The Living Christ
Christ is not a mere historical figure of two thousand years ago. Nor is He simply the Messiah who is to come again in the last days. He is the spiritual personality who dwells among us even now as the Holy Spirit; He lives with us, rejoices with us, and is concerned about us as our Comforter. Christ is the eternal Divine Presence. He reigns on the holy throne of heaven; however, those who are given spiritual eyes can worship Him intimately here on earth, receive His spiritual light within, and experience inner oneness with Him both in heart and in love.
In His last discourse, Christ told His disciples, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). The testimony of faith is to prove that this Christ is alive even today. The mere interpretation of biblical phrases, philosophical demonstrations, and edifying pompous sermons are all insignificant. “To testify of the resurrected Christ” was the primary duty of the apostles.
I also seek day after day to proclaim this Christ, who lives on earth even now. I experience Him; therefore, I bear witness to Him. I do not say this based solely on my reading of the Bible but because I myself come in contact with “the living Christ” in my daily experiences. The fact that Christ is living today is a vital truth. If Christ’s existence had ended with His death on the cross, and if we praise His death simply as the vicarious atonement for the sins of mankind, as is often the case, that would be a sad religion and a vain belief. However, Christ is not dead. He still acts on earth, approaching us in the Spirit, giving us life, and strengthening and comforting us.
Truly I am resolved to “know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). In order to testify of this God of love, who is still denied and still suffers a silent death, I will resort not to elegant words of wisdom or religious doctrine but only to the demonstration of the Spirit and of power (1 Corinthians 2:4-5; Romans 15:19).
In essence, Christ, the Logos of Life, is paralogos (that is, untransmittable in words; para- “beyond” + logos “word”). He is the God of the Holy Spirit, who transcends the expression of human logos. Spirit cannot be conveyed except through spirit, just as the light of the sun cannot be seen unless illuminated by the sun. Likewise, Christ is the Being of beings we can encounter and perceive only through illumination by the light of Christ.
Who is Jesus Christ? His essence is the Love of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:30). He is the divine Spirit of Love. Look, the Spirit of God is in our midst! I am His witness.
“Jesus Christ is the unchangeable God; He is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Amen!
Ikuro Teshima
(1950)
