Why follow Jesus and not Buddha or Muhammed or Hinduism? And what’s with Christians who just know Jesus is the way to God? That was the essence of the question sent to me on messenger. Here’s my reply, with some extra details.
Question:
Some Christians claim to just know Jesus is the true way to God. Can a Christian just know this?
Answer:
I don’t think any Christian just knows Jesus it the right way to God. Yes, Christians do say that. And from a Christian’s perspective, it might even feel that way.
But behind that statement, I just know, is often a lot of evidence and experience that a person can’t express. I’ve often found after some gentle questions that someone who just knows has
a) usually had a lot of exposure to Christian teaching over many years and
b) seen friends and family making radical and sacrificial decisions in light of Jesus.
The words and the deeds matched and the evidence piled up over such a long time it didn’t even look like evidence. Though it was.
This might upset some Christians who think the truth is found by feeling. But this ignores the clear statements of the Bible. Who are those who believe? Those who have heard. Not feel. Heard. Heard what? The gospel about Jesus Christ. (Romans 10:14-15). The scriptures never, with an Obi-wan voice, urge readers to trust their feelings. Feelings are deceptive and deeply tainted by sin.
Confidence in Jesus comes from truth and deeds lining up. When the apostles seek to defend the truth of their claims they say three things:
1) we were eyewitnesses to the words and deeds of Jesus
2) investigate the Scriptures (the Old Testament at that time) and see that Jesus was God’s messiah.
3) you’ve seen the way we lived which matches with what we told you about Jesus.
Question:
What evidence is there that Jesus is the right way to God, over and above other ways to God?
Answer:
It is the words of Jesus himself. Jesus claimed to be the only way to God and that he was indeed God.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6
Not only is this a clear claim to be the way but he shuts the door on other ways. Or consider his words, mere breaths after this:
Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?
John 14:9-10
Jesus was certain that he was the way to God, the only way. For he was, in fact, God the Son. The uniqueness of this claim becomes all the more compelling when contrasted with other claims.
Buddha – I'm not divine. There is no divine being called God. (See Note 1 below)
Muhammed - I'm a prophet, not Allah (God), nor the pathway to God. (And Jesus was just a prophet) 2
Hinduism - there are many gods and many paths. 3
It’s a pretty simple process
So, it is a pretty simple process to see if Jesus is the right way to God. Investigate the claims of Jesus with these two questions:
Did Jesus say he was God and/or the exclusive pathway to God?
Are the documents in the Bible reliable historical documents, such that we can be confident about what Jesus said about himself?
If the answer to these two questions is yes, then the other claims must be wrong. But if either answer is no, move onto any other form of belief, looking at the evidence.
The final compelling question, which must be answered to understand Jesus, is how is it Jesus thought he could restore failed, broken and wicked people to the Holy God as their Father? Answering this question requires us to understand Jesus’ death on a cross but that’s another post.
Notes:
1) Buddha was called the Enlightened One for his insight but it wasn’t a claim to divinity. He died around the age of 80. Theravada Buddhism views Buddha as a perfect man but not in any way divine. The later Mahayana Buddha describes Buddha as a celestial being, but this claim isn’t in the statements of the historical Gautama (Buddha) or his immediate circle of disciples.
2) See Surah 33:40 for instance on Muhammed or see Surah 5:74-76 denying that Jesus was divine. Jesus was no more than an apostle.
3) There are around 1000 devas (powerful, unpredictable beings) mention in the Hindu sacred texts called Vedas.
Further reading
Check out a Spectator’s guide to World Religions by John Dickson for an insightful and sympathetic exploration of the major belief systems.
Is the New Testament Reliable? by Paul Barnett
New Testament Documents: Are they Reliable? FF Bruce
The Historical Reliability of the Gospels by Craig Blomberg
The Christ Files by John Dickson (for a short introduction to why historians are so confident about the existence of Jesus.)
The Doubters Guide to Jesus by John Dickson (I think the first few chapters deal with historical case for Jesus.)