IsJesusGod

1 IS JESUS GOD? FOREWORD This lecture was given to the faculty and students at Moscow State University in the USSR in 1990. My audience was made up, for the most part, of atheistic, unchurched faculty and students that had no knowledge of Christian faith or references to any biblical understanding. My purpose was to give a clear understanding of the uniqueness of Jesus Christ and His claims and purposes, and to explain clearly how a person could find a relationship with the true and living God through Christ. As a result of this lecture, a large part of the audience acknowledged that they wished to pray with me and committed their lives to Christ. As one professor said, “This is the first time I have ever heard a rational explanation of the uniqueness and reason for the Christian faith.” Another professor of physics said to me, “The only time I have ever thought of God is when I took the atheistic examinations to become a professor. For some unknown reason I came to your lecture and now know that only God can fill the emptiness of my life.” I hope if you are searching to find abundant life and forgiveness that this will be your experience as you read this booklet, even though you may not be an atheist or an unchurched person. I would like to express my gratitude to Jane Pratt for her many hours before her computer typing and retyping this lecture taken from a tape, also Jan Rodger, Carolyn Prince and Ed and Catherine Headington for their kind editing expertise in helping to make a talking lecture readable in booklet form. God bless, John M. Maisel 2 INTRODUCTION Is this all there is to life? There must be something more to life than this, but where do we go from here? What is our purpose? What is our destiny? How can I be fulfilled and have the emptiness of my life filled with true meaning? The following lecture given will answer each of these questions, and give a more clear understanding of how true meaning in life is found in Jesus Christ alone. 3 IS JESUS GOD? The big question in the world today is, WHO IS JESUS CHRIST? This is why I have chosen to break down our lecture tonight into two questions: One: IS JESUS GOD? Two: HOW CAN I KNOW HIM PERSONALLY? I have chosen these questions because we do not have time to start at the very beginning to ask, “Is there a God?” and “How can I know God exists?” Even if we did, if I presented a rational basis for the existence of a personal, infinite God, eventually we would have to ask, “Who is Jesus Christ?” If we gathered religious experts from all over the world from different faiths and different backgrounds and we asked them, “Who is God?” we would have many different definitions. Some would say God is personal. Some would say that God is impersonal. But if we believe that truth is not relative, we would have to conclude that God cannot be both personal and impersonal at the same time. When we examine the questions about God, “Who is He?” and “How can I know him?” we encounter the limitations of a finite mind as it attempts to understand an infinite being, person, or God. Because of our limited and finite minds, mankind has developed many different opinions. Even when a person says there is no God, that person violates a basic philosophical principle. He is a person with a finite understanding making an absolute statement about the nature of infinity. It would be like asking how much total knowledge mankind possesses. Albert Einstein, the Nobel Prize Winner in physics, has said that mankind grasps less than one percent of total knowledge. If we have only one percent of total knowledge, would it not be possible for God to exist in the other ninety-nine percent? GODS KNOWLEDGE MANS 1% You can see that it is impossible for a person with a finite mind to make an absolute statement that there is no God because to do so one would need to possess total knowledge; therefore, it is very difficult for people to think about what God is really like and be confident that their opinions are correct. The following conversation was held between a professor at a university and a man who said he was an atheist, that helps to illustrate this point: PROFESSOR: How can you say you are an atheist (absolutely there is no God), when you agree that you have less than one percent of total knowledge?” 4 MAN: I guess I need to say I am an agnostic. I don’t know if there is a God. PROFESSOR: Are you a hard agnostic or a soft agnostic? MAN: What do you mean? PROFESSOR: A hard agnostic says, “You can’t know if there is a God,” and a soft agnostic says, “I don’t think there is a God.” MAN: I guess you would say I am a hard agnostic. PROFESSOR: Can you ever be sure that you can be sure that there is no God? Or do you know for sure that you can’t know anything for sure? MAN: No, I can’t say for sure that I can be sure there is no God. PROFESSOR: So you are really a soft agnostic? MAN: Yes, I guess that is true—I don’t know if there is a God. PROFESSOR: You sound to me like a man who is saying, I have never seen any evidence that there is a God, so I don't know if there is. MAN: That’s right, I have never been exposed to any evidence about God, life, life after death or ultimate meaning in life. And that is where we must start, with the question, Is there sufficient evidence for me to conclude that there is a God, and that I can have a personal relationship with Him? Now back to our panel of religious experts. Suppose someone on this religious panel of experts that we have gathered stood up and said, “I am God Almighty—I am the Creator of the heavens and the earth. I made you and if you are ever to experience true meaning in your life you must know me in a personal way and have a relationship with me.” If this happened, we would at least have a place to start. We could look at the evidence of his life to determine the truthfulness or falseness of that statement. And that is exactly what we have in the person of Jesus Christ. During His earthly ministry two thousand years ago, Jesus said, “I am God.” He said that He was the Maker of the heavens and the earth and that only through Him could mankind experience true peace and be given eternal life. He not only issued this dramatic declaration, He had the credentials to back up those