Sometimes at Common Ground we hear teaching from the BSU Director. Other times we have a guest speaker or video teaching. On October 7, we watched a very well put together video by Mark Driscoll titled “Is Jesus the Only God” It is a wildly relevant question that consistently challenges Christians in some form or other. Usually it goes hand in hand with “so if I don’t agree with you, I’m going to HELL?!” as well as, “so you’re right and EVERYONE ELSE is wrong?” Sounds kind of conceited when people put it that way, but yes. That is what the Bible teaches.
The arguments Driscoll points out from scripture in a 30-minute video obviously aren’t intended to be a comprehensive defense of one of the boldest claims in the Bible, but rather a simple explanation of what the Bible itself teaches on the subject. To that end, here’s what we learned:
• Jesus claimed to be God. (John 10:30) No other major religious leader made such a claim. Those leaders who have tend to be very dangerous cult leaders such as Jim Jones and David Koresh.
• Jesus claimed to be equal with God (John 5:17)
• Jesus was understood to be making these claims. (Matthew 26:57-66, John 5:18, John 10:31-33)
• Jesus performed uniquely “God-like” miracles, such as curing leprosy and blindness, calming a storm, turning water into wine, raising Lazarus from the dead, rising from the dead Himself, etc.
• Jesus claimed to forgive sins, something only attributable to God. (Mark 2:1-12)
• And finally, having established a scriptural basis for credibility as to his power and deity, Jesus made the ultimate statement of exclusivity in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” Pretty straightforward stuff…
In his book, “Mere Christianity,” theologian C.S. Lewis famously made the argument that Jesus is either a lunatic, in which case he ought to be locked and given professional help, or he was a liar, in which case he is a cruel and despicable man who has mislead countless millions with false teachings and false hope, or he is who he claimed to be: Lord of all. You be the judge.
