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| sherriffsteve (profile) wrote, on 1-16-2004 at 5:33pm | |
| Subject: Who Is Jesus to you? |
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| We hear a lot of different opinions about who Jesus was. Even outside of religion, history confirms the existence and teachings of Jesus, so what are we to think of him? Who was this man who has influenced the world more than any other? Many people claim he was a prophet while others believe he was simply a good moral teacher. Bible believing Christians call Him the son of God. Why? Because that’s who Jesus claimed he was. Take a look at some of the things Jesus said. “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30) “Don’t you know me, Phillip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the father.” (John 14:9) After one occasion when Jesus spoke “I and the father are one.” (John 10:30) The Jews picked up stones to stone Jesus to death. They knew exactly what he was implying by his claim, they said “We are not stoning you for any of these, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” (John 10:33) In the Old Testament (first half of the bible) when Moses asked God’s name, he replied: “I AM WHO I AM.” (Exodus 3:14) Jesus claimed the same of himself when he said, “I tell you the truth…before Abraham was born, I AM!” (John 8:58) It was very clear to the people of Jesus’ day what He was teaching, and they responded by hating Him, trying to stone Him, or following Him. Listen to the Logic that C.S. Lewis presents: “I am trying here to prevent anyone from 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 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 the 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.” Lewis is here reminding us that if Jesus clearly claimed to be God, then we are down to 3 definitions of who this man was. 1. If He knew He wasn’t God and taught that He was, then He was a liar, a hypocrite, and a deceiver. We can call no such man a moral teacher. Josh McDowell adds: “You would have to conclude logically that He was a deliberate liar. This view of Jesus, however doesn’t coincide with what we know either of Him or the results of His life and teachings. Wherever Jesus has been proclaimed, lives have been changed for the good, nations have changed for the better, thieves are made honest, alcoholics are cured, hateful individuals become channels of love, unjust persons become just.” 2. If He was really convinced He was God and was wrong, then He himself was deceived and a lunatic at the least. Clark H Pinnock asks: “Was He deluded about His greatness, a paranoid, an unintentional deceiver, a schizophrenic? Again, the skill and depth of his teachings support the case only for His total mental soundness. If only we were as sane as He!” 3. The only remaining option is that Jesus’ claims about himself were true. He really was the Christ, the Son of God. “You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill His 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 intent to.” C.S. Lewis Who do you think He was? Much of the content for this article was taken from Josh McDowell’s book “A Ready Defense”. The sources of the above quotes may be found in His bibliography. -Foolish Things |
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happygolucky4646 | 01-16-04 10:32pm i guess i'm starting to see, no matter what anybody thinks, He is everything. |
yersmilefadesinthesummer | 01-16-04 11:18pm ya know mol, im not sure exactly what or who or why He is... all I know is that he loves me. Thats all that matters to me.
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| Anonymous | 01-17-04 4:41pm Do you know who else said "I am who I am"?
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