Session 7: Jesus on the Witness Stand II
Review:
Last time we discussed what Jesus said and presumably thought about Himself.
Did He speak of Himself as the Messiah, the Son of God, equal to the Father?
Why do you think some people think he did not?
Opening
Question: Have you ever believed something for which you knew other
people would think you crazy? What was it? What happened?
All rise,
the 1st Vatra Court of Grass Lake is now in session.
Prosecution:
If it is indeed the Truth that Jesus of Nazareth actually believed himself
to be the only-begotten Son of this hypothetical God the Father, is this not
now surely the strongest evidence against him? Is this not a sure sign of
mental illness in the extreme? Megalomania? Delusions of Grandeur? Complete
disassociation from reality?
Defense:
Your honors, the question as to whether Jesus Christ was insane, either clinically
or legally, is a valid one. It can be answered in the same manner one would
answer this question in any court of law or hospital. Did Jesus exhibit any
signs of mental illness associated with His identity claims? Based on all
that we know of His behavior, can we consider Him insane? We hold that the
evidence will show that the answer to both questions is No!
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Based
on your common sense notions of mental health, what would you consider to
be sure signs of a mental illness? (Emotional extremes, illogical thinking,
speaking to beings that are not there, going into fits, withdrawal from
human life, believing you are someone you are not)
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Did you see the movie, “A Beautiful Mind?” In this movie we see very clearly
the effects of paranoid schizophrenia on a person. Do the Gospels suggest
Jesus had any of these symptoms? (He spoke eloquently, forcibly, and with
clarity of thought; His emotions were as healthy as could be, and stable;
He could function in society and had rational things to say about it; He
spoke to God in prayer and sometimes God answered back—and everyone could
hear it!)
Consider
the public opinion of the people in Jesus’ time:
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John 10: 19Therefore there was a division again among the
Jews because of these sayings. 20And many of them said, “He has a demon
and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?” 21Others said, “These are not the
words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
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John 14:
Jesus said, 11“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me,
or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.”
The difference
between a delusional person and the real person is that the real person can
back up their claims with real evidence and support. For Christ that evidence
was the miracles He performed. His arguments were cohesive and rational.
Exhibit
for the Prosecution: Jesus did not fit the God Profile!
Prosecution: Even if Jesus appears to be a paragon of mental stability,
He still just a man, not God. He was not really Omnipotent, Omniscient, or
eternal. This is shown by the Gospels themselves. Consider the following passages:
He is
not Omnipotent or all powerful:
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Mark 7: 24From there He arose and went to the region of
Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but
He could not be hidden.
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Matthew 13:
58Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
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Mark 10: 17Now as He was going out on the road, one came
running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do
that I may inherit eternal life?” 18So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call
Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
He is
not Omniscient, or all knowing:
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Mark 13:
32“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven,
nor the Son, but only the Father.
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John 14: If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said,
‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.
He is
not eternal, but created:
Each group
should take one of these passages and look it up for its original context.
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Does the passage seem to suggest what the Prosecution is saying?
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Does the passage suggest something different. How so?
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How do you think the passage might be explained without denying the divine
nature of Christ?
Report
your findings back to the court and discuss further.
Here is some commentary on each passage for discussion.
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In
Mark 7:24 Jesus’ power is not in question, but rather the ability of others
to hide him. It is through the people’s inability to hide Him that Jesus
is able to work an even greater miracle, healing the daughter of the Canaanite
Woman (Mark 7:25-30)
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In Matthew 13 we have an example of Jesus limiting Himself in His power.
Because the people do not believe in Him he did not do many works. It does
not say he could not do many works, but really that He would not.
-
In
Mark 10 Jesus is not denying that He is God. Rather He is asking the person
if he really knows what he is saying when he calls Jesus the Good Teacher.
Is he just brown-nosing or does he really believe that Jesus is all knowing
and all good?—by this Jesus tests the man’s faith.
-
In
Mark 13 we again see Him humbling Himself in His Humanity. This is part
of the mystery of the Incarnation, that God emptied Himself to become human.
This “emptying” involves the self-limiting of His powers for the sake of
His mission. If He uses all His powers He runs the risk of limiting our
human freedom to respond to Him. He cares more about that than His own power.
If He let Himself tell them when the end of the world would be, it would
take a lot of motivation out of people to be vigilant. In addition, the
very nature of the “end of time” defies human reason, and may not be explicable
in human terms. Nonetheless, this is perhaps the most difficult of passages.
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In
John 14, by saying that the Father is greater this does not imply that that
makes Him less God. If I say my father is greater than I it does not make
me less a human being or member of the family but it is a sign of due respect
and honor. In fact, what is so great is that Jesus is about to return to
His Father in heaven, taking His humanity with Him so that all humanity
might be united to God in heaven through Him, which is a greater life.
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In
Colossians 1, if we read the complete text, we find that firstborn over
all creation does not mean Jesus is created but the creator: 15He is the
image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by Him
all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible
and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him and for Him. 17And He is before all
things, and in Him all things consist.
After each group
reports back to the court, and the passages are discussed, allows the defense
to enter into evidence its own selection of verses.
Defense:
Your honors, with all due respect, these verses are taken out of context and
do not at all deny the divinity of Jesus Christ, even though there are those
who have historically taught this.
Discuss and conclude
with deliberations.
Defense’s Rebuttal:
Defense:
There are also many passages that clearly point to Jesus as divine in origin
and sharing all the powers of God, without having to take them out of context.
Here are some in response to each of those points made:
He is
Omniscient, all knowing:
-
John 16: 29His disciples said to Him, “See, now You are
speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! 30“Now we are sure that
You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By
this we believe that You came forth from God.”
