What are We to Make of Christ?

Many see Christ as a moral teacher, highly ethical, full of wisdom, with a brilliant and sane mind.
 
But Christ can never be considered just a moral teacher. Some even consider Him a lunatic or a megalomaniac. See some of His offending remarks below:

• Responding to the high priest, He said He was the anointed one, the Son of God (Mark 14:61-62).
• He forgave sins (Matthew 9:2, Mark 2:5, Luke 7:48). How could anyone forgive a transgression not committed against them?
• He claimed to have kept sending prophets and wise men to the Israelites (Matthew 23:34).
• He suspended Jewish rules, telling people not to fast while He was around (Mark 2:18-19).
• He considered Himself sinless (John 8:2-11).
• He called Himself “I am,” which is what God called Himself (John 8:58).

 
Other religions claim to have the truth, but Christ proclaimed:

• “I am the truth, the way, and the life” (John 14:6).
• Trying to retain your life will ruin it. Giving yourself away for Him will save it (Matthew 16:25).
• If we are ashamed of Him, He will be ashamed of us when He comes again as God without disguise (Luke 9:26).
• He will set things right if we go to Him with our heavy loads (Matthew 11:28-30).
• He is our food and our drink (John 6:53-58).
• He has overcome the world, and we don’t have to be afraid (John 16:33, 14:27).

 
Could His followers have created such remarks? Unlikely as they came from a nation convinced of only one God. Initially they were also reluctant to embrace Jesus’s claims.
 
Could Christ be a legend? According to literary historian CS Lewis, too many descriptions in the story are clumsy, not artistic enough, and not properly explained to have been created as a legend.
 
Hardly any ancient literature includes dialogue like the four gospels. Someone building a legend wouldn’t allow this to happen. Also, realistic novels only came about a hundred years ago.
 
It is difficult to come up with an alternative explanation for Christ, other than He was telling the truth: God, coming to earth to become a man, died and resurrected.
 
If Christ is what He said He is, ignoring Him would be catastrophic. So, choose wisely.
 
A summary of a presentation by CS Lewis:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGU2JN2a3Cs
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 我们应该怎样看待基督？ 
 
许多人认为基督是道德教师，品德高尚，充满智慧, 拥有杰出而理智的头脑。
 
但基督绝不可能仅仅是一个道德老师。有些人甚至认为祂是个疯子或自大狂。 看看祂的一些骇人听闻的言论:

• 基督回应大祭司，宣告自己是受膏者，是神的儿子（马可福音14:61-62）。
• 基督赦免人的罪（马太福音9:2，马可福音2:5，路加福音7:48）。 谁能赦免不是针对自己的过犯？
• 基督宣称一直派遣先知和智慧人到以色列人中间（马太福音23:34）。
• 基督停止了犹太人的规矩，告诉人们祂在的时候不要禁食（马可福音2:18-19）。
• 基督认为自己是无罪的（约翰福音 8：2-11）。
• 基督称自己为“我是”，这是上帝对自己的称呼（约翰福音 8:58）。

 
其它宗教声称拥有真理，但基督宣称：

• “我就是真理、道路和生命。” （约翰福音14:6）
• “凡要救自己生命的，必丧掉生命。凡为我丧掉生命的，必得着生命。” （马太福音 16:25）
• “凡把我和我的道当作可耻的，人子在自己的荣耀里…降临的时候，也要把那人当作可耻的。” （路加福音9:26）
• “凡劳苦担重担的人，可以到我这里来，我就使你们得安息 。” （马太福音 11:28-30）
• 祂是我们生命的粮和水。（约翰福音6:53-58）
• 祂已经胜过世界，我们不必害怕。（约翰福音 16:33、14:27）

 
这些言论可能是祂的追随者编造的吗？ 这是不合理的，因为以色列是一个相信只有一位上帝的民族。 此外，最初他们也不愿意接受基督的这些宣告。
 
基督可能只是一个传奇吗？ 根据文学史学家 CS Lewis 的分析，基督不太可能是传奇，因为这个故事中的很多描写都很笨拙，不够艺术，也没有恰当的解释。
 
在古代文学中几乎没有像四福音这样的对话。 建立传奇的人不会允许这种情况发生。 此外，现实主义小说大约在一百年前才出现。
 
很难对基督提出其它合理的替代解释，除了祂说的话是真实的: 上帝降世为人，死了，又复活。
 
如果基督是祂所说的，忽视祂的后果将是灾难性的，所以做出明智的选择吧！