Session 6: Jesus on the Witness Stand I

Review: What is corroborating evidence? What kinds of corroborating evidence do we have for the Gospels? How can we respond to those scholars who reject or rebut the evidence Christians have for their faith?

Opening Question: Did you ever have your words twisted and misinterpreted by somebody else? What did they do it? What happened?

All rise. The 1st Vatra Court of Grass Lake is now in session.

Prosecution: Your honors, regardless of what you may have heard about the Biblical evidence and their documents, the truth is that Jesus of Nazareth never claimed to be God. He has been deified by well-meaning but overzealous followers who have distorted his original teachings. He never meant for them to worship him. Even the Gospels bear this out.

Defense: Your honors, it is true that we must take into consideration what Jesus said about Himself, how he related to others, and what claims he made. But the Gospels will bear out that He in fact did claim to be the Son of God, equal to God the Father.

Wasn’t Jesus just an exceptional teacher, who did not intend on being confused with God?

Perhaps most significantly was the way Jesus taught. He often used the phrase, “Amen I say to you,” before beginning, testifying ahead of time to the truthfulness of what he was about to say. This was unprecedented and outrageous to many of the scribes and Pharisees. He was exceptional because He claimed the authority of God for Himself.

What about the Son of Man? Does His use of this phrase to describe Himself in human terms deny His divinity?

The Son of Man is also a title in reference to the prophecy of Daniel, chapter 7:

13 “I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed.

It is actually a bold proclamation that He is identifying Himself with the prophesied Messiah! Notice that when he uses the phrase Son of Man it is “The Son of Man.” Not “a son of man.” There is something prophetic in His every word.

Activity: Examine the Evidence

Take the following worksheet and divide into Groups. Each group should take 1 of the selections and determine what identity Jesus is claiming for Himself.

Also consider the following passages:

Matthew 16: 13When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

John 1: 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Philippians 2: 5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Based on the evidence of the NT writers, discuss the following questions: