Dr. R.C. Sproul is considered one of the greatest theologians and Christian thinkers of our time. But as a lowly freshman in college, he was a relatively new convert who lacked a deep understanding of his faith, and any ability to defend it.
His biggest problem was he had an English teacher, who was a former war correspondent. More than that, she was known to be angry, militant, and anti-Christian. One day as he sat in class daydreaming, the professor looked at R.C. and asked, "Mr. Sproul, do you believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to God?"
The question took his breath away. Sproul described it as one of the most humiliating moments of his life. He said, "I felt the weight of her question, and I knew that every eye in the room was on me. My mind raced for a way to escape the dilemma. I knew if I said yes, people would be angry... if I said no, I would be betraying Christ."
After muttering a virtually inaudible, "Yes" the teacher roared w/unmitigated fury, "That is the most narrow-minded, bigoted, and arrogant statement I have ever heard in my life! You must be a supreme egotist to believe that your way of religion is the only way." Today R.C. Sproul could probably eat that teacher for lunch and dinner! But at the time he failed to defend his Christian faith. (Adapted from Skeptics, James Kennedy, p. 101-102)
Growing Intolerance for Christian Beliefs?
We're entering a day and age where people are growing intolerant of our Christian faith. The days are ending when it'll be a mark of civic pride to declare yourself a Christian. Nowadays, a profession of faith might cost your job, a promotion, or a relationship. Internationally, churches are being burned, Christians are being martyred in droves. In our lifetime, it may very well us our life to profess the name of Jesus.
There is this pivotal moment in the gospels where Jesus asks his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" The disciples reply, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, still others say a prophet." None of these responses would've gotten them killed! Even Muslims hold Jesus was a prophet. No, it's Peter's answer that's so dangerous, "Jesus... You are the Christ." (Mark 8:27-31)
Upon Peter's profession, Jesus immediately discourages the disciples from telling anyone (at least for the time being). Then he explains how, "the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again." Plus, John the Baptist was just beheaded.
What if the stakes of believing in Jesus were as high as life and death? This wasn't a hypothetical question for first disciples, nor is it for most Christians around the world today. You can bet the first followers of Christ would have given ALL diligence to the matter of Jesus' identity. We should do the same.
So who is Jesus? Should we ask this question in the present tense (who is he?), or just the past tense (who was he)? Let's start in the past tense...
Jesus was a Real, Historical Figure
William Lane Craig says, "Today Jesus is no longer just a figure in a stained-glass window, but a real flesh-and-blood person of history, just like Julius Caesar or Alexander the Great, whose life can be investigated by the standard methods of history. The writings contained in the New Testament can be scrutinized using the same historical criteria that we use in investigating other sources of ancient history..." (On Guard, p. 184-185).
Simon Greenleaf, a Jewish professor,founder of Harvard Law School, in the 19th century, was once challenged by a student to investigate the evidence of Jesus' resurrection. He concluded that "If the evidence for Christ's resurrection were presented to any unbiased jury in the world, they would have to conclude Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead."(Skeptics, p. 51).
He also concluded that "Christianity is, in fact, the only evidential, historical religion in the world and that the Christian faith rests on evidence--evidence he found so compelling and so overwhelming that any honest person examining it with an open mind would, like himself, be inescapably drawn to accept it." (Skeptics, p. 52).
He later wrote a book called Testimony of the Evangelists, in which we summarizes all his conclusion concerning Jesus' historic identity. His conviction was that you should follow the truth wherever it leads.
One of the Apostle Paul's traveling companions was a doctor, named Luke. When a Roman official by the name of Theophilus questioned Luke about Jesus, he wrote Luke & Acts. These two books are really two volumes of history replete with historical references, names, events, and everything a private investigator in Luke's day would have needed to go investigate the claims of Jesus for himself.
