Doubts & Questions
“Jesus Was Just a Good Moral Teacher.”
At first glance, it sounds reasonable to call Jesus a good teacher - after all, His teachings on love, forgiveness, and humility have shaped human history. But here’s the problem: Jesus didn’t leave us the option of seeing Him as just a good teacher.
What Did Jesus Actually Claim?
Jesus said things that no mere teacher would ever say:
✔️ He claimed to be God. “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58) - a clear reference to God’s name in Exodus 3:14.
✔️ He forgave sins. No prophet or moral teacher did this. He didn’t just teach about God’s forgiveness - He personally forgave sins (Mark 2:5-7).
✔️ He claimed to be the only way to God. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
✔️ He accepted worship. No Jewish teacher would allow this unless He truly was divine (Matthew 28:9, John 20:28).
✔️ He predicted His own resurrection. And it happened. No other teacher in history has done this (Mark 8:31).
No other major religious figure - not Buddha, not Muhammad, not Confucius - claimed to be God, the only way to salvation, and the final judge of all humanity.
C.S. Lewis’ Trilemma: Lord, Liar, or Lunatic?
C.S. Lewis, a former atheist and Oxford professor, put it simply:
🟢 If Jesus really was God, then He is Lord, and we should follow Him.
🔴 If Jesus wasn’t God, but He knew He wasn’t, then He was a liar - not a good moral teacher.
🔴 If Jesus thought He was God but wasn’t, then He was delusional - not someone to be trusted.
💡 In other words, Jesus cannot just be a “good teacher.” He either was who He said He was—or He was a fraud or a madman.
The Resurrection—The Ultimate Proof
Jesus didn’t just make bold claims - He backed them up. His resurrection from the dead is the strongest evidence that He is who He said He was. No other religious figure in history claimed to rise from the dead - and had hundreds of eyewitnesses who died defending that claim (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).
The question isn’t, “Was Jesus a good teacher?” - it’s “Was He telling the truth?” If He was, then everything changes. He’s not just a teacher - He’s the Son of God, and He demands our response.