claims. The very uniqueness of Jesus is His claim to deity. Let me stop right here to say that Jesus is unique among worldwide religious figures in His claim to be God. Buddha never claimed to be God. Moses never claimed to be Jehovah. Mohammed never claimed to be Allah. Yet Jesus Christ claimed to be the TRUE and LIVING God! 5 The record shows that Jesus was not crucified because He raised the dead or because He made the blind to see and the lame to walk. Jesus was crucified because He claimed to be God. That makes the question of His deity of utmost importance. Buddha simply said, “I am a teacher in search of the truth.” Jesus said, “I am the Truth.” Confucius said, “I never claimed to be holy.” Jesus said, “Who convicts me of sin?” Mohammed said, “Unless God throws his cloak of mercy over me, I have no hope.” Jesus said, “Unless you believe in me, you will die in your sins.” Jesus’ statements force the listener or reader to a choice. What you choose to do with Jesus Christ today is the most important decision you will ever make. Your decision about Jesus Christ is more important than your ideology. It is more important than your career. And it is more important than the mate you choose. If Jesus is God, then you must decide what to do with that information. If he is not God then we should have nothing to do with him. C. S. Lewis, formerly a professor at Oxford University, was an atheist who later became a Christian. In his writings Lewis emphasized that one cannot be neutral with Jesus Christ. Lewis wrote: I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I am 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 is 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 the 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. 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. I hope that when you have finished reading this, you will not continue to say that Jesus was just a good man. If you wish to be honest in the interest of intellectual integrity you cannot assume neutral ground. Jesus is either God or He is a liar. You may conclude that Jesus is not God and choose to dismiss Him, but as Professor Lewis said, please do not say He was just a good moral leader. JESUS’ TWO QUESTIONS One day Jesus asked some of His followers two questions: “Who does the world say that I am?” and “Who do you say that I am?” Those two questions are our starting point. First, who does the world say that Jesus Christ is? If you have already investigated Jesus Christ, you probably agree with most thinking people that Jesus is the most unique personality the world has ever known. Jesus is not simply a great man 6 among men; He’s the greatest man who has ever lived. The more you study His life, the more you are impressed. Even atheists and skeptics acknowledge the uniqueness of Jesus. Listen to what the skeptics of the world have said about Jesus and His unparalleled contribution in human history. Renan, the French thinker and atheist, has said, “Whatever surprises the future may bring, one thing is certain, Jesus will never be surpassed.” Rousseau, another French thinker, compared Jesus with Socrates, saying, “If the life and death of Socrates were those of a sage-the life and death of Jesus were those of a God.” Napoleon said, “I know men, and Jesus Christ was no mere man. Lord Byron, the English poet, who certainly did not embrace Christian principles, and died at the age of twenty-six because he lived his life only for his selfish pleasure, said this of Jesus: “If ever a man were God, or God were a man, Jesus was both.” More recently one writer described His influence in this way: “I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched and all the navies that were built, and all of the parliaments that ever have sat, and all the kings that ever reigned put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life, Jesus of Nazareth.” So Jesus Christ, according to the skeptics and people who knew His life, is considered the most unique person who ever lived. Remember our question: “Who does the world say that Jesus Christ is?” Some people say that Jesus was a legend or a myth, that He never really existed. Historian Phillip Schaff says, “The certainty of Jesus Christ is as certain as my own identity.” Dr. F. F. Bruce has said, “Some people play with the myth, legend, ideal of Christ; those who do so, do not do so on the basis of historical investigation!” Even secular historical sources such as Cornelius Tacitus, the Roman historian of the first century, speak in detail of the person of Christ. Flavius Josephus, the well-known first-century Jewish historian, speaks of the life and death of Jesus and how He went about claiming to be the Messiah and performing great works. Skeptic H G. Wells, in The Outline of History, devotes over twenty pages to Jesus Christ, substantiating His life and death from a historical perspective. Of course, in the Bible we have four different detailed accounts of the life of Christ. I realize that many people question the Bible’s historical authenticity, but once again we must take care with remarks that are not based upon thorough investigation. As a matter of fact, there is more secular evidence for the historical reliability of the four Gospels than for any other piece of classical literature. 7 THE BIBLE AS A RELIABLE SOURCE In The Evidence for Classical Literature, Professor Barnes lists three standard tests used to determine the reliability of historical documents: A bibliographical test, an internal test, and an external test. The Bibliographical Test looks at the number of manuscript copies of the original and the length of time between the writing of the original and the writing of the existing copies when none of the originals still exists. The Internal Test looks at internal consistencies and inconsistencies within the manuscript. The External Test looks at other historical materials to determine if they confirm or deny statements within the manuscript, i.e., archaeological evidence. Here is how the bibliographical test works: Caesar wrote his history of the Gallic Wars between 100 and 44 B.C. The earliest copy that we have is one produced 1,000 years after his death, and we have only ten copies of that document. Plato wrote