Debunked: Jesus vs. Krishna

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Jesus:

1) Born of a virgin. Was not conceived through sexual intercourse. (Matthew 1:18-25)

2) Born in a cave/stable. Was placed in a manger. His birth was heralded by angels and a star in the east. He was visited by magi and a group of shepherds and was taken to Egypt when his parents fled from Herod the Great, fulfilling Old Testament Prophecy. (Hosea 11:1, Matthew 2:13-15)

3) Jesus was God made flesh. He therefore had all of the qualities and devine attributes of God. (John 1:1-5, 14)

4) Was a child teacher in the Temple at age twelve. (Luke 2:41-52)

5) Jesus had twelve male disciples and multiple other followers including women. However, the scriptures say that there was not anything specifically attractive about him. (Isaiah 53:2)

6) Jesus was never married, and died without heirs. (Isaiah 53:8)

7)  Jesus had a three year ministry as a traveling teacher. He lived a sinless life and taught others to follow his example of moral excellence. (Ephesians 5:1-14)

8) Jesus performed many miracles during his earthly ministry. He healed the sick, raised the dead, walked on water, and calmed storms. Jesus also fed thousands of people with a handful of fish and loaves on two separate occasions and cast out demons by his word alone. (Luke 4:31-36, Mark 5:1-17)

9) Was crucified between two criminals. (Matthew 27:32-56, Luke 23:26-49)

10) Defeated death and the grave by rising from the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

11) Died sacrificially in order to fulfill Old Testament Prophecy and the requirements of the Law of Moses for the redemption of mankind. He was the "Lamb of God," an atoning sacrifice to take away the sins of the world by taking that sin upon himself. (John 1:29-30, 3:16-21, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 8-10)

Krishna:

1)  Was conceived through sexual intercourse between king Vasudeva of the Yadava clan and his wife, Devaki. Krishna was also their eighth child. Ergo: Krishna was not born of a virgin.

2) There are no nativity elements in the Krishna narrative. However, Krishna's evil uncle Kamsa did conspire to kill the newborn after he learned from a fortune teller that his sitter's eighth child would kill him. Krishna was rescued from death by Vasudeva who secretly exchanged the baby for the child of a cowherd and his wife. The cowherd and his wife then raised the infant Krishna as their own. Later, the child who had been substituted for Krishna appeared to king Kamsa as the Hindu goddess Durga and warned him that his death was imminent and his kingdom would be overthrown.
    
3) Krishna was the eighth avatar (incarnation) of the supreme god, Vishnu. In the Bhagavad Gita Krishna states that he existed before any of the other gods; that he created all of the universe, and that all of the universe exists in him. 

4) Krishna was never a child teacher. He was, however, a very mischievous child who loved to play pranks on others. He was also a thief in most accounts, who loved to steal butter and milk. As a youth, Krishna became a cow herder and was a protector of his people.

5) Krishna did not have twelve disciples. That said, he was very attractive to those around him and had many admirers. (His name literally means "the all-attractive-one")

6) Krishna had at least eight wives, each of whom embodied a different divine aspect of himself. That said, some legends state that he had as many as 16,108 wives and 180,000 sons. He was also the enchanter and playful lover of the gopis (Milkmaids) in his village. 

7) Krishna did not have a specific ministry. Likewise, he did not live a sinless life or teach anything about salvation, redemption, or repentance from sin. Instead, Krishna taught that the spirit is eternal, having neither a beginning or end, and that those devoted to him should abandon material attachment without forsaking their eternal love for one another or their responsibility in dharma. (The principle of cosmic order) He also taught that true peace, eternal bliss, and inner liberation could be attained through different types of yoga and inward meditation leading to enlightenment.

8) Krishna performed many miracles and other great feats in his lifetime. Two of the most noteworthy miracles associated with Krishna are when he parted a raging river as an infant to allow his father to cross to the other side, and when he lifted the mountain Govardhana to save a village from a flood. He also slew many monsters and demons in battle. 

