The Credibility of Christ’s Claims

Big Idea: The truth and credibility of Christianity rests on the unique historical, psychological, moral, prophetic, and miraculous evidence pointing to Jesus Christ as God, demanding each person to honestly consider and respond to this claim.

Today, I stand like a defense attorney in an unusual trial, examining the fundamental claims of Christianity with courtroom scrutiny. As we approach Easter, it's fitting to investigate the evidence for our faith with clear eyes and honest hearts.

Let's examine the testimonies, review the historical records, and reflect on the important questions about Jesus Christ.

Is the Bible credible? Who was Jesus? Did the resurrection really happen? And, perhaps most importantly, the subject we'll cover on Easter Sunday: what does all this mean for me? The truth of Christianity depends entirely on the truth and truthfulness of Jesus Christ.

Throughout history, different people have expressed their reservations about Jesus.

In his essay "Why I Am Not a Christian," Bertrand Russell expressed doubt about the historical existence of Christ, stating that if he did exist, we cannot truly know anything about him." Mohandas Gandhi, a Hindu and the father of modern India, stated:

I could accept Jesus as a martyr, an embodiment of sacrifice, and a divine teacher, but not as the most perfect man ever born. His death on the cross was a great example to the world, but that there was anything like a mysterious or miraculous virtue in it, my heart could not accept.

A couple of years ago, United Church moderator Bill Phipps publicly stated that Jesus is not God and did not physically rise from the dead. He said, "All the biblical stories surrounding the birth of Jesus evoke wonder and awe and majesty. But as soon as you want to reduce them to literal fact, they lose their power." I don't know what you make of statements like these.

In the coming weeks, preachers worldwide will be sharing the message of Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead two thousand years ago. You need to make up your mind who is right – the skeptics or the believers. Those who doubt Christ's claims, or those who believe in him. Because, according to Jesus Christ, your eternity rests on the verdict you reach in your heart.

Last week we looked at the documentary evidence for Jesus Christ. I argued at great length that the historical documents that we have that speak of Jesus Christ are historically accurate. Let me add just one more point, if I could. For years, it was believed that the gospel accounts were written long after Jesus' life, allowing time for traditions and legends to form. This led many to argue that the Jesus of the gospels is more mythological than historical.

But recent discoveries have led scholars to conclude that the gospels were written much earlier than previously thought. Dr. William F. Albright, a renowned archaeologist, stated there’s no evidence the Gospels were written after AD 70. Too soon for myths and legends to have developed, without being refuted by the eyewitnesses who were still alive. An expert in ancient history has found 39 ancient sources about Jesus outside the Bible, including 17 that are non-Christian. So the Bible is an accurate historical document that tells us about the life of Jesus.

But let's be honest here – so what? Even if you believe the Bible, who's to say that it doesn't record the life of just a good man, a miracle worker? Who's to say that Jesus wasn't himself deceived about his own identity? Even if the Bible is accurate, who is to say that Jesus' claims are credible? And why should we follow him today?

There are four areas we're going to cover this morning: psychiatric evidence, physical evidence, character evidence, fingerprint evidence. Next week we're going to talk about the ultimate evidence.

Psychiatric Evidence

Let's begin by looking at what you might call psychiatric evidence. I bet many of you along the way have heard that Jesus never really claimed that he was God. In fact, many say, if Jesus knew that people today were worshipping him as God, he'd roll over in his grave, he'd be that upset. The Last Temptation of Christ portrays Jesus as unsure of his identity and mission.

The only problem is, that's not the picture the Scriptures give us. The religious leaders of his day clearly understood that Jesus was making the claim that he's God. In John 10:30, Jesus said, "I and the Father are one. That word "one" means one in essence – Jesus was claiming to be God. It was clear to the religious leaders of the day what he was claiming.

Another time, in John 8:58-59, we read: "Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.' So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple."

Why is it that Jesus in the end was crucified? He was crucified because they thought he had committed blasphemy, claiming that he was God. His claim to be God is very clear in these historical documents.

The question becomes, what alternatives does this leave you with? One is: he's telling the truth. Another: he's telling a lie, intentionally deceiving his audience. That alternative doesn't hold up under scrutiny. Who would willingly endure torture to uphold a lie? Telling a lie would be totally out of character with his life and teachings.

