| Subject: Re: Jesus - just a good man? |
Author:
Vince
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Date Posted: 09:44:00 01/08/05 Sat
In reply to:
Vince
's message, "Jesus - just a good man?" on 09:14:36 01/07/05 Fri
Hi Silverfox,
Sure. Rather than type it all out myself, thought I would paste this in that pretty much expounds on it:
C. S. Lewis had grown weary of people saying that Jesus Christ was just a good man. Using undeniable logic, Lewis introduced what is often referred to as the Trilemma.
Simply put, he argued that people cannot logically say that Jesus was "just a good man."
Of the choices one has in regard to who Jesus was, "a good man" is not one of them. Jesus Christ logically had to be one of three possible choices: lunatic, liar, or Lord.
You see, Jesus Christ claimed to be God in the flesh. Good men do not claim to be God.
(1) Jesus could have been--as we might consider anyone making claims of divinity--a raving lunatic.
(2) He could have been the world's greatest con-man, a liar.
(3) He could have been who he claimed to be, Lord.
Let's Briefly Consider Our Three Choices
Choice # 1: Lunatic
Lunatics rave and say things that are often incoherent. Consider the lunatic Charles Manson. When he speaks, he sometimes goes off into a world where no one else can reasonably follow. This is not so with Jesus.
For just one example, consider Christ's sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7). This sermon is considered by many--Christians and non-Christians alike--to be some of the finest precepts of life and wisdom ever uttered. The golden rule "Do unto others as you would have them do to you" (Matthew 7:12) is not the ravings of a madman. It is clear, Christ was no lunatic.
Choice # 2: Liar
Jesus claimed to be God. If he wasn't a lunatic and if he wasn't God, then he had to be one of the most wicked men who ever lived. This man convinced others that he was divine. Belief in him very often led to a martyr's death. Jesus divided the religious world with his claims of deity. If he wasn't God in the flesh, then he has led multitudes of people away from the true God.
Recap of Choices # 1 and # 2
Lunatic--lunatics are not "good" men: they are delusional. As we have seen, however, it is logically unlikely that Jesus was a lunatic, so we can safely throw that one out.
Liar--liars are not "good" men: they are deceptional. But might Jesus have been a liar? If he were a liar, then he was not a good man. Good men do not lie (well, not to the extent of calling themselves God in the flesh).
The disciples believed him, and they believed in his promise to rise from the dead. Now, if Christ were a liar, then he never kept his promise and rose from the dead.
Therefore, when that first "Easter Sunday" came and went without Jesus coming out of the tomb, the disciples would have known that he was a liar.
And, since they told others that he did rise from the dead, they would have been co-conspirators and co-liars with Jesus. This scenario is not completely unlikely except for one important point . . . who dies for a lie?
Who Dies for A Lie?
If Jesus didn't rise from the dead and the disciples knew this, then how would they find the strength to die for a lie? How many people in their right minds will die for a lie?
Actually, it seems to be evidenced from the history of humankind that the inherent drive of self-preservation is so strong, that most people will not even die for the truth, or love. Recently, I was watching a PBS special on the "Exit from the Vietnam War." I watched helicopters lift off as the American troops pulled out of Vietnam for the last time. Many of the locals were scrambling to get on the helicopters. Once the aircraft was filled to capacity, some American soldiers had to literally push the locals off the craft, even after it had taken off from the ground. What was amazing was the number of men who pushed their wives and children aside so that they themselves could board the aircraft to safety. I do not remember the exact numbers for the one particular aircraft that they were showing, but if memory serves, there were about 65 men, and only 5 women and children who escaped.
To be sure, there have been some people who have been willing to die for what they believed in, but would they have died for what they knew to be false?
And, even if one or two of the disciples were willing to die for a lie, would all twelve of them have done so? The disciples died martyrs' deaths, and this is evidence that neither Christ nor the disciples were liars.
Obviously, perpetuating the lie would have been unprofitable for them. For their belief in Christ and their proclamation of him and his resurrection, many were persecuted, beaten, killed, and the disciple John was boiled in hot oil! Would all of them have endured all of this, even death, for what they knew to be a lie? To put it in an understatement, this is seriously unlikely.
Choice # 3: Lord
The final choice, and the one that best fits the evidence of logic and human self-preservation is that this carpenter from Galilee might have actually been whom he claimed to be.
He might have been the Lord . . . God in the flesh.
Of course, there is so much more to "hang your hat on" than just this little exercise in logic concerning your belief in who Jesus Christ is and was, but Lewis' Trilemma is powerful indeed.
I believe . . . Jesus Christ was and is Lord.
However, theoretically, you do not have to believe Jesus was (and is) the Lord, but logic demands that you not say, "He was just a good man." You have three, and only three, choices: Lunatic, Liar, or Lord.
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