9) Krishna was slain by an arrow when a hunter mistook him for a deer and accidentally shot him through the heel. Mortally wounded, Krishna forgave the man who killed him and died with a smile on his face as his spirit ascended to Goloka. (Paradise)   

10) Krishna did not rise from the dead, nor did he defeat death and the grave. Instead, Krishna restored order to the world by killing his uncle, king Kamsa. He also aided in the defeat of the evil Karurava family by advising Arjuna, one of the leaders of the rival Pandava family, during the climactic battle of the Kurukshetra War. 

11) Krishna did not die sacrificially for anyone. Instead, he died because of a curse placed on him by a woman named Gandhari, who blamed Krishna for the death of her family in the Kurukshetra War.  

Conclusion:

Jesus Christ is not based on Krishna.



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Sources:

Krishna

Myth Encyclopedia

Ancient History: Krishna


See Also:

Mythology and the Messiah

Debunked: Jesus vs. Dionysus

Debunked: Jesus vs. Horus

Debunked: Jesus vs. Mithras

Debunked: Jesus vs. Asclepius

Debunked: Jesus vs. Orpheus

The Dying and Rising God: Jesus or Osiris?

Who is Jesus?

 

    Few questions in history have cause so great a debate as the issue of who Jesus said he was, how he lived and died, and whether or not he actually rose from the dead. Understandably the opinions of Jesus are varied and complex, with numerous religions offering up different interpretations of scripture and historical fact in support of their mutually exclusive views.

    The following article is designed to help the reader discern for themselves which version of Jesus is the true Jesus by comparing the claims of some of the world's great religions that recognize the unique person of Jesus within their teachings. Each of these religions claims to be the only true religion, and are therefore mutually exclusive in their views on Jesus. Yet, as the reader will see, each of the four religions I will examine present their followers with a vastly different picture of who Jesus is and claimed to be.

    The following statements are not intended to be exhaustive on the subject by any means. But it is my sincere hope that the reader will take what is in essence a cursory examination of Jesus and investigate further to discover the truth of the Messiah.

    (*Note: As a matter of personal preference, all external links to Biblical passages—unless stated otherwise—reference the New Living Translation of the Holy Bible. Other translations and languages are available from a pull-down menu on the external site to suit the individual preference of the reader. Cross examination with physical copies of textual references are also encouraged.)

Jesus According to The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints:

Founder: 
The Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805-1844 AD)

Holy Texts: 
The Book of Mormon (1830 AD)
The Joseph Smith Translation of the Holy Bible (1831 AD)
The King James Version of the Holy Bible (1611 AD)
Doctrine and Covenants (1835 AD)
Articles of Faith (1842 AD)
The Book of Abraham (1842 AD)
The Pearl of Great Price (1851 AD)
Journal of Discourses (1886 AD)

1) Long before Jesus was born on earth, he was eternally existent as an organized intelligence. He was then born as a spirit in the Preexistence along with his brother Lucifer (Satan). His father was Father God (Formerly a man named Elohim who had reached Exaltation in another life, thus ascending to Godhood) and his goddess wife, Mother God. Together, these two gods produced millions of spirit-children (the rest of humanity) with which to populate the earth.
   
2) Jesus was born twice. Spiritually, Jesus was born out of a union between Father God and Mother God—like all human souls—while his mortal body was born out of a sexual encounter between Father God and his human wife, Mary. This is why Jesus is referred to as "The Only Begotten of the Father" in John 1:14; because he is the only human to be born out of a sexual union between Father God and a mortal woman. In this regard, Jesus is literally God's one and only son. (Articles of Faith, 466; Journal of Discourses, 1:50, 11:268; Teachings of the Prophet Ezra Taft Benson [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988], 7.)

3) Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, as foretold by the Prophet Micah in the Old Testament. (Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1-12, Luke 2:1-20)

4) Jesus never claimed to be God, merely that he and God share the same purpose on earth. (John 10:22-39)

5) Jesus atoned for the sins of man in the Garden of Gethsemane when he sweat great drops of blood. (Luke 22:39-44, The Mortal Messiah [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co. 1979], 4:229)

6) Jesus' atonement in the garden was merely an atonement for the original sin of Adam, and served the dual purpose of allowing all mankind to be resurrected at the End of Days and the possibility of reaching Exaltation (Godhood.) However, one must still atone for one's own sin by living a life of righteousness and by doing good works. (Articles of Faith 2, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:160)

7) Jesus was a polygamist and had many wives including Mary, Martha, and many of the other women we see mentioned in the Gospels. The wedding in Cana of Galilee recorded in John 2:1-11 is one of Jesus' weddings. Jesus and his wives also had many children together. (Journal of Discourses, 2:210, 2:301)
    The practice of marrying many women is what caused Jesus and his followers to be persecuted and ultimately lead to Jesus' arrest and death on the cross. (Journal of Discourses,1:346, ) Jesus was buried, and rose from the dead three days later whereupon he attained Godhood for himself, joining an infinite line of men who became gods. (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:33)

8) After rising from the dead, Jesus came to the Americas and preached the Gospel to the Native Americans who are in reality the Lost Tribes of Israel. (3 Nephi [The Book of Mormon]) Upon completion of his mortal ministry, Jesus ascended to heaven and will one day return to establish his Millennial Kingdom here on earth.

9) God is love and therefore would not condemn people to eternal punishment. This means that there is no hell, only different levels of heaven. Those who reach the highest level of heaven achieve Exaltation and are rewarded with Godhood. Once they become gods, these Exalted humans are then allowed to populate their own planet, just as Father God did with earth.

10) There are an infinite number of gods. (Documentary History of the Church, 6:476) In our world there are three gods who are perfect in knowledge, power, and glory: The Father (Father God), Son (Jesus), and Holy Ghost. They are each individual entities that are as one in regards to their unified purpose, thought, and will.

Jesus According to Jehovah's Witnesses:

Founder: 
Pastor Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916 AD)

Holy Texts: 
The New World Translation of the Holy Bible (1950-1961 AD)
The King James Version of the Holy Bible (1611 AD)

Supporting Texts:
The Watchtower Magazine
Awake Magazine
Publications produced by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society

1) Jesus preexisted in heaven as Michael the Archangel, the first and only direct creation of Jehovah (God) before the creation of the world. Jehovah then empowered Jesus so that he could create the rest of the world. Therefore Jesus was in the beginning with God and was both the architect and designer of all creation alongside God. (John 1:1-3 [New World Translation])

2) Jehovah created a body for Jesus in the womb of Mary, thus Jesus was a second Adam, a perfect man created by God and born of a virgin. (Matthew 1:18 [New World Translation], Luke 1:26-38 [New World Translation], Romans 5:12-21 [New World Translation])

3) Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, as foretold by the Prophet Micah in the Old Testament. (Micah 5:2 [New World Translation], Matthew 2:1-12 [New World Translation], Luke 2:1-20 [New World Translation])

4) The Old Testament foretold that the Messiah would die without descendants. (Isaiah 53:8 [New World Translation]) Therefore, Jesus died childless and was never married.

5) Jesus never claimed to be God, the Jews merely misunderstood what he was saying. (John 10:22-39 [New World Translation])

6) Jesus was never worshiped, nor did he accept worship.

7) Jesus was not crucified. Instead he was nailed to an upright wooden stake. The cross is a pagan symbol adopted by Christian apostates in an attempt to make their religion more appealing to the heathen cultures around them.

8) Jesus submitted himself to Jehovah's will and remained obedient to him even unto death. Because Jesus lived a perfect life, his death was enough to atone for the sin of Adam—a perfect life exchanged for perfect life marred by sin. Those who believe in Jesus are forgiven for this inherited sin of Adam, but must still atone for their own personal sins by living godly lives filled with righteousness and good works. (Philippians 2:5-11 [New World Translation], James 2:14-26 [New World Translation])

9) The man Jesus is forever dead and there was no bodily resurrection of Christ. Instead, Jesus was resurrected as an invisible spirit creature, and his mortal body dissolved into vapors or was otherwise annihilated. Therefore, Jesus only had the appearance of a bodily resurrection when he revealed himself to his disciples.

