Wasn't Jesus just a good man?

The Open-Air Mission

‘Holding forth the word of life...’
(Philippians 2:16)

‘Holding fast the faithful word...’
(Titus 1:9)

Wasn’t Jesus just a ‘good man’ ?

There are many people who think that Jesus was a good man and He was, many who think He was a great teacher and He was, and many who think He was a prophet and he was. However, He was much more as well. He claimed to be the Son of God and the Bible clearly confirms that fact. He is not something less than God but equal with God. When He lived on this earth He was fully man and yet fully God at the same time.

One of Jesus’ disciples wrote his gospel record specifically because there were those who were doubting Jesus’ claim to be God. The very first chapter of John’s gospel tells us very clearly that Jesus is God (John chapter 1:1-4). The miracles that Jesus did could not have been accomplished by just a man, however good. Jesus also had power over nature (John chapter 6), power to heal (John chapter 9), power even to raise the dead (John chapter 11). He revealed his humanity when he wept at the grave side and shared the sorrows of Martha and Mary. He then revealed His divine power when he commanded Lazarus (who had been dead and buried for 4 days) to come forth and he did (John chapter 11:40-42).
John 20:30-31 says “and truly Jesus did many other miraculous signs (or miracles) in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book, but these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” We all need to examine the evidence. Too many today are content to rely on hearsay which can often prove to be very unreliable. In John chapter 9 a man who had been born blind was healed. In verse 11 he describes Jesus as a man, in verse 17 he calls him a prophet and in verse 38 he calls Jesus “Lord”. His understanding of Jesus grew as he found out more about Him.

The writer C.S. Lewis said about those who are willing to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher but not His claim to be God, “A man who is merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman, or something worse”.

Joe Hayden