Hey, podcast listeners! Thanks for streaming today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. Our mission is to pierce the darkness with the light of God's word through the most effective media available, like this podcast. To support Pathway to Victory, go to ptv.org slash podcast and click the donate button, or follow the link in our show notes. Now, here's today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. I'm Robert Jeffress, and I'm glad to study God's word with you every day on this Bible teaching program.
On today's edition of Pathway to Victory. Given the fact that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, Lewis said, means you have to come to one of three conclusions. Conclusion number one, Jesus was a liar. A second possibility is, Lewis said, he was a lunatic. Now, if you're not willing to say he's a liar, if you're not willing to conclude he's a lunatic, Lewis said there's only one other conclusion, and that is he is Lord.
He's exactly who he claimed to be. Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress. You know, few reputable historians doubt that Jesus existed. In fact, almost every major religion in the world agrees that he was a great teacher.
But Jesus himself claimed to be so much more. Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress explores the answer to this question, who was Jesus Christ? Now, here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message. Dr. Jeffress. Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. Let me ask you a personal question.
When was the last time you escaped the pressures of your daily life and took a healthy break? Well, I'd love to have you join us on the upcoming Pathway to Victory cruise to Alaska June 15th through 22nd. And in addition to witnessing the stunning beauty of the great frontier, we've put together a dynamic Christian vacation for you with the perfect balance of relaxation and fellowship. Plus, we'll enjoy times of worship with Rebecca St. James and Michael O'Brien. We'll enjoy the comedy of Dennis Swanberg, and I'll be teaching from God's Word as well.
Now, time is running out to reserve your spot, so be sure to check out the information and reserve your spot by going to ptv.org. Don't forget, time is also running short to request your copy of an exclusive new coffee table book called The Power of the Cross. With my favorite photos and images from Israel, my book tells the seven-day story of Jesus' life from His grand entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to His glorious resurrection on Easter morning.
And I'd be pleased to send you a copy when you reach out today with a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory. More details later, but right now, let's turn our attention to today's topic. You know, Jesus is admired by millions of people around the world as a great moral teacher, while millions of other folks believe He's nothing more than a fictitious character from ancient literature.
So today, I'm posing this question for you. Do you believe Jesus was merely a man, a myth, or was He truly the Messiah? You know, this time of the year, you find a lot of different specials on secular television. You'll find a lot of articles and news magazines about discovering who the real Jesus is. And that's natural at this time of the year to be talking about Jesus. Interestingly, very few credible historians doubt that Jesus lived. Every historian agrees there was a man named Jesus who lived. Furthermore, most of the major world religions teach that Jesus was a great teacher.
They don't deny that. Even hardened secularists, doubters of Christianity, will concede that there was no one more moral than Jesus Christ. I think about Thomas Paine, the deist, who doubted much of Scripture was accurate, but even Thomas Paine believed in the morality of Jesus. He said Jesus was a virtuous and an amiable man. The morality that he preached and practiced was of the most benevolent kind. And those similar systems of morality had been preached by Confucius and by some of the Greek philosophers many years before, by the Quakers afterwards, and by many good men in all ages.
It has not been exceeded by any. Most men are willing to acknowledge that Jesus lived, that He was a great teacher, that His morality is unsurpassed. But here's the problem with saying Jesus was a great moral teacher. Jesus claimed to be more than that. He claimed to be much more than that. And if Jesus Christ was really who He claimed to be, not just a man, certainly not a myth, but the Messiah, if Jesus is who He said He was, that has tremendous implications for you and me today.
And that's what we're going to talk about for the few moments we have today. Today, I'd like us to consider three reasons Jesus is unique, why Jesus is different than any other religious leader who has ever lived. First of all, I want you to consider His claims. Jesus made unique claims that no other religious leader made.
There are four of them. First of all, Jesus claimed to be God. Now, all religious leaders and all philosophers claim to point people to God. But do you realize no other religious leader ever claimed to be God Himself? For example, think about Mohammed, the founder of Islam. He said, quote, surely I am no more than a human apostle.
