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Is Jesus God?
There are only four
options for the identity of Jesus Christ. He is either a legend, a liar,
a lunatic or He is Lord and God. There is little likelihood that Jesus's
claims are legend. There just wasn't enough time for any legendary development
of the story to replace what really happened. Also, if the claims Jesus
made for Himself are legendary, the early Jewish opponents of Christianity
would surely have charged that these claims never happened. Unlike modern
skeptics, the rabbis apparently never denied that Jesus made such claims
for Himself. Instead, they called Him a liar.
Jesus thought of Himself
as divine. According to the various gospel accounts, Jesus believed He
had the power to perform miracles and the power to forgive sins. He even
claimed, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30)
Since Jesus claimed
to be God, His claims are either true or false. If false, He must have
been a liar, deliberately misleading the multitudes. Or, He was a lunatic,
sincerely believing Himself to be God, when in reality He was just a man.
Jesus' moral character
and His willingness to die for His claim to be God have convinced most
people that Jesus was not lying. Jesus' humility and unselfish love, His
intelligent communication with the crowds, and His amazing self control
and composure amidst the tremendous physical and emotional stress fo His
betrayal and crucifixion, all point to His contact with reality. Jesus
was no lunatic.
Since the evidence
shows that He is neither a liar nor a lunatic, then the only other alternative
left is that His claim is true. Jesus is Lord and God. And that conclusion
is further supported by the remarkable evidence that Jesus rose physically
from the grave.
For further reading:
Knowing the Truth About the Resurrection by W. L. Craig (Servant Books,
1988)
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