10) Jesus ascended to heaven after his death and began ruling invisibly as King of the World in 1914 AD. Jesus will never physically return to the earth because he is already here as an invisible presence preparing the world for his invisible revelation in the events of Armageddon.

11) When a person dies they enter into a non-existence. There is no afterlife and no hell. If a person has followed Jesus' example, lived a godly life, and done enough good works, then God will remember them and they will be resurrect at the End of Days. However, if a person has not followed Jesus or done enough good works to earn a place on the New Earth, then they will simply cease to exist. (Psalm 146 [New World Translation], Ecclesiastes 9:5-10, [New World Translation], Ecclesiastes 12:7 [New World Translation])

12) The Doctrine of the Trinity is a false teachings that originated centuries after Jesus' death. God is one person, Jehovah. Jesus is another being altogether. The holy spirit is an impersonal presence in the world, a divine power used of God, and not a person himself. Jehovah, therefore, is not a Triune God comprised of three distinct persons. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 [New World Translation])

Jesus According to Islam:

Founder: 
The Prophet Muhammad (c. 570-632 AD)

Holy Text: 
The Quran: Oral Tradition (c. 570-653 AD)
                      First written form standardized by Kahlifa Uthman, (c. 653 AD)
                      Modern Quran: Standardized Cairo Edition. (1924 AD)

Supporting Texts: 
The Hadith (Oral traditions recounting the life of the Prophet Muhammad.)
(Full List of Hadith Collections.)
Sirat Rasul Allah (c. 706-773 AD [the original work has since been lost to antiquity and only survives in the form of quotations found in subsequent sources.])
Sahih al-Bukhari (c. 810-870 AD)
Sahih Muslim (c. 817-875 AD)
                 
1) Jesus (Hazrat Isa) was a man, the Messiah, and a great prophet of Allah entrusted with delivering Allah's message through the Gospel. (Surat Al-Ma'idah [5:46],[5:47], Surat Az-Zukhruf [43:59])

2) Jesus was miraculously conceived and born of the virgin Mary. (Surat Maryam [19:19, 20, 21])

3) Having conceived, Mary withdrew to a secluded place and gave birth to Jesus under a date palm tree. Jesus then spoke to Mary from within the womb and offered her the comfort of Allah during her solitary labor and delivery. (Surat Maryam [19:22, 23, 24, 25, 26])

4) Jesus is not God's son because Allah is not a father. (Surat Al-Isra [17:111], Surat Maryam [19:35])

5) Jesus is not Allah because Allah would never lower himself by coming into this sinful world, much less by allowing himself to be born through a woman's birth canal.

6) Jesus never claimed to be God for their is no God but Allah. His teachings were simply misunderstood and adulterated by early Christians who turned Allah's prophet into a god.

7) The Quran is silent on weather or not Jesus was married. That said, Surat Ar-Rad [13:38] implies that it is possible that Jesus could have been married. However there is no definitive evidence that he actually was. Therefore, the general consensus is that Jesus was never married and had no children of his own.

8) Jesus did not die by crucifixion, but only appeared to have died. (Surat an-Nisa [4:157])
    There are two commonly held interpretations of this Quranic passage. The first interpretation is that Allah made another person look like Jesus. The two most likely candidates being either Judas Iscariot or Simon of Cyrene; the man who carried Jesus' cross. Once the substitute was made to look like Jesus they were crucified in his place, thus allowing Jesus to escape from death.
    The second interpretation is that Jesus fainted on the cross and was taken down early by orders of Pontius Pilate who had secretly collaborated with Joseph of Arimathea in order to save Jesus from death. (John 19:38-42)
    In the later example, Allah used the medicine (aloe, spices, and bandages) provided by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus to miraculously heal Jesus in the tomb. Jesus was then able to leave the tomb before the dawning of the third day, thus making it appear to everyone involved that he had risen from the dead.