Whether you're talking about Mohammed, Moses, Confucius, Buddha, they all said we're nothing but sinful men. All we can do is point people to God, not Jesus. Jesus said, I am God. Remember in John 14, verse 8, Philip said, Lord, show us the Father, and it's enough for us.
And in verse 9, Jesus said to Philip, have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you say, show us the Father? John 10, 30, Jesus said, I and the Father are one. Jesus claimed to be God Himself. You remember in Mark chapter 14, during the first of six trials Jesus went through before His crucifixion, the first trial was in the home of Caiaphas, the high priest. A number of us in Jerusalem stood in Caiaphas' house.
We have discovered his tomb. He was a real person, just as the Bible says. And remember, the high priest, ask him point blank in Mark 14, 61, are you the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One? And Jesus answered and said, I am. Don't let anybody tell you Jesus never claimed to be God.
He said, I am He. Caiaphas understood what he was saying, verse 63, and tearing his clothes, the high priest said, what further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy.
How does it seem to you? And they all condemned him to be deserving of death. Jesus claimed to be God. Secondly, Jesus claimed to forgive sins. Again, no other religious leader ever claimed the ability to forgive people of their sins. For example, Buddha said, quote, in reality, there are no living beings to whom the Lord Buddha can bring salvation.
That's quite an admission, isn't it? Buddha said, I can't forgive sins, but Jesus said, I can. In Mark chapter two, remember the group of disciples who brought the paralytic to Jesus to be healed? Verse five, and Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, my son, your sins are forgiven. And verse seven, why does this man speak this way?
The religious leaders say, he is blaspheming. Who can forgive sins but God alone? The only person who can forgive sins is God himself. But Jesus said, I'm going to forgive you of your sins. Now, the truth is, anybody can go around claiming to forgive sins. I could say, you are forgiven, go and sin no more. But how would you know whether I had the ability to forgive sins or not? Well, to show people that he had the power to forgive sins, he performs this miracle. Look at verse 10. But in order that you may know that I, the son of man, has authority on earth to forgive sins, he said to the paralytic, I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home.
And he rose and immediately took up the pallet and went out in the sight of all, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God. Jesus said throughout his ministry, his primary purpose was to come to provide the forgiveness of sins to those who believed. You know, many religions try to point people to the path of forgiveness. Jesus said, I am the path of forgiveness.
I am the way people are forgiving. In Luke 19, verse 10, Jesus said, for the son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. In Matthew 20 and 28, just as the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. In John 11, 25, Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life.
He who believes in me shall live even if he dies. Jesus claimed to forgive sins. The third thing that made Jesus claims unique was his claim to conquer death. Repeatedly, Jesus said to his followers that he would be killed by his enemies, but on the third day, he would be raised from the dead. Matthew 16, 21, from that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and the chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised up on the third day. Furthermore, Jesus said that the signal proof to the entire world that he was who he said he was would be that empty tomb, the fact that he was raised from the dead. In Matthew 12, 38 to 40, some of the scribes and the Pharisees said to Jesus, Teacher, we want to see a sign from you. Jesus answered and said to them, an evil and an adulterous generation craves for a sign, and yet no sign shall be given to you but the sign of Jonah the prophet. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. They said, we want some proof that you're who you said you are. Jesus said, here's the only proof you're going to get. Just as Jonah was in that great fish, that's what the word means, that great fish for three days, so I am going to be in the ground for three days, but I'm going to be raised on the third day. He's saying, a preacher, that's kind of reading a lot into those verses, the resurrection. Are you sure that's what he was talking about?
Listen to me. Even Jesus' enemies knew that's what he was talking about. They knew he was claiming that his resurrection would be the proof that he was truly the Messiah, and that's why the day after Jesus died, his enemies, the Jewish leaders, did everything they could to make sure that body stayed in that grave. Remember in Matthew chapter 27, verses 62 to 64, what happened on that Saturday morning. Verse 62 says, now on the next day, that is the day after the crucifixion on Friday, which is the one after the preparation, the chief priest and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate.
