with guest contributor Richard Dormandy
Wasn’t Jesus just a great
teacher?
I’m not a bad person so
why do I have to do more?
Why does God let
innocent people suffer?
Hasn't religion caused
a lot of wars?
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Many people would agree that Jesus
was a great moral and religious teacher, and this is how he is often portrayed
in school. The description is convenient, because it enables him to be taught
on a par with those of other faiths within a secular environment. However, it
is misleading, for it contains a number of historical problems which suggest that
he was either much more, or much less, than a Great Teacher.
Jesus was incredibly popular, yet
the records show that his favour could also evaporate very quickly as he moved
on to teach about the cost of true discipleship. This is in contrast to
countless other excellent Rabbis of the time, who built up their following much
more gradually.
Perhaps one reason was Jesus'
ability, time and again, to perform miracles: healings, raisings from the dead,
water into wine, multiplication of loaves and fish. These events would draw the
crowds, who hungered for both marvel and meaning, but who then melted away when
the challenge came for a changed lifestyle.
The Phenomenon of the Crowds
points to Jesus as not only a teacher, but a miracle worker.
Records show that Jesus was killed
because he was in danger of causing too much of a disturbance for both the
Roman occupying forces and the conservative Jewish establishment. The reason for
this perception was that Jesus consistently acted as and claimed to be the
Messiah of Israel. His claims were radical and disturbing. He spoke about
destroying the Temple and rebuilding it again in his way. He demonstrated his
antipathy to what was going on there by physically driving out the
money-changers.
The perception of the politicians
was based in Jesus' own life and words. He claimed to be far more than simply a
great teacher: he saw himself as the Messiah of Israel and Saviour of the
World.
Jesus frequently spoke about his
coming death. He saw it as 'a ransom for many.' He talked of himself as 'the
Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep,' and so on. Long before
it happened, Jesus interpreted his coming death as a sacrifice for the sins of
all people.
This goes much further than the
words of a teacher, passing on instruction about how we should live. Jesus
wasn't merely telling us that we should 'put others first.' He was pointing to
his death as a crucial moment in the history of the world - something he had
actively come for.
The manner of his death points to
Jesus as one who saw his existence on earth primarily as an event, rather than
being for the purpose of giving moral instruction.
Jesus both spoke and acted as one
who was aware of having a special relationship with God. He claimed to be more
than a teacher, and more than a prophet. He claimed to have existed in eternity
with God, he claimed equality with God, and that he was the Son of God. Of
course it is well known that in ancient times the Jewish kings had been called
"sons of God," as had the Jewish nation. But Jesus' Sonship was never
suggested as a title - it was more of fact of being. He said, "I and
the Father are one." "I came from the Father and I am going to the
Father." and so on.
These are not, in fact, the
level-headed claims of a Great Religious Teacher, for if they are untrue, then
they have lead millions of people astray over nearly two thousand years. These
claims, if they are false, put Jesus on a par with leaders of the most
ridiculous cults.
On the other hand, if they are
true, the claims of his own words command worship, devotion and allegiance.
When Jesus died, he had just a
handful of faithful followers. The authorities had hoped that their leader's
crucifixion would put an end to this dangerous movement once and for all.
Within a short space of time, however, something happened which transformed
this bunch of frightened followers into a powerful movement.
Even if we didn't believe any of
the Biblical records, the archaeological and historical picture speaks for
itself: there are literally thousands of fragments of manuscripts of Jesus'
teaching, scattered around the Mediterranean world. The degree of precise
verbal agreement between them is staggering, and they date to within a few
decades of Jesus' death. Why were people so motivated to keep the record of
Jesus work and words?
The reason given by those people
themselves was the impact of his resurrection and the power of his Spirit, to
live in them and transform their lives.
The preservation of Jesus'
teachings points to someone who was far more than a man of words and ethical deeds.
It suggests that Jesus claims about being the Son of God, his claims to have
come to save and transform the world, society, individuals, his vision of his
own death and resurrection as the turning point in human history - all stack
up.
Was Jesus just a Great Teacher?
C.S. Lewis said he was either 'mad, bad, or who he claimed to be.' The only way
to really check it out is to try for yourself: Follow his teachings and see
whether they ring true.
But don't simply try to live his
lifestyle by 'doing good to others' because that's merely a fraction of what he
taught. At least as crucial, if not more so, is to worship him personally, to
review your life in his presence, and ask for his cleansing. Treat him as he
presents himself - as the Lord, the Saviour, the Son of God. And finally, ask
for his power in your life, ask him to fill you with his Holy Spirit: Spirit of
cleansing, refreshment, power and service.
Richard
Dormandy, the author of the answers to these FAQs, is vicar of St James the Less, Westminster