046 Faith and Doubt: Legend, Liar, Lunatic, or Lord

For many people, in this age of pluralism and tolerance, that any single religion would lay claim to exclusively being the truth – well, that is...intolerable.  And it has resulted in deep doubts about Christianity.   

 “I can buy that there’s a God,” they say.  “But that there’s only one way to God or that Jesus is unique among all the religious leaders who’ve ever lived...well, that’s just too narrow.”  

An illustration that appeals to such a point of view shows a mountain with “God” at its peak. And going up the mountain are several different paths – Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, etc. The thinking goes, “All religions are basically the same. We all believe in the same God. We just have different ways of reaching Him.”

The problem is…that is just not true. The doctrines that define both those “climbing the mountain” (the nature of man), as well as the One who sits at the top (the nature of God), are mutually exclusive.  

So, that’s where any individual who struggles with doubts must start.  Who was Jesus?

Brilliant thinker and writer, C.S. Lewis knew that, unlike any other religion, Christianity rises or falls on its founder, not its doctrines. In his classic book, Mere Christianity¸ Lewis suggests that the question of who Jesus is comes down to a series of options.  Was He a Legend, a Liar, a Lunatic, or is He in fact, Lord?

Was Jesus a Legend?

Jesus of Nazareth is referred to in a wide range of ancient sources from Christian, Jewish, and Roman sources whose reputation for accuracy is validated by their writings about other figures. 

The Legend theory fails because:

1.     The timing doesn’t fit for the gospel accounts to be legends.

2.     The content is far too counterproductive for the gospels to be legends.

Many would say, “Jesus never claimed to be God.”  On the contrary, Jesus made it very clear that that’s exactly what He thought of Himself.  

The issue, then, isn’t that He said it – it’s whether it was true or not.  If such a statement was, in fact, false we face two alternatives.  He either knew it was false (which makes Jesus a Liar), or He didn’t know it was false (which makes Jesus a Lunatic).  

So... was Jesus a Liar?

If, when Jesus made these claims, He knew He was not God, then He was deliberately deceiving His followers.  He was a liar.  Not only that – He was a total hypocrite because He taught others to always tell the truth.  His whole life, then, was a colossal lie.

However, the life Jesus lived was consistent with the truths He taught.

Moreover, the death He suffered wasn’t consistent with the agenda of a liar.

If Jesus knew He wasn’t really God and proclaimed otherwise, He was a Liar.  But to believe that you are GOD...when you’re not...well, we have a word for that sort of person: lunatic

Was Jesus a Lunatic?

Jesus has been scrutinized as no other teacher has ever been, and no signs point to such mental illness. Consider this:

The skill and depth of His teachings support the case for total mental soundness

The composure and compassion of His demeanor challenge any accusation of instability.

So, what does this mean for us?  If Jesus really did exist...and if He really did say what He said... then we’re left with one option.  And that is that Jesus is..

Lord!

Text: John 1:1-18; 8:52-58; 14:6, 8-11

Originally recorded September 5, 2010, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.