Richard Dawkins caused an outrage with his latest comments: “The point was that Jesus was a great moral teacher and I was suggesting somebody as intelligent as Jesus would have been an atheist if he had known what we know today.”
Jesus was a great moral teacher: This reminds me the Trilemma of C.S.Lewis. There are really only three options for those who try to establish the nature of Jesus. Liar, Lunatic or the Lord.
Liar: Jesus claimed to be preexisting. In John 8:58, he said, ‘”Before Abraham was I am”. Every one in the audience probably got goosebumps when they heard those words. He, standing in front of them in flesh and blood, claimed to be existing before Abraham, who had been dead for over 2000 years. If Jesus told them truth, we must worship him as God and Lord. If he told them a lie, then he was a liar and a wicked person. We should not be wasting five more minutes to look into any of his moral teachings.
Lunatic: If Jesus was not liar or the Lord, he had to be a lunatic, who had no clue what he was talking about. Certainly this is the not case for Jesus profoundly influenced our world through his teachings, logic, and parables. Even Dawkins acknowledges, ‘somebody as intelligent as Jesus’.
Lord: The only choice left is Jesus is who he claimed to be: The Lord of the Universe. He claimed to be equal with God through many statements he made throughout his life and career.
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Matthew 28:18
I am the light of the world. John 9:5
I and the Father are one. John 10:30
For the Son of man is the Lord even of the sabbath day. Matthew 12:8
Jesus received worship from his disciples. Matthew 28:17
So, Jesus made unmistakable claims of divinity throughout his life. Buddha was a moral teacher because he taught morality and never claimed to be God. Gandhi was a moral teacher because he taught morality and never claimed to be God. Muhammad was a moral teacher because he taught morality and never claimed to be God. Moses was a moral teacher because he taught morality and never claimed to be God. But Jesus was a moral teacher who claimed to be the God.
It is not rational to call him ‘just a moral teacher’.
Let us hope atheists will recognized this flaw and come to Lord Jesus Christ and accept Him as their Lord and Savior because it is too late. Peace!