Before I ever believed any of this, I had a long list of questions. Jonah swallowed by a great fish. Really? Miracles, fallen angels, heaven, and hell – it all sounded like something from a storybook.
But there was one thing I couldn’t shake off.
A carpenter in a dusty corner of the Roman Empire told a dozen ordinary men that the message He was giving them would go out to the “uttermost part of the earth.” No internet, no phones, no email, no global postal system, and no social media campaigns. Just twelve confused men – and a promise.
If I said in a canteen on site, “What I tell you twelve men is going to reach the four corners of the earth,” it wouldn’t make it past the lunch break. If it did, the story would be twisted beyond recognition by the time it got to the car park.
A Modern Comparison Worth Thinking About.
Today, with the entire internet at our fingertips, the most-followed person on any social platform is Cristiano Ronaldo — around 668 million followers, with every algorithm in the world pushing his face everywhere. Elon Musk sits on enormous platforms too. That’s what happens when you combine global media, smartphones, social networks, advertising, and a world obsessed with celebrities.
And what do they get famous for?
Kicking a ball.
Posting a meme.
Launching a car into space, allegedly.
Nothing wrong with any of that, if that’s your thing, but let’s be honest — none of it is going to change the human heart or answer the biggest questions of life.
Now compare that with Jesus.
No internet.
No cameras.
No global media.
No marketing budget.
No private jets, PR teams, sponsorships, or stadium screens.
Just a carpenter, twelve ordinary men, and a message.
Ronaldo can reach 668 million people with a single photo because the entire digital world is built to amplify him.
Jesus reached billions over two thousand years without any of it — and His words are still spreading today, without needing a single algorithm to help Him. If you gave Ronaldo, the entire internet and Jesus none of it…
Jesus still wins by an ocean.
And He said it would be that way long before His disciples even understood what He meant. Ronaldo has 668 million followers. Jesus has 2.3 billion today — without Instagram.
What Did Jesus Actually Say?
Jesus said things like this:
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…” (Matthew 28:19)
“Ye shall be witnesses unto me… unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Two thousand years later, with all our modern tech and global platforms, no one has had the reach, staying power, and influence that this carpenter from Nazareth has had.
When People Die.
Normally when someone dies, their influence dies with them. Their friends remember them for a while, the story gets told once or twice, and then it fades.
That’s not what happened with Jesus.
The exact opposite happened. He was crucified, buried, and yet His words spread outwards like a shockwave that hasn’t stopped. Different empires have tried to stamp them out. Educated people have mocked them. False teachers have twisted them. But still, everywhere you go in the world, you find people reading, quoting, and living by the words of this carpenter.
That was the thing that started to get under my skin. If His words really have reached the four corners of the earth just as He said – no technology, no PR, no TV, Internet, or social media for thousands of years – then maybe I needed to stop being distracted for five minutes and actually listen to what He said.
Not what religious people say about Him.
Not what angry people on the internet say.
Not the divided denominations, not middle-class congregations.
Instead, listen to what Jesus Himself said.
Why the Words of Jesus Still Matter.
There’s something different about hearing a person speak for themselves. Many of us have heard the opinions, arguments, and complaints about Christianity, but surprisingly few have ever sat down and listened to Jesus’ actual words. And if what He said two thousand years ago is still shaping lives today – across cultures, languages, and continents – then maybe His voice deserves more than a passing glance.
For seekers, this can feel risky. What if I get sucked into something I don’t believe? What if I can’t make sense of it? What if this whole thing is just a relic of childhood religion or cultural habit? Those are fair questions. They’re human questions. And they’re questions Jesus wasn’t afraid of. He never told people to switch off their minds or silence their doubts. He invited people to come close, to listen, to weigh what He said, and to see whether His words rang true.
Believers, too, sometimes drift from the raw, simple power of Jesus’ teaching. We get tangled in rituals, debates, or the pressure to “have it all together.” Yet Jesus’ words cut through noise with a clarity that disarms both cynicism and pride. When He spoke, ordinary people leaned in. Some loved Him, some hated Him, some weren’t sure what to think. But no one shrugged.
The Carpenter Who Spoke With Authority.
When Jesus started speaking publicly, people noticed something unusual: He didn’t sound like anyone else. He didn’t quote endless authorities, build philosophical defences, or soften His claims. He spoke directly, personally, and with an authority that startled those listening.
Even those who doubted Him couldn’t deny that something was happening. A movement formed, not because He built a brand or organised a strategy, but because His words met people where they were and cut straight to the heart. They still do. Words about forgiveness that feels impossible, hope that survives darkness, truth that doesn’t shift with culture, and a God who steps toward us, not away from us.
And if He really rose from the dead – if His words were not simply good advice but God’s voice breaking into human history – then every one of us has something at stake in listening.
Where This Series Begins.
So that’s what this series is about.
We’re going to walk through the words of Jesus – starting from the beginning of His public life – not as polished religion, but from the point of view of somebody who once thought, “How can any of this be true?”
We’ll start where the Gospels start: with His baptism, His first public words, and the first time He begins to speak and tells people what God is really like, what’s wrong with us, and what He’s come to do about it.
A Simple Invitation.
If you’re curious, sceptical, hurt by church, or just unsure what to make of Jesus, you’re welcome to read along. You don’t have to agree with me. All I’d ask is this:
Before you decide what to do with Christianity, take a serious look at what Jesus actually said.
Because if a carpenter’s words really did travel to the ends of the earth without technology, campaigns – perhaps those words deserve a fresh hearing today.
Part One coming soon.
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