February 21, 2004

THE GREAT COMMUNICATOR

"The officers answered, 'No man ever spoke like this Man!' " (John 7:46, NKJV).

Demosthenes, Cicero, Aristotle, and others have earned their place in history as great orators and persuasive communicators. During World War II, Sir Winston Churchill became a household word for his eloquence and persuasive communication. President Ronald Reagan earned the epithet, "The Great Communicator."

Standing in preeminence above all the world's great communicators, past and present, is Jesus of Nazareth. This fact was acknowledged by the temple guards in their report to the chief priests and Pharisees. "No man ever spoke like this Man! (John 7:46, NKJV), they confessed. Jesus is the peerless communicator. Through Him, the character and attributes of God have been unmistakably communicated to humanity. In His uniquely arresting, solemn, sincere, and impressive manner, Christ spoke with compelling authority. Matthew sums it up concisely, "He [Jesus] taught them as one having authority" (Matthew 7:29, NKJV). Ellen G. White adds: " 'No man ever spoke like this man,' because 'Never man lived like this man.' "--Gospel Workers, p. 244.

Whether He spoke to the learned or the unlearned, the elite or the common people, the upper classes or the down trodden, Christ always communicated His message persuasively and effectively. He was always the preeminent communicator.

This comment puts it all in perspective: "The words and deeds of the humble Teacher, recorded by the unlettered companions of His daily life, have exerted a living power upon the minds of men from that day to the present. Not merely the ignorant and humble, but men of education, intellect, and genius reverently exclaim, with the wondering and delighted listeners of old, 'Never man spake like this man!' (John 7:46)."--That I May Know Him, p. 189.

My Prayer Today: Lord, as the great communicator, help me also to be an effective communicator of Your saving message. Amen.