What makes Jesus any different than the thousands of men that say they are God today?

Question

There are thousands of men in mental institutions that believe they are God, prophets, or have spoken to God. What makes Jesus any different than any of these men? How can we be sure that none of these men are God, prophets, or have spoken to God??

Answer 1

It's true that there are thousands of people in mental institutions who believe they're God. However, have any of them ever:
1. Walked on water
2. Cured epilepsy, blindness, or lameness
3. Rose from the dead after being executed in an inhumane fashion.
4. Raised others from the dead.
5. Calmed a storm just by telling it to cut it out.

And so on and so forth. Another answerer suggested reading The Case for Christ. I agree with them, and think you should read chapter 8, which specifically addresses your claims.

Answer 2

read history and you may get a clue.

remember the guy applewhite that had his followers beamed up to a comet? or Jones that gave everyone poison. You can read that history as well. Then read the history of Jesus from an encyclopedia. From a historical perspective, the story of Jesus has changed the world.

If you have to pin me down on how to explain it to a non believer, I would say the test of time, archeology, written accounts from varying sources, corroboration from unbiased third parties, the list goes on. Fakes, can't maintain a fictional accounts for 2000 years. Take for example the Mormon religion. It will denigrate for lack of credibility like the others. No matter how well funded it is, money can't buy truth.

Answer 3

#1 Nobody ever questioned Jesus' ability to cure and heal people.They only questioned where the power came from ...God or Satan.(Of course it came from God,Satan can't heal anyone).
#2 His resurrection and his resurrected person was seen first by a few women,then by his apostles ,later by over 500 people,then james his brother and then Paul.That is pretty good eye witness accounts.
No other so called "man of God" has been able to do this.Buddaha is dead,Muhammed is dead,Joseph Smith is dead,......They're all dead but Jesus lives at the right hand of the Father until the "Time of the Gentiles is fulfilled".

Answer 4

Christianity alone possesses a founder who transcends death and who promises that His followers will do the same. All other (false) religions were founded by men and prophets whose end was the grave. As Christians, we take comfort in the fact that our God became man, died for our sins, was killed, and was resurrected the third day.

Answer 5

Because Jesus doesnt do what the rest say they do.
His book was written by his followers not him.
He didnt travel all over the world to be a famous traveler
He didn't sit on a throne while he was here.
He didnt do anything other famous people have done
yet his name is the most Famous name and his book that he didnt write is the most famous book
Love him or not

Answer 6

We are all God's children. Some of us get that and act on it more than others. Jesus did it really well. He understood that God was working through him.

I don't know about the guys in the mental institutions. Nobody has written anything about them.

Namaste!!

Answer 7

He died.

Like Jimmy Hendrix and Billy Holly they got more famous because they died.

And anyone who can turn water into wine is automatically in the cool book.

Answer 8

The main difference is that so many apparently believe Jesus.

Answer 9

Jesus has had a great P.R. team for 2000 years!!!

Answer 10

The fact that history, prophecy, and Holy Spirit backed Jesus up....you find none of that with the David Koresh's / Marshall Applegate / lunatic in the back of the bus....