Jesus Is Lord, Lunatic, Liar, or Legend

  Today we’re continuing our 5-week teaching series where we’re focusing on the question Who is Jesus? We’re focusing on the question who is Jesus, and what’s it mean for us to follow Jesus today? Last week we talked about how this is a persistent question that never seems to go away, and people have all different kinds of opinions about who Jesus is. Some people say he’s just a man, a religious leader, or a political revolutionary. Some people say he’s just a prophet, a great philosopher, or a great moral teacher. People have all different kinds of opinions about who Jesus is, and there isn’t a name in history that’s more known, discussed, and debated than the name of Jesus. His name is known, discussed, and debated across centuries, cultures, and continents. If you’re a skeptic you can avoid the church and avoid reading the Bible, but you can’t avoid the name of Jesus. You can’t avoid the question who is Jesus, and today we’re talking about is he Lord, Lunatic, Liar or Legend...We’re talking about is Jesus our Lord, or is he nothing more than a Lunatic, Liar, or Legend. Let’s turn to Mark Ch. 3 and get into it. If you open the Bible to the middle and keep turning right, you’ll find Mark. We’ll be in Mark Ch. 3:1-12 and vs. 20-27. The title of the message for those of you taking notes is: Jesus is Lord, Lunatic, Liar, or Legend. The big idea of the message is: If Jesus is Lord, then make him the center of your life, not a footnote...If Jesus is Lord, then make him the center of your life, not a footnote...

            Here’s your context...At this point in history Jesus is roughly 30 years old. He starts his ministry in Judea, but then he spends over a year preaching and teaching in Galilee. Mark 1:14-15 states, “Jesus went to Galilee proclaiming, 15 ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’” Jesus preached this message in synagogues throughout Galilee, but he also started healing people and casting out demons as evidence of the good news. It’s evidence of the good news that Jesus is our Lord, who came to bring the Kingdom of God near to anyone who repents and believes this good news. But we’re about to see that some people don’t believe Jesus is Lord; they believe he’s a lunatic, liar, or legend. Let’s check it out. 

            Mark 3:1-12 states, “Jesus entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a shriveled hand. 2 In order to accuse him, they were watching him closely to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 He told the man with the shriveled hand, ‘Stand before us.’ 4 Then he said to them, ‘Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent. 5 After looking around at them with anger, he was grieved at the hardness of their hearts and told the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 Immediately the Pharisees went out and started plotting with the Herodians, how they might kill him.” The Pharisees were intellectuals, the elite religious leaders of Judaism, and the Herodians were Jews who supported King Herod and the Herodian dynasty. These groups hated each other, but they hated Jesus more, so they started plotting together against Jesus. They hated him because he challenged their false teachings, like he’s doing here with healing on the Sabbath. God gave the Sabbath as a gift for humanity to rest, to enjoy God and his creation. But the Pharisees turned it into a burden creating all kinds of laws about what people can and can’t do on the Sabbath. Jesus is challenging their laws by healing this man on the Sabbath. So they didn’t like Jesus because he challenged their false teachings, but also because he was growing in popularity, which threatened their authority. So the Pharisees and Herodians started plotting together on how to kill Jesus.

Vs. 7, “Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee, and from Judea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, around Tyre, and Sidon. The large crowd came to him, because they heard about everything he was doing. 9 Then he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him so the crowd wouldn’t crush him. 10 Since he healed many, all who had diseases were pressing toward him to touch him. 11 Whenever unclean spirits saw him, they fell before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God!’ 12 He would strongly warn them to not make him known.” Some people wonder why Jesus didn’t want these demonic spirits making his identity known, and there are multiple reasons why. One reason is because it wasn’t the right time yet. Jesus still had things he wanted to accomplish and teach people before fully revealing his identity. So even though these demonic spirits made a true declaration about Jesus, it wasn’t the right time. But they also probably had evil intentions when making that declaration. They could have been trying to make the Pharisees and Herodians even more frustrated, because the Pharisees viewed that declaration as blasphemy and the Herodians viewed it as a threat to King Herod’s throne. So these demonic spirits could have been trying to frustrate them, so they’d kill Jesus sooner, speed up the timeline of the crucifixion, and shorten the impact of his ministry. But Jesus silenced these demonic spirits, proving he has greater power than these demonic spirits.

