If he wasn't God, then how could he be a good person while he was making the outrageous, and blasphemous claim to be God? This middle ground idea of Jesus not being God but being a good teacher won't hold water. Either he was who he said he was, or he was a despicable con man, or just mentally ill. But would a con man stick to his story all the way to his death, without even trying to run away? And even more importantly, would his teachings be so wise, cogent, and coherent, and would his life have lived up to his teachings so well?
Maybe the reason most people find it so easy to claim Jesus was a good teacher, but not God, is that they have never even read Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John enough to know he himself claimed to be God, let alone enough to see for themselves the cogency and wisdom of his words.
Maybe they are too quick to swallow what the majority of people around them believe, hook, line, and sinker, and too slow to think through it and examine the evidence.
Or maybe they don't want to know the truth, if it isn't what they already believe. Maybe they are afraid of what they might find, and the change it might require of them.
What about you? Do you really want to know the truth? If you think you know it, could you explain it to one of your friends who doesn't already know it? If you can't, what is going to happen to them?
"It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.... Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:10-12)
1 Peter 3:15 says, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." Are you prepared?
Come and learn. Be prepared.
If you need directions to our campus house, probably the best way to get them is to type "413 West Clay St., Blacksburg, VA" into Google maps. You'll see that our campus house is only about a block away from most of the dorms on campus, over by the Washington Street tennis courts. It's much closer than most of your classes!
If you are walking from on campus, do this: When you are standing on Washington Street between O'Shaughnessy (O'Shag) Hall and Johnson Hall you are only one short block away. Cross to the other side of the street and take the sidewalk up the hill towards VT's Cranwell International Center. (You will see a sign for Cranwell on Washington St.) VT's Tennis Courts will be on your right. As you are walking up the hill veer to your left off of the sidewalk and walk up the grassy hill. (Veer left before you get to the chain link fence with all the vines growing on it. We are on the other side of that fence.) You will see the campus house facing you. It's a two story red brick house with a big front porch and a banner on the balcony railing that says "Christ's Church @ VT Campus Ministry" -- so you'll know you found the right place once you get here! It's really pretty simple, but feel free to call me if you have any trouble: 540-552-8292.
It all starts at 7:30pm tonight, and every Wednesday (during the semester).
Check out our schedule of other upcoming events two posts down.
Hope to see you soon,
Steve
We make followers of Jesus and help his followers grow
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