Another alternative: the possibility I want to consider here, that Jesus was mentally ill. A skeptic might argue that having people at Queen Street Mental Health Center claim to be God doesn't prove that they are divine. Maybe Jesus sincerely thought that he was God, but the truth is that he was just mentally unbalanced.

So we need to look at Jesus to see if there are any indications of mental imbalance. Think of somebody who claims to be something they're not. Their claim is not isolated – other indications of imbalance are present as well. Usually, there are inappropriate emotions – inappropriate depression, anger, or anxiety. They have misperceptions – they think people are watching them; they are out of contact with reality. They sometimes have thinking disorders – they can't carry on a logical conversation; they're irrational.

Dr. Gary Collins, a psychology professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, notes that Jesus lacked the negative traits often seen in others. He was loving yet not overly compassionate, remained humble amid adoring crowds, managed a busy life, and had a strong sense of purpose. Jesus cared deeply for marginalized individuals, like women and children. He accepted people without condoning their sins and responded to their unique needs.All in all, I just don't see signs that Jesus was suffering from any known mental illness. He was much healthier than anyone else I know—including me!

To be honest, as we look at Jesus, we see the farthest thing from a crazy person. We see no evidence of abnormality and imbalance. Rather, we see tremendous grace under pressure. At his trial before Pilate, where his very life was at stake, he remained calm and serene. As C.S. Lewis argued that it's impossible to align the depth and soundness of his moral teachings with the notion that he is a lunatic or megalomaniac. The only satisfactory explanation is that he indeed is God.

But what about his claims to be God? Isn't that a sign of a crazy person? I'll put it this way – if you claimed to be president of the United States, you indeed would be a crazy person. If William Jefferson Clinton claims to be the president of the United States, he shows a clear understanding of his identity. If you or I claimed to be God, we indeed would be crazy. But Jesus Christ claimed to be God, and backed it up with his miracles. So there are no grounds for claiming that Jesus was deluded in thinking that he was God. That's the psychological evidence.

I mentioned Jesus supporting his claims of divinity with miracles, which brings us to the next area of evidence.

Physical Evidence

In other words, if Jesus really was God, you would expect that he would have the power to do miracles, right? One of the things you would expect is that Jesus would have power over nature. We see in the historical documents that Jesus demonstrated that. By walking on water, by taking a small amount of food and feeding 5,000 people with it, by turning water into wine, by calming the storm. Jesus had power over nature.

Another thing we would expect is that Jesus would have the power to heal people of their illnesses and afflictions. Time after time, we see Jesus doing this. This showcases not only his immense power but also his deep compassion. Then we'd expect if Jesus were God, he'd have power over death. We see that as well as he brought back from death his friend Lazarus, who had been dead in the tomb for four days. We see other instances when Jesus raised people from the dead. Jesus himself, in the ultimate expression of this, was resurrected.

These miracles were witnessed by many, including skeptics and those hostile to Jesus. And because of that they provide amazing corroboration that Jesus really is who He said He was. In John 10:37-38, Jesus states: "If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

Now some of you might be saying right now, "Hold on just a second. This is the almost the 21st century. Isn't this the age of science? Come on, miracles? You can't expect anyone to believe that Jesus actually performed miracles. That's ridiculous!" Well, contrary to what you might think, miracles do not contradict science in the least. Science depends upon observation and replication. The miracles, by their very nature, were unprecedented events that cannot be replicated in a laboratory. In other words, they're outside of the scope of science.

If you believe in a God who created the universe, it's reasonable to think that God can intervene in nature as he wishes. God is not bound by natural law. In fact, there are good reasons to believe that Jesus did perform the miracles recorded in the gospels. For one thing, eyewitnesses were still around when the gospels were written. If the miracles were false, there would have been plenty of people who would have disputed them. Even hostile witnesses did not dispute the claims. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, for example, none of the chief priests or Pharisees disputed the miracle. And so miracles are credible, and they provide powerful confirmation that Jesus is who he claimed to be.

This past November, I sailed on the Sea of Galilee. I saw the places mentioned in Scripture as the locations of the miracles. Consider this: If Jesus truly claimed to be God, and isn't lying or misled, and performed miracles to support that claim, how will you respond to this evidence? Don't they lead us to believe in the credibility of Christ's claims?

