What tangible evidence of his time among us did Christ leave on this earth? Was it a book? No, that came three and half centuries before and three and half centuries after his 33ish years here. Was it an institution? No, as a marginalized and persecuted movement, Christianity had no legal standing, no published address, no central headquarters, and no official corporate identity. So, what did he leave? He left his church. And he left them with none of the aforementioned resources and structures which we in Christendom tend to find essential to carrying on his legacy. The church he left was the same entity he had been building for his years of earthly ministry – a community of Christ followers on mission with him. That mission was the one he began and commissioned to them – to make disciples. In the end, the discussion of Jesus’ legacy nullifies itself since the word, “legacy,” implies the absence of the person being considered. Jesus is alive and present in his church when we share the life he gave us.
This video has been around a while but I’ve not yet seen a clearer or more beautiful depiction of the church Christ is building.