To a lot of people today, Jesus was just a good teacher who lived many years ago.

Christians, however, believe that Jesus was fully God as well as fully human. Jesus was unique. In Jesus, God came to earth and lived among us. God experienced life as we know it. But, while He lived completely as a person, Jesus was perfect and sinless. So when He died on the cross, His death paid the price for our sins. We are saved. On the third day, Jesus was raised from the dead. Then He ascended to heaven. Jesus is our Saviour. We seek to follow Him as our Lord.

Wasn’t Jesus just a good teacher?

Jesus was a very good teacher! Some of the greatest teachings about morality come from Him (see Matthew 5-7). Some of His stories are unforgettable (see Luke 15:1-31 for three of them!). His actions, themselves speak volumes about how we should live (see John13:1-17).

Unfortunately, Jesus doesn’t let us stop at simply calling Him a great teacher! Jesus begins His ministry claiming to be God by forgiving sins -- something only God could do (Mark 2:1-12)! In many other places in the gospels, Jesus also claims directly or indirectly to be divine (Matthew 26:57-67, John 8:58, John 10:25-30, John 11:25, John 14:7-9, John 19:7). "I and the Father are one,’ Jesus says, plainly claiming to be one with God (John 10:30).
 

Oxford professor, C.S. Lewis, writes: "Jesus told people that their sins were forgiven. This only makes sense if He really was the God whose laws are broken and whose love is wounded in every sin. I am trying here to prevent the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I am ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man who said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."

The circumstances of Jesus’ birth demand that we accept Him as God, too (Matthew 1:18-24, Luke 1:26-38, John 1:1-18). Jesus mother, Mary, was plainly human. But the Bible emphasizes that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit – by God.

And the rest of the New Testament makes the same claim (Colossians 1:15-20, Colossians 2:9, Hebrews 1:1-2:9). Jesus was "in very nature God (but) did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. He made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." (Philippians 2:5)

Was Jesus really God?

Yes! That’s what Jesus claimed to be! And certainly people in His day understood that that was His claim! That was what the Jewish leaders and teachers found so offensive about His miracles and His teachings (see, again, Mark 2:1-12).
 

Here is another helpful insight from Oxford scholar and professor, C.S. Lewis: "On the one side, clear, definite moral teaching. On the other, claims which, if not true, are those of a megalomaniac, compared with whom Hitler was the most sane and humble of men. There is no half-way house and no parallel in other religions. If you had gone to Buddha and asked him ‘Are you the son of Bramah?’ he would have said, ‘ My son you are in the vale of illusion.’ … If you had gone to Mohammed and asked, ‘Are you Allah?’ he would first have rent his clothes and then cut your head off. … The idea of a great moral teacher saying what Christ said is out of the question. In my opinion, the only person who can say that sort of thing is either God or a complete lunatic suffering from that form of delusion which undermines the whole mind of man. If you think you are a poached egg, when you are looking for a piece of toast to suit you, you may be sane; but if you think you are God, there is no chance for you. We may note in passing that He was never regarded as a mere moral teacher. He did not have that effect on any of the people who actually met Him. He produced mainly three effects – Hatred – Terror – Adoration. There was no trace of people expressing mild approval."

Certainly that is what the Biblical text teaches! And the evidence of His life – both the inspired teaching and the wonderful miracles – are dramatic punctuation marks, driving home the point that Jesus was more than human! Ultimately Jesus resurrection and ascension into heaven remain as testimonies to His divinity. Are they true? Scholar after scholar has tried to dispute them, but the evidence is overwhelming! (See Did Jesus rise from the dead?)

Was Jesus really human?

Yes, the Bible teaches us that Jesus was also fully human! While the Holy Spirit was partially responsible for Jesus’ conception, a human being (Mary) was also involved. He was born and had a fully human body. He grew physically, nourished by food and water. He experienced hunger when He fasted (Matthew 4:1-2), thirst (John 19:28), and fatigue (John 4:6). He suffered physically before His death, and He died.

During Jesus’ life He expressed completely human emotions – love (John 11:3, John 13:23, Mark 10:21), compassion (Matthew 9:36, Matthew 14:14, etc.), joy (John 15:11, 17:13). Jesus was troubled and wept when a friend died (John 11:33-38). Scripture reminds us that: "Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted … we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin." (Hebrews 2:18, 4:15)

So what do you do with Jesus?

So you have a person – who was fully human, but also fully divine – who says to you: "I am the way and the truth and the life," says Jesus, No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). Jesus’ death and resurrection provide the way to the eternal life with God (see What is a Christian?, How Do I Become a Christian?). Jesus also says: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16). God invites you to put your faith in Jesus as your Saviour? Will you do that?