For 2000 years, much of the world has seen Jesus of Nazareth as the founder of one of the world's major religions. Many have also seen Him as a provocative teacher and a good moral example.
But history doesn't give us the luxury of thinking that Jesus was merely a great teacher or good moral example. The evidence suggests that if He was nit who he claimed to be, then Jesus was guilty of crimes against humanity. If He wasn't speaking on behalf of our Creator, then He was either a very sick or evil man.
So, what did Jesus claim?
In Chapter 8 of John's gospel, we find Jesus confronted by religious leaders of His Day. In the course of the debate he said. " ' I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.' Then they took up stones to throw at him" (Jn. 8:58-59).
Regarding the willingness of Jesus to describe Himself as more than a man. Thomas Schutz wrote: "Christ is the only religious leader who has ever claimed to be deity, and the only individual ever who has convinced a great portion of the world that he is God" (cited by Josh McDowell in Evidence That Demands A Verdict, p.92).
The four Gospel writers (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) provide different perspectives but a shared conclusion that the overall pattern of Jesus' life is unexplainable if He wasn't who He claimed to be. They say that in addition to fulfilling prophecy and living a life of unparalleled wisdom and character, Jesus performed:
~ Miracles of physical healing: He healed a man with a terrible skin disease (Mt. 8:2-4); reversed paralysis (Mt. 9:2-8; 122:10-13); and cured blindness and deafness (Mt. 20:30-34; Mk. 7:31-37).
~ Miracles of nature: He turned water into wine (Jn. 2:1-11); stilled a storm on the Sea of Galilee (Mt. 8:23-27); and walked on water (Mt. 14:22-26).
~ Miracles of resurrection: Hr raised the dead daughter of a religious leader (Mt. 9:18-26), a widow's son (Lk. 7:11-15), and a friend named Lazarus (Jn. 11:1-44).
According to each of the four written record of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Jesus repeatedly talked about being on a mission of rescue. Even as His popularity began to worry the religious leaders of Israel. He talked repeatedly about going to Jerusalem to die. His followers found such comments unthinkable. Yet after only three years in the public eye. He went to Jerusalem, was rejected by national leaders, and was sentenced to die by crucifixion for claiming to be the King and God of the Jews.
Only after His execution would followers see His willingness to die in the light of a comment made by His fore-runner. Three years earlier they heard a rugged prophet of the wilderness, known as John the baptizer, say about Jesus. "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (Jn. 1:29).
In retrospect, it seems reasonable to conclude that Jesus saw Himself as a sacrificial lamb. For thousands of years the religious law of Israel had been requiring the death of innocent animals on altars of sacrifice. All the while, mysterious statements of Jewish prophets referred to a Messiah who would Himself beat the sin of fallen humanity. Yet the meaning of a suffering Messiah (Gen. 3:15; Isa 53: Dan. 9:26; Zech 12:10) would remain a mystery until after the death of Jesus.
According to hundreds of eyewitnesses, Jesus did die and three days later He left the tomb alive. Also, consider the following evidence:
~ Secular historians acknowledge that Jesus was a real living person who gained renown in first century Isreal as a healer and a teacher.
~ Secular historians (Jewish and Roman) acknowledge that Jesus died at the hands of religious leaders.
~ The biblical records tells us that Jesus was seen alive by more than 500 people after His death.
~ If He was to save us from our sins. God's plan for salvation would have to be achieved - and in the crucifixion and resurrection, dozens of Old Testament prophecies of God's plan for providing forgiveness were fulfilled in the space of just a few hours.
In all of these amazing events. Jesus Himself doesn't make it easy for us. When He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (Jn. 14:6). He didn't leave us with many options. He does not allow us to think He was just "a good teacher" or "a moral model."
C.S. Lewis, Cambridge University professor and former atheist, observed with his usual candour:
A man who was merely a man and said the soft of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher....Either this man was, and is, the Son of God.... or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool; you can spit at Him and kill Him as a Demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to (Mere Christianity, p. 41)
Excerpted from What If It's True? by Bill Crowder (C) 2001 RBC Ministries