D
In answering the question, “Who is Jesus?” we will consider what His enemies and friends said about Him and then what Jesus claimed for Himself.
· His enemies.
-Pilate: “I find no crime in this man.” (Luke 23:4, 14, 22)
-Judas: “I have sinned in betraying innocent blood.” (Matthew 27: 4)
-Pharisee: He is a blasphemer “because he not only broke the Sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God.” “You, being a man, make yourself God.”
· His Friends
-Angels to Shepherds: “A savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)
-Simeon: “The Lord’s Christ.” (Luke 2:26-32)
-Wisemen: “King of the Jews.” (Matthew 2:1-11)
-John the Baptist: “The lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” “This is the Son of God.” (John 1:29, 34)
-Andrew: “The Messiah.” (John 1:41)
-Peter: “The Christ, the Son of the living God.” “The Holy One of God.” “Lord and Christ.” (Matthew 16:16, John 6:68-69 and Acts 2:36)
-Paul: “The Son of God.” “… in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” (Acts 9:20, Romans 1:4 and Colossians 2:9)
· Jesus’ claims
- Equality with God – “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30)
- Came from Heaven- “I have come down from Heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.” (John 6:38)
- Always Existed- “Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:56-58)
- Only Way to God- “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
- Seeing Him Was Seeing God- “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)
- Exclusive Knowledge of God- “No one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Matthew 11:27)
- He Could Raise the Dead- “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25)
- Savior- “You will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.” (John 8:24)
- Judge- “The Father… has given all judgment to the Son.” (Matthew 16:27)
---*Either He is who He claims to be or He is not. Either these statements are true or they are false. Some people, however, try to find a halfway position. The praise Jesus as a teacher but reject His divine claims.
· In a college English Literature course a student was asked to give a report on the influence of the Bible in English literature. The report concluded, “Either the Bible is a true revelation from God or it should be rejected as a false book. Either Jesus was the Son of God or He should be rejected as an imposter.” After students made several comments, the teacher said she did not go to church anymore, but she had gone to Sunday School as a child. Expressing her view of Christ, she said, “I don’t believe the miracles. I don’t believe Jesus was the Son of God, but I do think Jesus was a great moral teacher.”
The former atheist, C.S. Lewis, makes it clear why that view cannot be accepted:
“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would be either a lunatic- on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg or else he would he the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice: 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 with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
So Jesus was either a
-Liar
-Lunatic
-Or God
· His enemies.
-Pilate: “I find no crime in this man.” (Luke 23:4, 14, 22)
-Judas: “I have sinned in betraying innocent blood.” (Matthew 27: 4)
-Pharisee: He is a blasphemer “because he not only broke the Sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God.” “You, being a man, make yourself God.”
· His Friends
-Angels to Shepherds: “A savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)
-Simeon: “The Lord’s Christ.” (Luke 2:26-32)
-Wisemen: “King of the Jews.” (Matthew 2:1-11)
-John the Baptist: “The lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” “This is the Son of God.” (John 1:29, 34)
-Andrew: “The Messiah.” (John 1:41)
-Peter: “The Christ, the Son of the living God.” “The Holy One of God.” “Lord and Christ.” (Matthew 16:16, John 6:68-69 and Acts 2:36)
-Paul: “The Son of God.” “… in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” (Acts 9:20, Romans 1:4 and Colossians 2:9)
· Jesus’ claims
- Equality with God – “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30)
- Came from Heaven- “I have come down from Heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.” (John 6:38)
- Always Existed- “Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:56-58)
- Only Way to God- “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
- Seeing Him Was Seeing God- “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)
- Exclusive Knowledge of God- “No one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Matthew 11:27)
- He Could Raise the Dead- “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25)
- Savior- “You will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.” (John 8:24)
- Judge- “The Father… has given all judgment to the Son.” (Matthew 16:27)
---*Either He is who He claims to be or He is not. Either these statements are true or they are false. Some people, however, try to find a halfway position. The praise Jesus as a teacher but reject His divine claims.
· In a college English Literature course a student was asked to give a report on the influence of the Bible in English literature. The report concluded, “Either the Bible is a true revelation from God or it should be rejected as a false book. Either Jesus was the Son of God or He should be rejected as an imposter.” After students made several comments, the teacher said she did not go to church anymore, but she had gone to Sunday School as a child. Expressing her view of Christ, she said, “I don’t believe the miracles. I don’t believe Jesus was the Son of God, but I do think Jesus was a great moral teacher.”
The former atheist, C.S. Lewis, makes it clear why that view cannot be accepted:
“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would be either a lunatic- on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg or else he would he the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice: 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 with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
So Jesus was either a
-Liar
-Lunatic
-Or God