9) Jesus did not die, therefore he did not rise from the dead. The tomb was empty either because Jesus was never in it, or because he walked out after Allah healed him.

10) Jesus did not die for the sins of the world. Rather he was wrongfully accused by those living in ignorance of Allah's laws because he was a righteous man.

11) Jesus ascended bodily to heaven/paradise, and will one day return. (Surat an-Nisa [4:158], Surat Az-Zukhruf [43:61])

12) Salvation comes, not through faith in Jesus, but by living a righteous life. When a person dies, they will stand before Allah who will judge them according to their works. If a person has followed Allah's law as revealed in the Quran, then they will live forever in paradise. However, if a person disobeys the word of Allah or fails to worship him in life, they will be condemned to an eternity in hell.

13) Worshiping Jesus is blasphemy against Allah and leads to eternal damnation in hell. (Surat Al-Ma'idah [5:17], [5:72])

14) The Doctrine of the Trinity is Christianized polytheism. There is no God but Allah. Jesus is not Allah and neither is the Holy Spirit. (Surat an-Nisa [4:171])

Jesus According to orthodox Christianity:

Founder: 
Jesus Christ (c. 6 BC-36 AD)

Holy Text: 
The Old Testament (c. 1440-400 BC)
The New Testament (c. 44-98 AD)

1) God is one God who exists in three persons. Just as each human exists as one human being with one person (the individual), so too God exists as one divine being with three persons: The Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit. Therefore, Jesus is God and has always existed. He was there at the time of creation, and through him all things were created. (Isaiah 44:24, John 1:1-5, 1:14)

2) Jesus was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit and was born of the virgin Mary, who remained a virgin until after Jesus was born. (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:26-38)

3) Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, as foretold by the Prophet Micah in the Old Testament. (Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:1-12, Luke 2:1-20)

4) The Old Testament Prophets foretold that the Messiah would be God himself. (Isaiah 9:6-7, Isaiah 40:3) We know from the language used in Isaiah 9:6 that the Prophet Isaiah was stating that the Messiah would be God. This is confirmed in the following chapter when the Prophet uses the exact same language when speaking of Almighty God (Yahweh/Jehovah) (Isaiah 10:21)
    Likewise, we know for certain that the prophesies in Isaiah 40 were fulfilled by John the Baptist and Jesus in all four Gospels. (Matthew 3, Mark 1:1-11, Luke 3:1-22, John 1:19-34)

5) Jesus openly claimed to be God on at least two occasions during his earthly ministry, once in John 10:22-39, and again in John 14:7-9. In the case of John 10:34 Jesus is quoting a passage from Psalm 82 condemning unjust judges who thought of themselves as gods among men. The Psalmist therefore is not stating that men are gods, rather he uses the term "I say you are gods" ironically in order to stress the point that even though these corrupt rulers thought of themselves as gods, they would die like men and be judged by God for their wickedness.
  Jesus also frequently referred to himself using the phrase "Ego Eimi," (ἐγώ εἰμί) which means "I Am" or more accurately: "I Am and have always been." (John 4:1-26, John 8:31-59, John 18:1-11) We find this exact same phrase used by God in the Greek version of Exodus 3:13-14. (Septuagint)
    Since Greek was the universal language of the day, and the Greek Septuagint was the most widely read version of the Old Testament in use at the time, it makes sense that Jesus would quote from it. In that regard, Jesus was using terms that would be easily understood by everyone present in order to identify himself as God.
  Finally, Jesus claimed to be both God and the Messiah during his trial by identifying himself with an "I Am" statement and a simultaneous reference to Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13-14. (Matthew 26:57-65, Mark 14:60-64, Luke 22:66-71)

6) Jesus accepted worship due only to God. (Matthew 2:9-11, Matthew 14:33, Matthew 28:8-9, Luke 24:50-53)

