Robert Osborn

It?s All About Jesus Robert Osborn

Osborn asks, Why be a Christian? After considering some of the typical answers tradition hasoffered, he contends that only one works: because Christianity is about truth, the truth that bearsthe name, Jesus. It's all about Jesus-a most faithful Jewish son of God, who was called by hisFather, the Lord God of Israel, to be the witness to the coming kingdom of God. This ministrybrought him into conflict with authorities and with the power of the death they wielded, thusraising serious questions about Jesus and his authority. His crucifixion appeared to answer thequestion in the negative. However, there was a divine irony in the cross as revealed by theresurrection-namely, that the life and especially the death of Jesus was really the story of God'svictory over death and the evil it empowers, and thus the decisive event of Jesus's messiahship. Yet, while death is defeated and has no future it nevertheless persists, and the church, which Godbrings into being as a result of Jesus's ministry is called to continue in the power of Jesus to fightagainst death, especially its manifestation in social/political evil, as well as in personal sin.