Luke opens his gospel saying, "Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us... Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught." (Luke 1:1-4)
The Babylonian Talmud, a 63-volume set of books, full of historical insight, written in A.D. 70, describes how Jesus "led Israel astray", and was "hung" (on a cross) for many believed was "sorcery." This is exactly what Luke claims Jesus accused of.
Josephus, born in A.D. 37, a Jewish man, not a Christian, describes Jesus in his Antiquities, "Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonders, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew many after him both of the Jews and the gentiles. He was the Christ. When Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things about him, and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day."
The Roman historian Tacitus, born 22 years after the death of Jesus, wrote a 12 volume history, describes how "Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius: but the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time broke out again, not only through Judea, where the mischief originated, but through the city of Rome also, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular..."
If your interested, there is a book called Examine the Evidence, by Ralph O. Muncaster, that summarizes a host of historical documents (Jewish, Christian, Roman), from the 1st Century, that establish the historicity of Jesus. Satisfy your curiosity. Christianity is an evidence-based faith, go establish the certainty of things for yourself!
Jesus is the Christ of Scriptures
Josephus, the Jewish historian, described how the "divine prophets foretold" Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection and "ten thousand other wonderful things about Him." He is absolutely right.
Modern day Muslim consider Muhammad a prophet because he proclaimed he would return to Mecca, in his lifetime. In itself there is nothing really extraordinary about such a prophecy. Some prophecies are "self-fulfilling" prophecies.
It's like Andrew Luck saying the Colts will win the Superbowl. Perhaps he will. But if he wins, nobody will say Andrew Luck is surely a prophet. They'd say "Luck got lucky"
If I flipped a coin, and guessed heads... if I rolled the dice, and called out the correct number... if I pulled the lever and called jackpot... if I took a half-court shot and called nothing but net... If I made some vague statement like, "There is going to be war in the middle east"... these things wouldn't convince anyone of anything.
But starting in Genesis, continuing through Malachi, God raised prophet after prophet to foretell the exact places, times, circumstances by which the Christ would be born, do mighty works, suffer, be crucified, be raised from the dead, ascend to heaven.
The prophets said he'd be ancestor of Abraham, Jesse, King David... born of a virgin... born in Bethlehem, in Judah... that a star would appear... that he'd be called out of Egypt (to where Mary/Joseph fled Herod's reign of terror)... that a prophet like Elijah would precede him (John the Baptist)... that he'd speak parables, work miracles, walk on water, enter Jerusalem on a colt... that he'd be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver (exactly), be crucified, pieced, have no broken bones, lots would be cast for his clothes, he'd be executed wi/criminals, offered vinegar/gall, die on a tree, buried among the rich...
Over 350 Old Testament prophesies offer specific and supernatural elements that could only be foreknown and brought about by God. No man could self-fulfill 350 prophecies! He might get lucky on a few, but not all!
(See a list of prophecies here: http://www.accordingtothescriptures.org/prophecy/353prophecies.html)
From a Biblical perspective, there's absolutely NO WAY to miss the identity of the Christ. Two examples include Psalm 22 and Isaiah 52:13-53:12. If you are a skeptic, I defy you to explain how these two chapters would have been written 400+ years before the time of Christ... yet perfectly describe his life.
When Josephus, wrote about Jesus, he was struck how divine prophets foretold his death, burial, resurrection and ten thousand other wonderful things about him.
When Jesus revealed himself to the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus, Luke tells us how "beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself." (Luke 23:27).
When Paul sought to establish the truth of the Gospel in Corinth, he wrote, "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared..."
Matthew, the New Testament writers, punctuate their writings with the statement that "all these things happened to fulfill what Lord said through prophets."
James Kennedy was talking to a Jewish man about Jesus. He began reading verse after, describing Jesus. The Jewish man kept responding, "Yes... So... obviously these verses are talking about Jesus." Finally Kennedy said, "all the verses I've read to you are from your Hebrew Bible... the Old Testament... some 400 years before Jesus was born. And even you a Jew, just told me it was obvious these verses were about Jesus Christ." (Skeptics, p. 41)
Jesus' life bore God's prophetic signature. Pure and simple.