He was the Roman prefect, the governor of Judea. And they said to Pilate, sir, we remember that when Jesus was still alive, that deceiver said after three days, I am to rise again. They knew what he was claiming. Verse 63, 64, therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, lest the disciples come and steal him away and say to the people, he has risen from the dead, and the last deception will be worse than the first. It was amazing what they did to secure that tomb. But the reason they wanted secured was they knew what Jesus' claim was. They didn't believe Jesus was the Messiah. They didn't expect him to conquer death, but they did expect the disciples to try to steal the body. So they wanted to make sure that body stayed there.
But here's the point I want you to see. There is no other religious leader in history who was killed, who was buried and left an empty tomb. Not one, Confucius, Buddha, Mohammed, none of them ever died, was buried and rose again from the dead. And here's the kicker, not one of them even claimed they were going to do that. Only Jesus claimed he could conquer death and in fact did conquer death.
And that leads to the fourth, that's worth applauding for, isn't it? And because he conquered death, those who believe in him will as well. The fourth claim of Jesus that made him unique was this. Jesus claimed he would return to judge the world. Jesus said one day he's coming back to reward the righteous and to punish the unrighteous. You know, no other religious leader made that claim.
Listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 25 verses 31 to 34. When the son of man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate them from one another as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats and he will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left.
Then the king will say to those on his right, come, you who are blessed with my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Now here's the distinction between Jesus and other religious leaders. Other religious leaders, other founders of faiths have said that people's eternal destiny depends upon their response to that founder's God, that religion's God. But Jesus said your and my eternal destiny depends upon our acceptance or rejection of Jesus himself. Not on some God, but our eternal destiny depends upon what we think, what we believe about Jesus himself. In John 3 17 and 18 Jesus said, for God did not send the son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. He who believes in him, Jesus, is not judged, but he who does not believe has been judged already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God. Jesus said in John 8 24, I said therefore to you that you shall die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he, you shall die in your sins. Do you see that? Your eternal destiny depends on what you believe and are trusting in regarding Jesus for the salvation of your soul.
Here's one other thing you need to know about this. In his book, The World's Living Religions, author Robert Hume notes that the nine founders of the world's greatest religions, Confucius, Buddha, Mohammed, all the founders of the world's greatest religions, have a period in their life in which they doubted who they were and what their mission was. Jesus never doubted who he was. From the time he was 12 on to his death, he knew exactly who he was, the son of God who came to provide salvation for the world. Jesus never claimed to be looking for some light for guidance like other religious leaders claimed. Jesus said, I am the light. John 8 12, I am the light of the world.
He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Jesus claimed to be God. He claimed to be able to forgive sins. He claimed to conquer death.
He claimed he was coming back to judge the world. Now, given the fact that Jesus claimed all of those things, you can't say, oh, I think he was just a good moral teacher. Jesus won't allow you to make that conclusion. That is not an intellectually honest conclusion given what Jesus claimed about himself.
And that's why C.S. Lewis posed his famous trilemma about Jesus. You know a dilemma, di means two, one of two choices.
Trilemma is three. Given the fact that Jesus claimed to be the son of God, Lewis said, means you have to come to one of three conclusions. Conclusion number one, Jesus was a liar. That is, he claimed to be God when in fact he knew he wasn't God. Does anybody here today believe Jesus was a liar? Anybody with the guts to stand up and say he is a liar, the son of God?
Anybody saying that? Now, if you don't believe Jesus was a liar, a second possibility, as Lewis said, he was a lunatic. That is, he claimed to be God because he thought he was God when in fact he wasn't. He was just self-deluded.
Now, given what you know about Jesus, his words, his teachings, is it really logical to say Jesus was a lunatic? Now, if you're not willing to say he's a liar, if you're not willing to conclude he's a lunatic, Lewis said there's only one other conclusion, and that is he is Lord. He's exactly who he claimed to be. And ladies and gentlemen, if Jesus Christ is in fact Lord, the Messiah, that means everything he said is true. And that means you and I had better listen carefully and observe everything he says, because if he is God himself, what he says is true. And that leads to the second uniqueness of Jesus above all other religious leaders, and that is his unique teachings. You know, James 1.17 says, in God there is no variation or shifting shadow, meaning God doesn't lie. Everything he has said is true, and if Jesus is God, it means everything Jesus taught us is true. What did Jesus teach that is unique above all other religious leaders?
