Who is Jesus?

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Who is Jesus?

by Jeff Estep

"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"...- Mark 8:29

Who is Jesus of Nazareth? Is he really the Son of God? Philosophers and historians have been debating over Jesus for centuries. Was he really God, or an imposter? This question is central to the human race. Who do YOU say Jesus is?

Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, the promised Messiah. He claimed to be God. That much cannot be debated. Several times in Scripture Jesus affirmed his relationship to God. In Mark 14, Jesus claimed to be the Son of God before the Sanhedrin. "...Again the high priest asked him, 'Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?' 'I am,' said Jesus. '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 14:61-62 Furthermore, in John 10:30, Jesus said, "I and the Father are One." Besides claiming to be the Son of God, Jesus claimed he actually WAS God. Was he or wasn't he?

Many non-Christians will say that Jesus was not God, but was simply a good teacher and wonderful philosopher. Some even claim that he was a prophet, but definitely not the Son of God. Both of these claims are ludicrous! Josh McDowell points out that only three alternatives exist. Either Jesus WAS God or he WASN'T God. If he WAS God, then he really did rise from the dead-- he is Lord, and should be worshipped as such. If he WASN'T God, he was one of two things-- if he knew he wasn't God, he was a liar, and if he was mistaken, he was a lunatic. Those are the only three alternatives. If he was who he said he was, Jesus deserves everything we've got. If Jesus wasn't God, he wasn't a great teacher because he was either a hypocrite or a loon, and he certainly wasn't a prophet.

C.S. Lewis said, "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic-- on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg-- or else he would be 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." 1/40,41

It would be hard to establish an argument that Jesus was a liar, because in every record we have of him, his actions and attitudes sing in perfect harmony with every word that ever poured from his lips. Not only did Jesus practice what he preached, he WAS what he preached. There is no historical evidence of anyone ever accusing Jesus of sin, (with a few exceptions that will be discussed in a moment.) In John 8:46, Jesus invited the Jews to accuse him of sin, and no one did. Jesus was, however, accused falsely in a few passages, which Josh McDowell addresses in his book Evidence That Demands A Verdict (p. 120). The only "sins" Jesus was accused of committing were:

	Blasphemy- Jesus forgave a man's sins. The Jews believed only God could forgive sins, and since they didn't think Jesus was God, they accused him of blasphemy. However, the accusation doesn't stick if Jesus was indeed God.
	Associating with "sinners"- Although the Scriptures did not forbid associating with "sinners", the Pharisees believed it was unclean to be in the company of such people. To this accusation, Jesus answered, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."- Mark 2:17
	He was accused of not taking his religion seriously because he did not practice fasting as regularly as the Pharisees, who fasted often to show off their righteousness. Again, this was not a practice established by the Hebrew Scriptures, but by the Pharisees.
	Working on the Sabbath. Jesus healed on the Sabbath, and picked grain for food. The Pharisees accused Jesus of breaking the commandment forbidding work on the Sabbath. The Pharisees had invented an overbearing set of rules defining "work" and demanded that the people follow them. However, such legalism was not the aim of the commandment, and since Jesus was "Lord of the Sabbath", he knew what was appropriate on the Sabbath.

The fact that Jesus embodied his own teachings also makes it difficult to support the idea that he was a lunatic. No charge of dilusion was ever fastened to Jesus, either in Scripture or other manuscripts. As historian Philip Schaff wrote: "Is such an intellect-- clear as the sky, bracing as the mountain air, sharp and penetrating as a sword, thoroughly healthy and vigorous, always ready and always self-possessed-- liable to a radical and most serious delusion concerning His own character and mission? Preposterous imagination!" 3/97,98

There is no reason to believe that Jesus was a liar. There exists no evidence that Christ was a lunatic. That only leaves one possibility. Jesus is Lord. He really was God, and he really did rise from the dead. You may either accept this truth or reject it. The choice is yours, and if you "choose not to choose", you have chosen to reject him. The choice you make about Jesus is the most important one you will ever make, because your decision affects every part of your life.

Is your life empty? Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10). Are you walking in darkness? Jesus said, "I am the light of the world." (John 8:12) Are you hungry for more than this world offers you? Jesus said, "I am the bread of life." (John 6:48) Are you tired? Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

Who is Jesus to you? A dead man or a risen Lord? Why do you believe the way you do? Have you ever thought about it? You should. I challenge you to consider the historical evidence of Jesus's life and resurrection. Many historians have sought to disprove Jesus, and a great number of them have become Christians through their research. If you sincerely seek the truth, it will change your life. Jesus said, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 3:32)

Sources:

Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1952 (as quoted by Josh McDowell in Evidence That Demands A Verdict)
McDowell, Josh. Evidence That Demands A Verdict-Volume 1. San Bernardino: Here's Life Publishers, 1979
Schaff, Philip. The Person of Christ. New York: American Tract Society, 1913 (as quoted by Josh McDowell in Evidence That Demands A Verdict)

All Biblical quotes are from the NIV.

In the next few months, Reasons For Christ will be building a series of articles dealing with the historical evidence proving that Jesus was the Son of God. Any questions or comments, e-mail us!