7) Jesus forgave sins when only God can forgive sin. (Mark 2:5-7, John 8:1-11)

8) Many of Jesus' miracles were indisputable proofs that he was indeed God incarnate. Specifically, Jesus was the only person in the entire Bible to heal the blind (John 9) which was a miracle that only God could do. (Isaiah 35:4-6) Jesus also walked on water in Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45-51, and John 6:16-21, which is another miracle associated with God alone. (Job 9:4-8) Finally, Jesus claimed that he would raise himself from the dead after three days; something that no mere man could ever hope to accomplish. (Mark 14:57-59, John 2:13-22, John 10:17-18)

9) Jesus predicted that he would die and rise again after three days and spoke of such things often and openly with his disciples. (Mark 8:31-38, Luke 9:21-22)

10) The Old Testament foretold that the Messiah would die without descendants. (Isaiah 53:8) Jesus also died childless and was never married.

11) The Old Testament prophets foretold that the Messiah would die for the sins of the world and gave an accurate description of Jesus' death by crucifixion down to the most minute detail. (Isaiah 53, Psalm 22:1-18, Psalm 34:20) The Old Testament also prophesied that Jesus would rise from the dead. (Psalm 16:10)

12) Jesus was executed by crucifixion in all four Gospels. (Matthew 27:35-54, Mark 15:33-39, Luke 23:44-49, John 19:28-37) Additionally, it is recorded in the Gospel of John that Jesus' executioners thrust a spear between his ribs, piercing his chest cavity and pericardium which resulted in a flow of blood and water. (John 19:34) The presence of fluid in Jesus' chest cavity is indisputable evidence of death by asphyxiation. Since crucifixion causes death by asphyxiation, such medical evidence is to be expected. Furthermore, if Jesus were not dead before the spear thrust to the heart, he most certainly was afterwards. 

13) Jesus died for the sins of the world as an atoning sacrifice, once for all. (John 1:29, Hebrews 8-10, Romans 5:10, 8)

14) Jesus was dead when he was taken down from the cross. He was buried for three days, and then physically rose from the dead in a glorified body. He was then seen by multiple witnesses over a period of 40 days wherein he proved to them that he really was alive. (Luke 24:38-43, John 20: 24-28, Acts 1:1-5, 1 Corinthians 15:3-9)

15) After he rose from the dead Jesus ascended bodily into heaven and will one day return to establish his Kingdom on earth. (Mark 16:19, Acts 1:6-11)

16) Jesus clearly taught that there is life after death, and that people will either spend an eternity in heaven or hell when they die. (Matthew 13:47-50, 25:31-46, Mark 12:26-27, Luke 16:19-31, 23:39-43) It was for this very reason that Jesus came and died, so that we could have eternal life through faith in him. (John 3:16, John 20:31) Therefore, living a righteous life and doing good works are not a means of gaining eternal life. (Isaiah 64:6, Ephesians 2:8-9)  Rather, they are the evidence of a life changed by God's saving grace; the proof that a person truly knows God and wants to please him by the way the live. (Matthew 7:15-20, John 3:17-21, Romans 6:1-2, Galatians 5:16-25)

Conclusion:

    Clearly there are many different interpretations of who Jesus was and claimed to be. Yet The Law of Non-contradiction states that two contradictory statements cannot be equally true at the same time—they can only be "true" or "false." So which Jesus is the real Jesus?
    Given the obvious facts we can conclude with a reasonable amount certainty that at least one of the following is true:
 
1) The stories of Jesus found in the Gospels and other New Testament writings have been Falsified and contain Legendary Elements added in over time.

