I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (45 page)

is crucified by the Jews and Romans, despite the fact that “anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse” (Deut. 21:23; cf. Gal. 3:13)

This is certainly not a list of events and qualities the New Testament writers would choose if they were trying to depict Jesus as the perfect, sinless God-man. Nor are these qualities congruent with the Jewish expectation that the Messiah would come to free them from political oppression. In fact, according to their own Bible at the time (the Old Testament), Jesus was cursed by God for being hanged on a tree! The best explanation for these embarrassing details is that they actually occurred, and the New Testament writers are telling the truth.

In addition to embarrassing details, there are several difficult sayings attributed to Jesus that the New Testament writers would not have included if they were making up a story about Jesus being God. For example, according to the New Testament, Jesus:

declares, “The Father is greater than I” (John 14:28)

seems to predict incorrectly that he’s coming back to earth within a generation (Matt. 24:34)

then says about his second coming, that no one knows the time, “not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son” (Matt. 24:36)

seems to deny his deity by asking the rich young ruler, “Why do you call me good? . . . No one is good—except God alone” (Luke 18:19)

is seen cursing a fig tree for not having figs when it wasn’t even the season for figs (Matt. 21:18ff.)

seems unable to do miracles in his hometown, except to heal a few sick people (Mark 6:5)

If the New Testament writers wanted to prove to everyone that Jesus was God, then why did they leave in these difficult sayings that seem to argue against his deity?

Moreover, Jesus makes what seems to be a completely morbid claim: “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53). After this hard saying, John says, “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (John 6:66). Since the New Testament writers certainly would not invent this strange saying and unfavorable reaction, it must be authentic.

While there are reasonable explanations for these difficult sayings,
¹
it doesn’t make sense that the New Testament writers would leave them in if they were trying to pass off a lie as the truth. (In fact, it doesn’t make sense that they would make up a character anything like Jesus. A weak and dying Messiah—a sacrificial lamb—is the very antithesis of a manmade hero.) Again, the best explanation is that the New Testament writers were not playing fast and loose with the facts but were extremely accurate in recording exactly what Jesus said and did.

3. T
HE
N
EW
T
ESTAMENT
W
RITERS
L
EFT
I
N
D
EMANDING
S
AYINGS OF
J
ESUS

If the New Testament writers were making up a story, they certainly didn’t make up a story that made life easier for them. This Jesus had some very demanding standards. The Sermon on the Mount, for instance, does not appear to be a human invention:

“I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:28).

“I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery” (Matt. 5:32).

“I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you” (Matt. 5:39-42).

“I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:44-45).