Write these things down. First of all, Jesus said, Jesus taught, there are two possible eternal destinations when we die. When we die, we don't all go to the same place. Jesus said not everybody goes to heaven.
There's not just one destination, there are two possible destinations. Some will go to heaven, some will go to hell. Did you know Jesus talked more about hell than he did about heaven in the New Testament?
Just add up the verses. Jesus taught there is both a heaven and a hell. In Matthew 25, verse 46, Jesus said, these, that is the unrighteous, will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. You can't say, well, I accept what Jesus said about heaven, but I'm just gonna ignore what he says about hell.
That's intellectually dishonest too. Jesus said there are two possible destinations when we die. Secondly, and more disturbingly, Jesus taught that the majority of mankind will spend eternity in hell.
Did you know that? Jesus said most people are going to hell. There is not one road that leads to one destination. In Matthew 7, verses 13 and 14, Jesus said there are two roads that have two gates that open up to two very different destinations.
Listen to his words in Matthew 7, 13 and 14. Jesus said, enter by the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life and few are those who find it. Have you ever heard people say, oh, your faith is too narrow, Christianity is too narrow just to say the only ones going to heaven are those who believe in Jesus?
Well, that means most of the world who doesn't believe in Jesus is going to hell. That is too narrow. That's right, it's narrow. And Jesus says right here, verse 13, the way to heaven is narrow.
It's narrow. Few are those who enter to it. There's not one way and one destination. There are two roads that lead to two destinations and most people, Jesus said, are on that highway to hell, that broad way to hell. And included on that road to hell, listen to me, are not just murderers, drug dealers, child molesters and terrorists. Did you know there are religious people who are on the road to hell? In fact, Jesus goes on to say, many of those on the road to hell are people who think they're Christians.
There are people who call me by name. Look at verses 21 to 23 of Matthew 7. Jesus continues, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. For many will say to me on that day, that is the judgment day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name cast out demons and in your name perform many miracles? And I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.
Wouldn't that be the worst surprise of your entire life? To awaken after you die in the presence of God and to realize you were on the wrong road the entire time. Not one of us wants to be on the wrong side of history. Our deepest longing is to know the one, Jesus, who entered Jerusalem as the King of the Jews. You'll notice that I haven't sugar coated this clear-cut message from God's Word today.
This isn't one of the gray issues we sometimes talk about. I am resolved that this is my calling to boldly teach the truth of God's Word without any compromise. Now, I'm able to teach with boldness and without compromise because I have loyal friends around me who make it possible. These are people like you who share my passion for the power of the cross. And these are people who give generously so that others around the world can hear the joyful news of Easter Sunday. To express my thanks for your support today, we've prepared a brand new coffee table book for you called The Power of the Cross. This 90-page book includes a collection of my favorite photographs from Israel, and each one tells the story about seven days in the life of Jesus, beginning with His entrance into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey through His resurrection from the grave on Easter morning.
Each picture is paired with personal insights I've written for you. Ask for a copy of The Power of the Cross when you get in touch with us today. It's yours when you give a generous gift to support the growing ministry of Pathway to Victory.
David? Thanks, Dr. Jeffress. When you invest in the ministry of Pathway to Victory by giving a generous gift, we'll say thanks by sending you The Power of the Cross, a 96-page coffee table-style book filled with stunning pictures, beautiful illustrations, and Bible-based teaching from Dr. Robert Jeffress. Request The Power of the Cross when you call 866-999-2965 or go online to ptv.org. And when you give $75 or more, you'll also receive an eight-message teaching series called Live from Israel. By the way, never before offered by Pathway to Victory.
Dr. Jeffress preached these messages on location in Israel in the very places where biblical history unfolded, and they come to you on both DVD video and MP3 format audio discs, so you can watch them with a small group Bible study or listen in your car. Again, call 866-999-2965 or visit our website, ptv.org. Now, if you'd prefer to send a letter by mail, write to P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. That's P.O.
Box 223609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. I'm David J. Mullins inviting you to join us again next time when Dr. Jeffress continues his message called Jesus, Man, Myth, or Messiah. That's Thursday here on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.
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