The Problem of Jesus

1) Jesus' life and teachings challenge our understanding of God and ourselves 2) The historical evidence for Jesus' existence is compelling 3) Jesus claimed to be God through words and actions

Jesus is after followership. He is not merely interested in saving our souls, meeting our needs, and healing our hurts. He intends that we operate under His authority for the rest of our lives and for all eternity. Jesus redefined God. He presented a vision of God that was radically different from the prevailing religious and philosophical ideas of his time. Rather than a distant, impersonal deity or a harsh, judgmental figure, Jesus revealed God as a loving Father who seeks relationship with humanity. Jesus challenged human nature. He taught that true fulfillment comes not from self-actualization or adherence to religious rules, but from self-denial and following him. This paradoxical teaching upends our natural inclinations and cultural norms. Jesus confronted societal norms. He associated with outcasts, challenged religious authorities, and redefined ideas of power and success. His life and teachings continue to provoke and inspire, forcing us to reconsider our assumptions about God, ourselves, and the world.

To simply "give some shrewd moral teaching to the world? . . . We may be forgiven for thinking [that] a little lame. It also seems quite untrue to Jesus' own understanding of his vocation and work. Multiple sources confirm Jesus' existence. Non-Christian historical sources, including Roman and Jewish writers, mention Jesus and provide corroborating evidence for key events in his life. Archaeological discoveries support Gospel accounts. Numerous archaeological findings have confirmed details about places, people, and customs mentioned in the Gospels, lending credibility to their historical accuracy. Early Christian writings are consistent. The earliest Christian writings, including Paul's letters and the Gospels, present a coherent picture of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, despite being written by different authors for different audiences.

Jesus offered membership in the renewed people of the covenant God on his own authority and by his own process. Divine titles and attributes. Jesus used divine titles for himself, such as "I AM" (echoing God's name in Exodus), and claimed attributes that only God possesses, like the ability to forgive sins and judge the world. Miraculous actions. Jesus performed miracles that demonstrated divine power over nature, sickness, and death, often in ways that echoed Old Testament descriptions of God's actions. Implicit claims. Many of Jesus' teachings and actions implicitly claimed divine authority, such as reinterpreting the Law of Moses and accepting worship from his followers.

Jesus told stories because, if his audience had ears to hear, their "old souls" would hear a call from a land they had not visited, but one they somehow knew. Subversive storytelling. Jesus used…