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John 13:
1Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had
come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His
own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 2And supper being ended,
the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s
son, to betray Him, 3Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things
into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4rose
from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.
He is
Omnipresent, everywhere present:
-
Matthew 28: 20 And lo, I am with you always, even to the
end of the age.”
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Matthew 18:20 20“For where two or three are gathered together
in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
He is
Omnipotent, all powerful:
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Matthew 28: 18 “All authority has been given to Me in heaven
and on earth.”
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Mark
2: 6And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in
their hearts, 7“Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive
sins but God alone?” 8But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit
that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you
reason about these things in your hearts? 9“Which is easier, to say to the
paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your
bed and walk’? 10“But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on
earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11“I say to you, arise,
take up your bed, and go to your house.” 12Immediately he arose, took up
the bed, and went out in the presence of them all
He is eternal and uncreated:
-
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.
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Hebrews 13:8: 8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today,
and forever.
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Read Philippians 2:5-8 which speak of Jesus’ emptying and humbling Himself
to become Human. What might be some of the motivations for God to do this?
Then read verses 9-11. What happens as a result of Jesus’ mission?
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Some verses at first look do seem to suggest that Christ was less than God.
Do you think that these understood in a way that does not contradict the
verses submitted by the Defense?
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What other teachings about God might make it hard to believe that Jesus
Christ is God incarnate?
The Fingerprint Evidence: Does Jesus match God’s fingerprints in the
Old Testament?
Prosecution:
Even if Jesus meets the profile of an all-good, all-knowing, all-powerful
God, he does not match the image of the Old Testament God but represents a
departure from the Jewish tradition. They are, in a certain sense, two altogether
different Gods! We find no evidence for a Christ or Messiah that is like Jesus.
Defense:
Your honors, we can use the same principles as crime scene investigators to
determine if what the prosecution is true. If Jesus claims to be the same
God and Messiah as described in the Old Testament, He should have left the
equivalent of “fingerprints” that would be able to identify Him later. The
thing about fingerprints is that no two are exactly alike. A person’s prints
should remain the same and be able to matched only to his own. There does
exist in the Old Testament something parallel to fingerprint evidence: that
is, prophecies!
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What
are prophets and prophecies? What distinguishes a false prophet from a true
one?
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How do you think the writings of the Prophets can serve as evidence for
Christ?
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How many prophecies of the Old Testament do you think relate to the Messiah?
The Prophecies
of the Old Testament provide some of the most amazing evidence for the claims
of Jesus Christ.
Take for example
Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 (pass out on sheet). Have groups read these and answer
these questions:
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How many details do you find that describe Jesus Christ?
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How easy would it be for just anybody to fulfill those details?
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How convincing is prophetic evidence? What are its strengths and weaknesses?
Prosecution:
We object to this evidence on several grounds your honors:
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Coincidence: Jesus may have fulfilled some of these prophecies,
but it was only coincidental. (The Probability argument is so improbable
as to be ridiculous)
-
Altered Gospel: Clearly the gospel writers fabricated details
in order to fit their belief that Christ was the Messiah and make it appear
so. (But remember that eyewitnesses of these events, both for and against
Christ, lived at the time and could have refuted such lies. The Jewish authorities
would have loved such an opportunity, but they never had one.)
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Intentional Fulfillment: Jesus himself engineered things
to appear as prophecy fulfillment. (This could be true of some, such as
Palm Sunday, but how could Christ engineer His own place and time of birth,
or the details of His death?)
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Context Argument: The Prophets were not really speaking
about a future Messiah and have been taken far out of context. (Prophecies
can have meanings which are apparent at the time they are written yet also
refer to future events, because of their nature. In just about every case
the context does not negate the Messianic meaning but enhances it.)
Defense:
Take a simple test. Write a list of 20 specific characteristics of a person,
and give that list to another person. These might include physical descriptions,
personal background, family histories, life experiences, and so forth that
are very specific. See if they can identify that person easily with a little
research and asking people. What would you imagine would happen if you had
a list of 50 specific traits? 100? Over 100?
In the
case of the Messiah, we have hundreds of references to over a hundred very
specific traits that would need to be fulfilled. In each case these can be
found fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ, and nobody else in the entire
history of humanity. Nobody!
The probability
that Christ could have fulfilled these very specific requirements by chance,
by intention, by falsification, or misinterpretation is negligible. It is
even less likely than two completely different people leaving identical and
matching fingerprints. The evidence points to one conclusion: Jesus of Nazareth
is the predicted and prophesied Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the Living
God!
Isaiah 53: A Prophecy of the Messiah fulfilled written
centuries before Christ
Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
3 He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
9 And they made His grave with the wicked—
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.
11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors
Psalm 22:1-19: Prophecy of the Crucifixion
1 My God, My God,
why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning?
2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;
And in the night season, and am not silent.
3 But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
5 They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
6 But I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
7 All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 “He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”
9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb;
You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.
10 I was cast upon You from birth.
From My mother’s womb
You have been My God.
11 Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
12 Many bulls have surrounded Me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.
13 They gape at Me with their mouths,
Like a raging and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water,
And all My bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It has melted within Me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And My tongue clings to My jaws;
You have brought Me to the dust of death.
16 For dogs have surrounded Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierced My hands and My feet;
17 I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me.
18 They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots
Compare
this Psalm to:
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Matthew 27:35, 42-46
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Mark 15:24-34
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John
19:31-37
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Do
you think prophetic writings should be considered as evidence for Christ?
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Why do you think some people might resist or reject this kind of evidence?
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How has studying prophecy affected your opinion on the matter?