from about 427 to 347 B.C.; the earliest copies of his writings that we have were produced around A.D. 900, nearly 1,200 years after the originals. And we have only seven copies. Aristotle lived and wrote between 384 and 322 B.C. We have only five copies of his manuscripts today, the earliest copy being produced around A. D. 1100, over 1,400 years after the originals. Tacitus, the Roman historian, wrote in the first century. The only copy that we have of his writings is from around A.D. 1100, over 1,000 years after the original. AUTHOR WHEN WRITTEN EARLIEST COPY TIME SPAN NO. OF COPIES Caesar 100-44 B.C. A.D 900 1,000 years 10 Plato 427-347 B.C. A.D. 900 1200 years 7 Aristotle 384-322 B.C. A.D 1100 1,400 years 5 Tacitus A.D.100 A.D. 1100 1,000 years 1 Thanks to bibliographical testing, experts confirm the authenticity of documents by Caesar, Plato, Aristotle, and Tacitus and the reliability of the authors. So let us apply the same test to biblical writings, to New Testament documents. The books of the New Testament (Bible) were written from about A.D. 40 to A.D. 90. The earliest manuscript copies date from about A.D. 130 to only 40-50 years after the originals. More than 13,000 copies exist. Applying the bibliographical test of veracity to the New Testament, therefore, should make us think twice before we say that biblical literature cannot be trusted. When we apply the internal and external 8 tests, one will see even more clearly why the Bible is a reliable document and definitely inspired by God. The New Testament Greek scholar J. Harold Greenlee adds: “Since scholars accept as generally trustworthy the writings of the ancient classics even though the earliest manuscripts were written so long after the original writings and the number of exact manuscripts is in many instances so small, it is clear that the reliability of the text of the New Testament is likewise as- sured.” Remember our question: “Who does the world say that Jesus Christ is?” I often find that the intelligentsia tend to say that spiritual and religious interests are only to help the less educated people, that only ignorant and unlearned people are interested in how they can know God and are the only ones who need God. Let me just share what some of the leading intellects of our past and present have said about their pursuit to find God through the person of Christ. Perhaps the most sophisticated of the German literary figures, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German poet and dramatist, called Jesus “The Divine One...the Holy Man,” and wrote, “If ever the Divine appeared on earth, it was in the person of Christ.” Nobel Prize winner Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn , recognized by the world for his great literary achievements, talks openly about his faith in Jesus Christ and how, while he was in the Gulag, a Jewish doctor won him to Christ. Writers like Leo Tolstoy and others of your country (the U.S.S.R.), have described the work of God’s Spirit in utterly transforming their lives. Leo Tolstoy, the famous Russian writer, lived much of his life as an atheist but made this statement toward the end of his life: “For 35 years of my life I was, in the proper acceptation of the word, a nihilist—not a revolutionary socialist, but a man who believed in nothing. Five years ago my faith came to me. I believed in the doctrine of Jesus, and my whole life underwent a sudden transformation-life and death ceased to be evil. Instead of despair, I tasted joy and happiness that death could not take away.” Probably the greatest literary genius of all times, William Shakespeare, before his death said, “I commit my soul into the hands of God, my Creator, most assuredly believing in Jesus Christ, my Savior.” Professor Ambrose Fleming, voted England’s most outstanding scientist and professor emeritus of electrical engineering at the University of London, said as he talked about his faith in Christ, “There’s nothing in all the Bible that would cause a man of science problems with Jesus Christ.” Today in the Soviet Union Dr. DmitryA. Kuznetsov, a biochemist who has three earned doctorates, has won the Lenin Komsomol Prize in Science. He was in the United States in 1989 9 and spoke of his faith in Christ. He has also written an article in the Soviet Union on science without atheism. Karl Barth, one of the leading intellects of this century and known as “The Great Swiss Thinker,” was asked what was the most profound thought he had ever had. His reply was, ‘Jesus loves me. This I know.” Professor Charles Malek, former Secretary General of the United Nations, speaking of his faith in Christ said, “We must eliminate the division between Christ and the universe, between the intellect and faith.” He has told me personally of his commitment to Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord. So please do not say that Jesus was just a good moral man, and do not accept a conclusion that He never existed and that He was just a myth. And please do not think that it is only ignorant and unlearned people who are interested in who Christ is. I do not think you will be fair to the pursuit of truth if you do. “WHO DO YOU SAY THAT JESUS CHRIST IS?” Let’s go to the second question, “Who do YOU say that Jesus Christ is?” Before you can answer that question, you need some evidence and facts that will help you make an intelligent decision. We have to ask ourselves if there is sufficient evidence to warrant an intelligent belief in Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world. You see, my heart cannot do something that my mind rejects. So before we are through this evening, you will have to answer the question, “Who is Jesus Christ?” with your heart. Many times in my own experience I have encountered some mental obstacles that had to be worked through before my faith could have the intelligent foundation that God desires. If God is there and not silent—if Jesus Christ is the answer to the needs of the human heart—God wants me to understand with my mind His plan to bring man into a relationship with Himself. Christianity is built upon the solid foundation of knowing and being able to substantiate the claims of Jesus Christ. SOME OF HIS UNIQUE CLAIMS Allow me to review som