Now if you notice large crowds started following Jesus, even though the Pharisees and Herodians tried to prevent it. People saw the miracles Jesus was doing, they saw people being healed, so they started following Jesus. Some were following Jesus because they were plotting, some were just curious, and some just wanted healing for their lives too. But what’s interesting is the Pharisees and Herodians are rejecting Jesus, and the demonic spirits are recognizing Jesus...The Pharisees and Herodians are rejecting Jesus, and the demonic spirits are recognizing Jesus as the son of God...The demonic spirits don’t have to ask who Jesus is, because they already know who Jesus is! James 2:19 says, “Even the demons believe and shudder!” The demons don’t have a belief issue; they have a submission issue. They don’t have a belief issue because they already know who Jesus is. But they refuse to submit to him and follow him as their Lord! So you can’t just believe Jesus is Lord, because even the demons believe that. You have to believe Jesus is Lord, but also submit to him and follow him as Lord! City Awakening are you believing Jesus is Lord, but living like a demon?...Are you believing Jesus is Lord, but living like a demon, not submitting and following Jesus in certain areas of your life?...What areas in your life are you believing Jesus is Lord, but living like a demon?...You have to believe Jesus is Lord, but also submit to him and follow him as Lord. You have to make him the center of your life, not just a footnote in your life.

Vs. 20, “Jesus entered a house, and the crowd gathered again so that they weren’t even able to eat. 21 When his family heard this, they set out to restrain him, because they said, ‘He’s out of his mind.’” They said he’s out of his mind, meaning they think he’s crazy! They think he’s insane! They think he’s a Lunatic!...At this point in history even his own family didn’t believe he was Lord,! They believed he was a Lunatic!...They were genuinely concerned for him, so they thought the best thing was to rescue him. They thought the best thing was to restrain him, before his lunatic actions cost him his life. But was Jesus out of his mind? Was Jesus a lunatic? No he wasn’t a lunatic! He was the sanest person in history! I’ll give you 3 reasons he wasn’t a lunatic.

1st People avoid lunatics; they don’t draw near them. - If Jesus was a lunatic, why did people draw near him? Why did large crowds follow him? It’s because he’s Lord, not a Lunatic!

2nd People ignore lunatic teachings; they aren’t transformed by them. - If Jesus was a lunatic, why are his teachings so transformative? Why are his teachings so inspirational? Why are so many people, even skeptics, admirers of his teachings? It’s because he’s Lord, not a Lunatic!

3rd People who hated Jesus challenged his authority, not his sanity. - If Jesus was a lunatic, why were his enemies always engaging in intellectual shootouts with him? Why were they always losing those intellectual shootouts? It’s because his arguments were always bulletproof and perfectly sound! It’s because he’s Lord, not a Lunatic. Psychiatrist Pablo Martinez states, “No mentally sick person would ever be able to speak or behave in the impeccable and influential way Jesus did…He had the healthiest mind of all.” Psychologist Gary Collins states, “I just don’t see signs that Jesus was suffering from mental illness...He was healthier than anyone I know, including me!” His family thought he was a lunatic because they were worried his teachings and actions would cost him his life. But they eventually believed he was Lord when they saw him crucified and resurrected back to life. When they saw him resurrected, they knew he was Lord, not a lunatic.

Vs. 22, “The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, ‘He’s possessed by Beelzebul,’ and ‘He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons.’” When these scribes come, when these Jewish leaders come, they claim Jesus is possessed by Beelzebul. Beelzebul is what the Jews sometimes called Satan. It means lord of manure, or lord of the flies on the manure. It’s a derogatory name, and that’s what they call Jesus. They call him lord of the manure. They call him Satan. They call him a Liar...They’re saying Jesus claims to be our Messiah, our Savior, our Lord, but he’s really Satan. He’s really a Liar...But is that true? Was Jesus a liar?...No he wasn’t a liar. He wasn’t a lunatic or a liar, and I’ll give you 3 reasons why he wasn’t a liar.

1st Liars save themselves, but Jesus sacrificed himself. - Liars will lie to save themselves, but Jesus sacrificed himself instead of saving himself. Why would he be willing to sacrifice himself for a lie? Why would he be willing to die for a lie? People will die for the truth, but not for a lie. Jesus died because he was telling the truth. He sacrificed himself, because he’s our Lord, not a liar.

2nd Liars deceive to gain, but Jesus died for others to gain. - Liars will deceive to gain something for themselves like wealth, power, or safety, but Jesus died for others to gain. If Jesus was lying, then what did he gain?...What benefits did he gain?...The cost-benefit analysis doesn’t add up, because he was brutally crucified on the cross. But the reason he endured the pains of the cross wasn’t so he could gain, it was so we could gain. It was so we could gain forgiveness and eternal life in heaven with him. The reason he endured the pains of the cross is because he’s loving, not lying. It’s because he’s redeeming us, not deceiving us. It’s because he’s our Lord, not a liar. 

