Today, Easter Monday, ends the most joyous of all seasons of celebration for followers of Jesus. Still, there are so many who wonder about this question of …
Who is Jesus, really?
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For any who would question whether or not Jesus was really resurrected, check out the Evidence that Demands a Verdict books by Josh McDowell, who was a skeptic. He considered himself agnostic as a young man … until he was challenged to intellectually examine the claims of Christianity. You can read Josh McDowell’s full story here.
And in fact, there have been other skeptics-turned-believers who, after setting out to disprove “Christianity” converted due to what they found while digging for facts to prove their arguments against it, one being Lee Strobel. You can read his bio on his website for more detail on his story and books he has written.
But back to Josh McDowell, who also wrote a book called, More Than a Carpenter, where he presents three possible answers to the question of who Jesus is?
The entire Christian faith is based on the resurrection of Jesus, and Satan was already at work when Jesus died on the cross to make sure that Jesus’ followers would not be able to create an appearance of a resurrection. The Bible says:
The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”
“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard. (Matthew 27:62-66)
There are also eyewitnesses who saw Jesus after the resurrection. One of the strongest testimonies of having seen Jesus following His resurrection is that of Thomas, often referred to as “Doubting Thomas”:
Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:24-29)
Not only were there people who had been following Jesus who testified to his resurrection, a Roman historian, named Josephus, wrote about it in the third chapter of the Testimonium Flavianum.
With facts like this, anyone seeking truth comes face to face with the reality of forming an opinion if Jesus was, in fact, who He said He was … the Son of God and Savior of the world. Not only do we have the resurrection, but there were also all the miracles that people witnessed Him perform.
The totality of the facts leads to several options of who Jesus is, which Josh McDowell addresses in his book, More Than a Carpenter.
It’s a Multiple Choice Question
Given the claims Jesus made during his life that He was, he would have to be one of the following:
a) A liar;
b) A mentally deranged individual;
c) Or who he said he is…. Lord.
If you are interested in looking at each of these options more thoroughly, I definitely recommend that you pick up the book, More Than a Carpenter, either from your library or buy yourself a copy. The author does a great job, in my humble opinion, of examining each of those possibilities in depth.
The bottom line is, though, that if the things Jesus taught are truth, then your decision about your opinion on who He is has eternal ramifications. It is a question that must be answered, and better sooner rather than later.
We are not promised tomorrow, or even our next breath.
After the resurrection and appearing to those who had followed him during his ministry, Jesus’ last words were:
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16)
The book of Acts tells more things Jesus said to them, and then says this:
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Chapter 1, Verses 10-11)
He wanted everyone to hear the good news about why He came, what He taught and why He suffered, died and rose, defeating death and offering the solution to the problem of sin. He said he would be coming back again but for the Church to be busy spreading this news until He returns.
And that is really what this Easter series has been about … just a few ways of sharing about Jesus as He commanded, because we do believe!
“Stubborn Refusal to Believe”
Don’t be counted among those when you meet Jesus, either at His return or when you pass from this life into eternity, who had a “stubborn refusal to believe”.
Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. (Mark 16:14)
This is the third and final of an Easter Reflections series I’ve been sharing this week. If you missed the first two, you can check them out here:
What the Butterfly and the Resurrection Have in Common. It’s Not What You May Think.
3 Hidden Lessons from the Crucifixion of Jesus. #3 is Huge.
About the Author
Adopted at age 2, grew up in the Charlotte, NC area. Obtained Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Appalachian State University. Loves being a Mom of two and taste-testing Chef John's culinary creations and sharing them with readers.
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