Jesus is the Son of God
The phrase "Son of God" is misunderstood by modern readers. What's really being emphasized isn't that of physical birth, but that Jesus is of the same essence, or nature, as God. If a dog has puppies, they have a dog-like nature. If a human has son, it has a human nature. Thus, Jesus, being the Son of God, has a Divine Nature. He is God.
So what do we know about God's nature? God is eternal, creator, all-powerful, all-knowing. God is love, God is life, God is Truth. Jesus claimed to be "God" in flesh. The Jews understood exactly what Jesus meant and considered it blasphemy.
When John the Baptist questioned whether Jesus was from God, he said, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor." (Matthew 11:4-5)
When Phillip questioned Jesus' identity, Jesus replied, "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. How can you say, "Show us the Father?" Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father living in me, doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves." (John 14:9-11)
When confronted by Jews for blasphemy, Jesus says, "... the Scripture cannot be broken--what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, "I am God's Son"? Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." (John 10:37-38)
If Jesus is the promised Christ, the Messiah, then nothing about his life would break the prophecies told about him from the time of Abraham, Moses, Prophets.
If Jesus is the Son of God, then nothing about his life, his works, his teaching, his morality, his character, should contradict the very nature of God himself. Jesus invited people to openly scrutinize his life, ministry, teaching, miracles, identity.
The ultimate way Jesus demonstrated his divinity is by something no religious leader, prophet, or teacher has ever claimed in all history. Jesus claimed that the real proof... the real vindication for his identity would be his resurrection from the dead.
In John 2:19 Jesus said, "Destroy this temple (my body) and I will raise it again in three days." In Mark 8:31 Jesus told his disciples that, "the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the Elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again."
My favorite is Matthew 12:38-45 where the Jews are demanding Jesus perform some sign to prove he is God. Jesus says, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
So wait a minute... wasn't the Jonah thing just a legend/myth? There's no way a man could live after getting swallow by a big fish, right? Jesus says, something more unbelievable is on the horizon... he is about to get swallowed up by death itself, yet after three days he will be raised! However, Jesus implies... if you disbelieve prophets like Jonah, you'll probably disbelieve me even if I'm raised from the grave. Jesus staked his entire credibility on a materially impossible reality--resurrection. The resurrection would be irrefutable, and undeniable proof of his identity.
Jesus is the Hope of the Earth
I'd hoped to go into specific proofs about the resurrection of Jesus, but there isn't time. Perhaps closer to Easter we could revisit that topic. Instead, I want to end by talking about the most famous skeptic in all of Scripture.
Imagine for a moment that you are one of Jesus' disciples. You've heard all Jesus' sermons. You've seen all his miraculous signs and wonders. But days earlier, you saw that same Jesus brutally executed by crucifixion. You heard his cries of agony, you saw his body lashed, then pierced, and his blood poured out. You heard Jesus breath his last. In that instant, all your hopes and dreams were dashed.
But suddenly you hear the reports, "Thomas, we've seen the Lord!"
Thomas might be like many of us. "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."
Right before Jesus gave his Great Commission, in Matthew 28, we're also told how "some of his disciples worshipped him; but some doubted."
Doubt comes naturally, especially when we're faced with matters of life/death. But a week later, while he was with the disciples, Jesus came and stood by Thomas, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."
What strikes me about this account is that Jesus satisfied Thomas' curiosity. He offered the necessary evidence and proof Thomas needed to have faith. But Jesus also says, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
John 20:30-31 says, "Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."
You know, God takes us right up to the threshold of certainty. But then he asks us to take that final step whereby we believe on him for eternal life. If you are sincerely seeking the truth, God will meet you where you are. He'll allow himself to be found. But at the end of the day, he's still going to ask you to "believe" ... "to do your part." If you believe God created life... you can have this hope that God grants eternal life.