Who Is Jesus

Introduction

Read John chapter 7, verses 12 and 40-43 {7:12,40-43}. The people of Jesus' day had divided opinions about who he was and what sort of man he was. People wrestle with that same issue today.

That is a question everybody must ask themselves at some point in their lives. "Who is Jesus to me?"? Is he a real person or a make-believe character like Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy?

1. Is he simply a distant historical figure like George Washington whose existence has no impact on my life?
2. Was he merely a great man like Abraham Lincoln, or a very good person?
3. Perhaps he was nothing more than a liar and a cheat who conned people?
4. Maybe he was insane, suffering from delusions of grandeur?
5. What makes him different from Buddha or Mohammed or Moses as a religious leader?
6. He is the Lord of Life and wants to be Lord of my life?

I. HE WAS A REAL PERSON:

     Read Luke chapter 3, verses 1-2 {3:1-2}. Jesus is not a make-believe person. He is not a myth. The writers of the Bible named the places where Jesus lived and worked--Jordan River, Galilee, Judea, Nazareth, Jerusalem. They made sure to tell us the time in which Jesus lived--born in the last years of Herod the Great's rule {see Matthew chapter 2}, died while Pontius Pilate governed Judea and Tiberius Caesar ruled the Roman Empire (roughly 4 B.C.-30 A.D.) These are real places we can travel to today. These were real people whom we can read about in history books and encyclopedias, whose existence has been confirmed through archaeology. Fairy tales and legends don't get specific about such things, they begin "long ago in a far away land." The Encyclopaedia Brittanica's Macropaedia, volume 22, under "Jesus," page 360, after citing several historical sources outside of the Bible, states: "These independent accounts prove that in ancient times even the opponents of Christianity never doubted the historicity of Jesus, which was disputed for the first time, and on inadequate grounds, at the end of the 18th, during the 19th, and at the beginning of the 20th centuries." What are these extra-Biblical sources? Clearly, Jesus is real.

II. MORE THAN A BORING HAS BEEN:

A. So Jesus is a real person. So what? He lived so long ago it can't make a difference in my life.

B. It may be tempting to ignore someone who lived that long ago, but with Jesus you can't.

1. Every time you write the date you are forced to acknowledge that Jesus has influenced the course of history more than any man. We number our years from his birth.

C. Every time December 25 comes around and you get the day off or double time or wish someone a "Merry Christmas", you must again admit that he is far more important to mankind than any other historical figure. At the very least, he must have been one of the greatest men in history.

III. MORE THAN A GREAT MAN:

A. Read John chapter 7, verses 1-5 {7:1-5}. His own brothers thought Jesus was wanting to be seen as a great man, a popular political leader. The things Jesus did, however, showed he was not interested in being a popular political figure. He did just the opposite of what great men and aspiring public figures do to get noticed.

1. For most of his three year teaching ministry, he stayed away from centers of political power like the bigger cities and the capital.
2. He pulled no punches toward the political movers and shakers of his day. He openly and deliberately antagonized the king makers of his day {see John 2:13-18; Luke 11:37-54}.
3. When he chose special assistants to help him, he did not surround himself with people who had political or economic leverage, but with social outcasts {Matthew 4:18-22; 9:9-12}.
4. He chose fishermen over fighting men and armed them with a message rather than metal.
5. In the end, he declared, "My kingdom is not of this world, if it were, my servants would fight" {John 18:36}.

IV. MORE THAN JUST A GOOD PERSON:

A. Read John 7:10-12. Okay, he behaved differently than people who want to become known as great leaders. So he was just a very good person.

B. The problem is, he claimed to be more than just a good person.

1. Read John 7:14-18; 6:35-40; 12:44-50. He said he was God's mouthpiece. He said there was no falsehood in himself. He said he had the power of salvation for everyone who believed in him. He said God would use his words to judge everybody on the last day.
2. Read John 6:30-35; 8:23-24. He said he was from heaven and was the source of life.
3. Read John 8:52-59, compare verse 58 with Exodus 3:13-14. He said he was God.

C. Would someone who is simply a good person talk that way?

V. WAS HE A LIAR?

A. Do Jesus' words and actions fit the profile of a liar, a con man?

1. Read Matthew 12:1-15. He was no hypocrite, he practiced what he preached.
2. Read John 6:14-15. He wouldn't let the crowds make him king in Herod's place.
3. Read Luke 9:58; Mark 1:40-44. Jesus was poor, but never once asked for pay or favors from those he helped. A con artist is only out to get money or power.
4. Read Mark 1:29-34. Jesus never refused to help anyone, even when he was tired and hungry.

B. Jesus' words and actions do not fit the profile of a liar and a swindler.

VI. WAS HE INSANE?

A. Read John 10:19-21. Jesus didn't behave the way liars do. He must have believed the things he said about himself. Does that mean he was insane?

B. Were his teachings and actions those of a crazy person suffering from delusions of grandeur?

1. One suffering delusions of grandeur doesn't dodge a crowd trying to make him king.
2. Read Luke 10:25-37. Do Jesus' teaching stories (parables) show a fascination with the bizarre and far out? Or do they make sense?
3. Read Matthew 7:12 (at some point, sit down and read chapters 5,6, and 7). Does this teaching sound like the ravings of a mad man?

C. Jesus never spoke or behaved irrationally. Everything he said or did was carefully calculated by him to produce the desired response from his listeners.

D. His teachings and actions are not those of a lunatic.

VII. CONCLUSION--HE IS LORD:

     Jesus is no peanut farm candidate. He is clearly no liar. He can only be a good person if the things he said about himself are true. He is different from any person who tried to become great. He is not a dusty figure from the distant past whose existence is unimportant to your life. The evidence we've just studied concerning Jesus points to only one conclusion. He is God. He is the author of Life. He is the giver of eternal life to those who believe in him. He wants to be Lord of your life. We will study what this means and how we should respond to these facts in the following lessons. We suggest you that you take the time to read the first three chapters (1-3) of John and Romans in the next few days.