The Gospels

I just finished the Gospels yesterday in my read through the whole Bible.  They conveniently coincided with Easter Sunday. I've read them before, but it's been a long time since I read them through start to finish in quick succession, if at all.  And this time around, I was thinking about them more critically.  I read an article, an opinion piece, by Andrew Bolt, an open atheist.  He was actually speaking in defense of Christians and Christianity in the sense that we often get slandered more than other beliefs because of our meek and mild philosophies. His final point was that Jesus was an admirable man and a great preacher and philosopher that has inspired millions over thousands of years. With this idea in mind I read the gospels thinking, 'How can anyone ever think that.' I know it's almost cliche to make this point - that Jesus was either God, a liar or a madman, but it has only just hit home to me how absolutely true this is.  Jesus spoke of His divinity, of afterlife damnation, He made himself out to be a preacher of authority speaking words direct from God. I can't even think now, exactly what is was that sounded as if it would be insane to a non-believer. There were many statements and passages.  If you think Jesus was a good man and not God, read the Gospels for yourself to see that this is not possible.  If he isn't God, he was a total nutter, who dragged a whole lot of people into his nuttiness.