Introduction
I’ve lived in Las Vegas for many years now; the first 7-years I spent as a casino executive at a major gaming conglomerate. I’ll never forget what was told to me at my first interview with the corporate VP to whom I would eventually be subordinate. He said, “Our job is to take all the money from everyone as quickly as we can, because if we don’t take it they’ll just give it to a competitor. We create illusion for everyone who walks into our sphere. It doesn’t matter what illusion a person envisions, as long as everyone feels like they have a real chance at the ultimate: ‘breaking the bank.’ They go home and brag to their friends about it and can’t wait to come back and try again.” Ironically, at about this same time period, I was watching a Simpson’s episode where Mr. Burns opens a casino in Springfield. After being presented with several lame designs for his casino he says to the architects, “I know what people like: it’s got to have sex appeal and a catchy name.” And so he builds his casino based on this premise. He then turns into a Howard Hughes type recluse and to his personal assistant Smithers he says, “I’ve discovered the perfect business: people swarm in, empty their pockets and scuttle off.”
I cannot help to think how religion is not unlike the gaming industry. All religion, including the so-called Christian religion, is a mere illusion of chance, but those who participate in it imagine they have gained a real shot at the ultimate state of self-gratification: the feat of earning immortal bliss—“There’s a lady who’s sure/All that glitters is gold/And she’s buying a stairway to heaven. When she gets there she knows/If the stores are all closed/With a word she can get what she came for…And she’s buying a stairway to heaven.”* As noted in the song, most are imprudently satisfied with the notion that chances are, in this life or the next, they’ll finally hit the jackpot. But there exists a distinct contrast between religion and Christ. Most will never realize this: the distinction is that of knowing Christ and His saving power to change mankind into beings that are truly fitted for eternal life; versus the chance, regardless of degree of probability, that one can “buy” or more rightly eventually win “a stairway to heaven.”
Christ Who?
Who is Christ and why does he need to save mankind? While both are profoundly relevant question, today’s focus is an attempt to put into words—albeit the words of a mere mortal man, that being this writer—who Christ is.
Christ has been rightly identified as one Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus is always a popular personage with everyone. He was crooned about by the depraved Elvis and is mentioned frequently in the rants of foul mouthed rappers; He is the baby Jesus loved by the likes of Ricky Bobby in the movie “Taladaga Nights;” He is, according to many false teachers, the means to financial success, total health and worldly comfort; to the liberal minded, He is the epitome of social reform and ethical living. Jesus is a popular and valuable “brand” for anyone seeking political office, sellers of goods or services and a variety of pundits with varying agendas. He is many things to many people but few know Him as the only person capable of purchasing from GOD mankind’s eternal forgiveness from sin. Rarely is He the Christ preached by the Apostles and therefore not the real Jesus who saves men and women from their sins.
Jesus, as He really is, is not the popular Jesus of cliché printed on T-shirts and bumper stickers or political speeches and He is not the superficial good luck charm of entertainers and sports figures. Jesus in reality is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator of the universe who is offended by humanities sin (Colossians 1:16); who had to die as man on the cross to redeem us through His shed blood (Colossians 1:14, 20); and who then rose from the dead to be set, “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:21). Finally, it is this Jesus who, “is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:1). However, as things are as they are, the real Jesus, that is the Christ, was and still is “despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not [and do not still] esteem Him” (Isaiah 53:3). Sadly, for most all of mankind it is perfectly okay, even, “politically correct” to know about Jesus, but a gross display of closed mindedness to know Jesus as the Christ.
Conclusion
There really is no such thing as chance. It is not for chance sake that Bill Gates is who he is, the Arabs have all the oil, you, me and everyone are who we are, etc., but “by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23) what was, is now and yet to come exists according to His will. Even in the world of gaming chance is not present; the win or “take” of the casino (the casino never loses or gives) is based on algorithmic formulae, physics and the absolute certainty that another rube will shortly roll the dice, pick up the cards or pull a handle.
And knowing Jesus—He is the mighty God, the perfect man, the only Savior, the eternal King, and Lord of lords—the true Christ of creation and salvation is life eternal. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Life is not an accident of chance, neither is your salvation nor immortality, rather, it is GOD’s predetermined plan that Christ should die that you might live!
*“Stairway to Heaven”, from Led Zeppelin's Led Zeppelin IV Source : Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin. Recorded: 1971 Songwriter: Led Zeppelin Producers: Jimmy Page Copyright : 1971. Atlantic Records