    This is highly unlikely given that the earliest writings in the New Testament—the books of James and Galatians and the Gospels of Mark and Matthew—date to within the first 10-20 years after Jesus lived. Likewise, the rest of the New Testament was completed before 90 AD—well within the lifetime of Jesus' disciples and other eyewitnesses. The presence of living eyewitnesses to the historical events would have acted as a corrective against embellishment and lends substantial credibility to the Gospel accounts, as well as the rest of the New Testament writings.
    Additionally, over 24,000 copies of ancient Christian manuscripts have been documented and cataloged. The earliest of these manuscripts date back to the First, Second, and Third Centuries AD. Most are written in Greek; though translations in Coptic, Syriac and Latin are also prevalent. In addition to these early manuscripts, there are also two surviving copies of the complete New Testament dating to the mid 300s AD; the Codex Sinaiticus and the Codex Vaticanus. Both of these ancient Greek texts are virtually identical to the earliest Christian manuscripts, as well as most modern translations of the Holy Bible.
    That said, if the Church had attempted to standardize its teachings by editing the New Testament in order to better suit its doctrines, we would expect to find such evidence in the historical records. Instead we find that there was no centralized church government until after 325 AD. Nor is there any record of a mass recall, alteration, or destruction of Christian Holy texts.
    Finally, the Jews of Jesus' day were fiercely monotheistic. Of all the people living in the world at the time, the Jews were the least likely to invent the idea of a god-man like Jesus. Yet we find that the earliest accounts of Jesus' life, as well as the majority of the New Testament writings, were all penned by Jews.
    This fact, combined with the early dates associated with the first Christian writings and the sheer volume and uniformity of surviving texts, rules out the possibility that the stories of Jesus have been embellished or altered in any significant way.

2) Jesus Lied.

     If the Gospels and other New Testament writings have not been infused with legendary elements and Jesus really did claim to be God incarnate; and if he really did predict that he would die and rise again and then failed to do so, then he was a liar. He manipulated the faith of others and blasphemed God. Therefore he is not a good moral teacher. Nor should he be considered a good man.

3) Jesus was a Lunatic.

    If Jesus claimed to be God and predicted that he would rise from the dead and then failed to do so while genuinely believing that he was God, then he was a mad-man and a megalomaniac of the highest caliber. In which case he is not good teacher or a prophet.

4) Jesus was an Incompetent Messiah.

     If Jesus did not claim to be God and if he did not predict that he would die and rise again, then he is proven to be completely inept in his role as Messiah. If he had been a good teacher, then he would not have allowed his followers to believe that he would die and rise from the dead. Nor would he have allowed anyone to believe that he was claiming to be a god—much less Almighty God! Instead he would have refuted such claims plainly whenever the opportunity arose. His failure to do so means that he is directly responsible for deceiving his own followers and countless millions of Christians throughout history. 

5) Both Jesus and God are Deceptive.

     If Jesus did not rise from the dead, or if he did not rise from the dead in the flesh, then God himself deceived Jesus' followers by making it appear that Jesus had been raised from the dead in a physical body. Likewise Jesus' failure to correct this assumption among his disciples lead to the spread of false teachings throughout the New Testament. In that regard, both God and Jesus are directly responsible for condemning millions upon millions of Christians either to hell or eternal nonexistence.

6) Jesus is God.

     If the New Testament accounts are accurate and Jesus was indeed telling the truth, then he is God. Jesus plainly said that he was God in all four of the Gospels. He did many miracles that only God could do. He predicted his own death and resurrection and revealed himself to his followers, alive and in the flesh, after his crucifixion in order to validate his claim.

     So the question remains: Who is Jesus? The answer, I feel, is one that must be discerned by the reader themselves.
     As previously stated, this article is not meant to be an exhaustive examination of Jesus Christ. Rather it is but an introduction regarding the unique person and claims of a man who is without doubt the most influential human being in history. The topic of Jesus, therefore, is one that deserves further investigation and study. And it is my hope that you, the reader, will continue your investigation through to the end.
   

See Also:

Was Jesus Real?

Did Jesus Say He was God?

Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?

Was Jesus' Physical Body Raised from the Dead?

Saved by Faith or by Works?

The Message of the Cross: How Jesus is the Beating Heart of the Christian Faith