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People make many different claims about who Jesus is. Some say that He was a liar. Some say that He's just a moral teacher or prophet. Others say that Jesus could have been insane. But we can come to the conclusion that yes, Jesus is a moral teacher. Yes, Jesus is a prophet. But more than that. He's God.

Was Jesus a big liar? The many moral teachings of Christ are not those that are characteristic of a liar. What material gain did He receive in return? No military conquests, no financial gain.

Why would Jesus, a Jew, lie in the faces of the Jewish high priests, when he received in return only accusations of blasphemy, working with the devil, and ridicule? Jews held their religion in high regard and He knew saying the things He said would only bring trouble.

If He was lying, what would be the point of letting Himself be beaten, tortured, publicly humiliated, nailed to a cross and die just to maintain a lie? People will most certainly die for what they think is true, but not for something they know is false.

Was Jesus a Lunatic? If Jesus believed what he said was true, and He wasn’t God, then He must have been crazy. Many mentally ill people have claimed to be God but their mental sickness is usually blatantly obvious. Again, the moral teachings of Jesus are not those of an insane person. He always spoke intelligible and with wisdom, for example, He says:

“When you are invited to a wedding feast, do not it down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him comes and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who will sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will b exalted.” (Luke 14:8-11).

Some of the Jewish people at the time thought that Christ was possessed by a demon or “mad” (John 10:20). But of course these people weren’t trained mental health professionals. These statements were made because the things that Jesus said were completely out of the ordinary.

Was Christ just a moral teacher or prophet? If Jesus was claiming to be God and was lying then he wouldn’t be a moral teacher, but a deceiver. Writer C.S. Lewis pretty much sums this up:

“I’m trying here to prevent anyone from saying the really silly 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’s the one thing we mustn’t say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said wouldn’t be a great moral teacher. He’d either be a lunatic-on a level with a man who says he’s a poached egg-or else he’d 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. 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 don’t let us come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He hasn’t left that open to us. He didn’t intend to.” 1

Why does Jesus say, “the Father is greater then I” (John14:28)? In this verse Jesus describes that He acts according to the will of the Father according to his earthly position. He was not referring that the Father is greater in nature as some misinterpret. He is rather referring that the Father is greater in position or office.

Does Jesus deny that He is good? At one point in His ministry Jesus had a conversation with a rich, young ruler. This wealthy young man kneeled before Jesus and asked a question,

“’Good Teacher, what shall I do to that I may inherit eternal life?’ So Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that is God.’” (Mark 10: 17-18)

Skeptics argue that Jesus repudiated His divinity. However He was trying to get the young ruler to think about what he was saying. In other words, Jesus was saying “Realize what you are saying when you call Me “good”. You use this word very casually. Only God is good, so when you apply this word to Me you are affirming that I am God.”

In light of all of the scriptural evidence as a whole we come to the conclusion that Jesus had a divine nature and it is not logical to assume that He was repudiating His divinity solely upon reading one passage or two passages out of its context.

Is Jesus the Messiah? The Old Testament is filled with prophecies that describe the Messiah and many events surrounding Him. Click here for more information.

Is Jesus God? The Bible reveals what what Jesus' disciples say about Him and What He says about Himself.

For more information just click here.