Who Jesus Is Not
- Wonderful Man: Many people don't believe in Christianity but think that Jesus was a wonderful man.
- Unfortunately that belief is not logical. Since Jesus said he was the Son of God, the only logical descriptors of Jesus' character are:
- Lunatic – Jesus' character was marked with practical wisdom, deep and loving relationships, and an astonishing display of creativity. Are these the characteristics of a crazy man?
- Liar – Jesus left us with the most profound moral instructions and a powerful moral example. Could a person whose whole life was a lie be capable of such an achievement?
- Lord – As psychiatrist J.T. Fischer described, "Here rests the blueprint for successful human life with optimism, mental health, and contentment."
- If Jesus is not a lunatic or liar, the only remaining choice is Lord.
Who did He say He was?
- God the Son: When the question was put to Him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?", Jesus responded by saying,"I am… and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." Mark 14:61-64
- Mediator for us to God: "Jesus answered,'I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.' " John 14:6
- Guiding Light: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12
- Good Shepherd: "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep." John 10:14
- One with the authority to forgive sins: "Son, your sins are forgiven." Mark 2:5
What Is There to Support His Claims?
- His Teachings: Jesus' teachings are beyond those of any other human being. In the 2000 years since they were uttered they have never been improved. His teachings are also the basis for Western civilization. A majority of all North American laws were originally based on Jesus' teachings.
- His Works: Jesus performed numerous miracles while on earth. Below are a sampling of the miracles He performed:
- Multiplied one person's lunch to feed thousands. (Mark 6:30-44)
- Controlled nature by stopping a storm. (Mark 4:35-41)
- He healed numerous people (the blind could see, the lame could walk, the deaf could hear).
- He removed evil spirits from individuals.
- He even raised the dead. (John 11:38-44)
- His Character: Many people are touched by the personality of Jesus. Jesus had incredible amounts of love and compassion. Even as He was nailed to the cross He said, "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)
- His Fulfillment of Prophecy: One of the most convincing arguments of Jesus' claims is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Jesus fulfilled over 300 specific prophecies in His lifetime. These prophecies were written by many authors over several hundred years. Many of these events Jesus had no control over (his birth place, the time of his birth, the way in which he died).
- His Resurrection: The ultimate proof of Jesus' Godliness was His coming back to life. No human has ever achieved a physical resurrection.
Who Is Jesus?
- Jesus is God's one and only son. Jesus is fully God.
- Jesus was fully human.
- Jesus was sent to Earth as a man to die for our sins.
- Jesus is both fully human and fully God.
As Cambridge University English professor and former agnostic, C.S. Lewis said:
"We are faced then with a frightening alternative. The man we are talking about was (and is) just what he said he is or else a lunatic or something worse. Now it seems to me obvious that he was neither a lunatic nor a fiend; and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that he was and is God. God has landed on this enemy-occupied world in human form." Surprised by Joy, Fontana, 1955.
Or as one 19th century author, Phillip Brooks, wrote: "He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held office. He never had a family or owned a home. He didn’t go to college. He never visited a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He did none of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself. He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for His garments, the only property He had on earth. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that one solitary life."