“Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” (Hebrews 5:8-9)

The Greatest Author

Fyodor Dostoevsky, Charles Dickens, J.R.R. Tolkien, William Shakespeare, C. S. Lewis, William Faulkner, Virginia Wolfe, Leo Tolstoy, Mark Twain, Zane Grey, and Ernest Hemingway are among the elite authors in world history who have changed the face of literature. Their writings are considered classics in their own right alongside many other authors who share the historical significance of changing the world. Few men attain the notability of worldwide authors who are remembered for centuries. Their writings are studied, examined, and quoted, and form the basis of intellectual discussions in higher levels of education. If a man were able to combine all the great writings in the history of language into one collection, none would be a shadow of significance to the one person who is the greatest author of all – Jesus Christ.

An author is someone who invents, originates, and promotes an idea and publishes those ideas into a series of philosophies, doctrines, or stories. The truth about human wisdom is that nothing is truly original. Hugh Miller said, “No dramatist can draw taller men than himself.” Every author is limited in his creation because, like the axiom in physics that water cannot rise above its level, no man can create a character greater than himself. If all the authors of all time were gathered into one room and their talents combined into one united force, they could not begin to create the story of God’s redemption of man and the story of Jesus Christ.

 When the Roman soldiers crucified three men outside Jerusalem long ago, the man in the middle was the author of the greatest story ever told. Jesus Christ became the author (causer) of eternal salvation when He died for the sins of the world. His story became the means by which sinful man could find eternal life. There is no other story that will save man. All others are false religions created by human wisdom of failed theologies, condemning their followers to life without God. Jesus is the author of eternal salvation only to those who obey Him. His story will have no impact if the heart does not accept His word. The cross is the central story of Jesus Christ, who, for the joy that was set before Him, learned obedience in the things He suffered to receive authority from God and become the Savior of the world.

There is no greater author than Jesus Christ. The story of Jesus begins in Genesis and triumphs in the Revelation. Every jot and tittle of the message penned by holy men of God declares the authorship of Jesus Christ. His hand is in every word. The power of the Holy Spirit inspired every syllable. God’s message of redemption permeates each page of divine revelation to declare the glory of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Eternal life can only be found in the message of the author of eternal life, and Jesus is His name. Knowledge is power, and reading is learning the grace of God’s message to a lost world. Faith comes from reading the words of the author of eternal salvation. Without faith, there is no salvation. Jesus is the greatest author. Read His book often. Your destiny depends on it.