gone into heaven, and he is Jesus the Son of God. [He] understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.
• And finally, Jesus is a friend (John 15:15); Jesus offers salvation through faith in him (Romans 6:23); Jesus offers us everything we need through him (Revelation 22:17); Isaiah 55:1-2); and I could go ON and ON.

So, let's ask our question again: 'what's the big deal about Jesus anyway?' Answer?  He's the ONLY deal. I am the way, the truth, and the life! Without me, no one can go to the Father (Jesus's words in John 14:6).