3rd Liars leave trails of deception, but Jesus didn’t leave any trails of deception. - Liars will usually leave trails of deception or inconsistencies with things they’ve said and done. But Jesus didn’t leave any trails of deception or inconsistencies with anything he’s said and done. We know the sins of Muhammad. We know the sins of Buddha. We know the sins of Ghandi. But we don’t have any record in history of a time when Jesus sinned. It’s because he lived a sinless life, and he practiced everything he preached to perfection, without any inconsistencies. The only one who could live a perfect and sinless life like that is God. The only one who could do the miraculous things he did is God. But his enemies didn’t want to call him God, and they knew they couldn’t call him a lunatic. So the only option they had left was to call him Satan, to call him a liar.

Again vs. 22, “The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem said, ‘He’s possessed by Beelzebul,’ and ‘He drives out demons by the ruler of the demons.’ 23 So Jesus summoned them: ‘How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand but is finished. 27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his possessions, unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house.’” That’s a brilliant response, not a lunatic response! It’s a brilliant response that easily dismantles their claim about him being a liar possessed by Satan. He asks them, “How can Satan drive out Satan?” In other words, why would Satan do that? Why would Satan destroy his own kingdom? Satan wants to destroy God’s kingdom, not his own kingdom. Jesus gives an illustration about having to tie up a strong man, having to be stronger than a strong man, to take his possessions. He’s saying, “Satan’s the strong man, but I’m stronger than Satan. I’m the one who can tie up Satan, and take back the lives he’s stolen from people.” The reason so many people are following Jesus and having their lives transformed by Jesus, is because he’s tying up Satan and giving them their lives back. The point Jesus is making is why would Satan do that to himself? Why would Satan tie himself up, and destroy his own kingdom? He wouldn’t do that, which means somebody else is doing that, and the only one strong enough to tie up Satan is God. So Jesus is claiming to be God, he’s claiming to be our Lord. He isn’t a lunatic or a possessed liar, he’s our Lord. But some people today claim he’s just a Legend...So I’ll give you 3 quick reasons he isn’t a Legend.

1st Legends take time to develop. - Legends are made up stories, exaggerated stories, which take time to develop. They usually take over 100 years, because all the original witnesses would be dead by then. That’s when things start becoming exaggerated, because all the original witnesses aren’t around to confirm the truth anymore. But with Jesus we have both biblical and non-biblical records dating before the 100 year mark, all confirming that Jesus wasn’t a legend.

2nd Legends are written like fairytales. - They’re like once upon a time stories, but the four Gospels of Jesus have historically verifiable names, genealogies, cities, and dates. Legends exaggerate the positives and leave out the negatives like a fairytale, but the four Gospels record the positives and the negatives because they’re honest biographies and eyewitness testimonies.

3rd Legends aren’t real, but Jesus was real. - Legends aren’t real, they’re fake and exaggerated. But Jesus was real, and his global impact isn’t exaggerated. In Mark 3 we learned that large crowds gathered from all over to follow Jesus back then, and we have large crowds gathering all over the world to follow Jesus today. If Jesus wasn’t real, if he was just a myth or a legend, then why did large crowds gather to follow him? Why did the Jews and Herodians waste time plotting to kill him? Why did the Romans waste time crucifying him? Why did all these people care so much if Jesus was just a legend? The reason they cared so much, is because Jesus was real, not a legend. Jesus was and is a real Lord and Savior, not a lunatic, liar, or legend. 

The big idea of the message is if Jesus is Lord, then make him the center of your life, not a footnote...If Jesus is Lord, then make him the center of your life, not just a footnote in your life... So who do you believe Jesus is?...Do you believe Jesus is Lord, Lunatic, Liar, or Legend?...In the words of C.S. Lewis, “I’m trying to prevent anyone from saying this foolish thing: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.’That’s the one thing we shouldn’t say. A man who was merely a man and said the things Jesus said, wouldn’t be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic…or the Devil. You must make your choice. Either he was and is the Son of God, or he’s a madman, or something worse (like the Devil).”

If you’re a skeptic, you can admire Jesus all you want, but admiring him isn’t the same as believing and submitting to him as Lord. If you aren’t willing to submit to him and follow him as your Lord, then your belief isn’t any different than the demons...If you’re a believer, what areas in your life are you living like a demon?...What areas in your life are you not following him as Lord?...If Jesus is Lord, then he can’t be just a part of your life; he has to be the point of your life. If Jesus is Lord, then make him the center of your life, not just a footnote in your life...