We have gathered both psychiatric and physical evidence. The second-to-last form of corroboration we'll look at today is this:

Character Evidence

We can examine the Bible's historical documents and the character of Jesus Christ. As we do that, what do we expect if he is the Son of God? One thing we would expect is that he would have lived a perfect life. Isn't that true?

No man or woman is capable of living life without some form of wrongdoing. As a matter of fact, isn't it true that the more you get to know someone, the more you see there flaws, their wrongdoings and shortcomings? Inevitably, when you get to know people, you find out that they're as flawed as anyone else is. Yet we can look at these historical documents and what we see is the opposite in the case of Jesus.

Nobody was closer to Jesus in his ministry than John and Peter. They traveled with him, they ate with him, they hung around together for three years during is ministry. Imagine being together for three years – you'd get to know someone pretty well. Yet what did they write about Jesus? John ended up writing this in 1 John 3:5: "But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin." In 1 Peter 2:22, Peter wrote: "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." Jesus is widely recognized for his high moral character, with those closest to him claiming he was perfect.

Time is almost gone. I want to leave you with one last evidence for Jesus' claims this morning.

Fingerprint Evidence

That's what author and pastor Lee Strobel calls it: fingerprint evidence. Let me explain what he means by fingerprint evidence, because this is one of the most persuasive evidences there is. The Old Testament contains dozens and dozens of very specific predictions about the coming Messiah. The combined prophecies create a unique profile that only one person in history could meet. The Bible states that whoever perfectly matches this fingerprint is the true Messiah, the Son of God. You can look all through history, and only one individual fits the fingerprint perfectly. It's Jesus Christ.

We're bringing in a former skeptic to testify about these prophecies. His name is Louis Lapides. He holds two advanced degrees in theology, has taught the Old Testament at a university, and is the former national president of a network of churches for people who were Jewish until they recognized Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies.

Lapides was raised as a Conservative Jew. After his parents' divorce, a stint in Vietnam, and some flirtation with other religions, Lapides was challenged by a Christian, "Just read the Old Testament and ask the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – the God of Israel – to show you if Jesus is the Messiah. Because he is your Messiah. He came to the Jewish people initially, and then he was also Savior of the world."

Lapides began reading the Old Testament every day. He read in Deuteronomy of a prophet greater than Moses who would come. He was struck by Isaiah 53, which predicted a man suffering for the sins of Israel and the world, written over 700 years before Jesus. He came upon four dozen major predictions in the Old Testament. Gradually, he overcame his skepticism and decided to read the New Testament.

Convinced by the fulfilled prophecies he discovered, he started telling people he believed Jesus was the Messiah, but he was still scared of the consequences. It would mean giving up the drugs, the sex, and so forth. Yeshua was considered a likely Messiah, but he was far from being recognized as "Fairest Lord Jesus."

One day, sitting in a dessert, he recalled the words someone had said to him: "You're either on God's side or on Satan's side." And he prayed, "God, I've got to come to the end of this struggle. I have to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is the Messiah. I need to know that you, as the God of Israel, want me to believe this."

At that moment, God convicted him, and Louis Lapides prayed, "God, I accept Jesus into my life. I don't understand what I'm supposed to do with him. I've pretty much made a mess of my life; I need you to change me." And that's what God has been doing since then: changing him.

In the gospels, Jesus' words in Luke 24:44 are evident: "Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms." Only Jesus fulfilled the prophecies, making him unique in history as God's anointed one.

This is Jesus Christ – the only one who meets the psychiatric, physical, character, and fingerprint evidence I presented this morning. But what about you? You are either on God's side or on Satan's side. You must reach your own verdict.

If you don't accept the fact that Jesus is God's Son sent to earth out of love for you, then I don't think you have looked at the evidence honestly. You may believe that Jesus is God intellectually, but you might not want Him to change your life. You're still a long way from singing, "Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature, O Thou of God and man the Son! Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor, Thou, my soul's glory, joy, and crown!"

I invite you to pray the prayer that Louis Lapides prayed: "God, I accept Jesus into my life. I don't understand what I'm supposed to do with him. I've pretty much made a mess of my life; I need you to change me."