In John’s Gospel we have the inspired account of the disbelieving Jews who accused Jesus of being demon possessed. Blinded by jealous rage, they attributed the words and deeds of our precious Lord to the devil himself: “And many of them said, He hath a demon, and is mad; why hear ye him?” (John 10:20). The fact that some of the Jews would attribute the power of Jesus to a demon is, without doubt, one of the most astounding manifestations of a hardened heart. Their purpose, of course, was to destroy any influence Jesus might have over the multitude. Such a tactic remains an effective tool in the hands of Satan even to this day. A simple examination of the Gospels will enable the good and honest heart to see the sheer nonsense of attributing the words and works of Jesus to some sinister or evil cause. What it boils down to is this: Either Jesus was a megalomaniac, or He truly is the Son of God. It seems to me that those are the only two choices. There is no alternative, so far as I can see. If a man were to speak about himself the way that Jesus does in the Gospels, he would be branded as deluded or deranged. Unless, of course, he was divine. If Jesus was deluded or deranged, He is not worthy of any degree of respect or honor. But if He is divine, then He is worthy of all the praise and honor we could muster with every ounce of our being. Let’s briefly consider the possibilities.

First, the words of Jesus simply do not qualify as those of a lunatic. The teaching of Jesus demonstrates the thoughts of a person who is not only sound in his thinking, but far and above the thinking of mortal man. Take as an example the Sermon on the Mount. R.L. Whiteside had this note:

It seems certain that no other speech ever delivered has so influenced man as has this sermon on the mount. Its contents, so superior to any production of man, proved the Deity of its author. Its teaching is out of harmony with any school of religion or philosophy of that day; hence, their brightest lights could not have produced it. It is not eclectic, that is, its contents are not a collection of the best thoughts of that and previous ages. Its teaching is distinct, revolutionary, challenging every school of religious thought of the times, both Jewish and heathen. It is not a product of the times, but of Deity.” (R. L. Whiteside, Bible Studies, Vol. 4, 117).

John T. Fisher is credited having written the following tribute to Jesus’ words on that occasion:

If you were to take the sum total of all the authoritative articles ever written by the most qualified of psychologists and psychiatrists on the subject of mental hygiene – if you were to take the whole of the meat and none of the parsley, and if you were to have these unadulterated bits of pure scientific knowledge concisely expressed by the most capable of living poets, you would have an awkward and incomplete summation of the Sermon on the Mount. And it would suffer immeasurably by comparison.

The teachings of Jesus clearly declare our Lord’s divine wisdom and omniscience.

Second, the deeds of Jesus are not the deeds of a demon possessed man. It is obvious that the deeds of a mad man are essentially selfish in their nature. Were Jesus possessed by a demon, as these Jews suggested, He would not seek the good of others. He would seek His own glory. Even at the very shadow of the cross, Jesus prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass away from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matt. 26:39). His words of self-denial were backed up with deeds of compassion for others. His miracles reached out to others, always seeking their well-being both physically and spiritually. No, the deeds of Jesus are not those of a megalomaniac!

Finally, the fruit of Jesus’ words are not those of a demon possessed man. No man has ever influenced the course of human history as has Jesus Christ; in fact, no one has ever even come close! James A. Francis wrote the following tribute, well known but worthy of including here for your consideration:

He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another obscure village where he worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty when public opinion turned against him. He never wrote a book, He never held an office, He never went to college, He never visited a big city, He never travelled more than two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He did none of the things usually associated with greatness. He had no credentials but himself. He was only thirty-three when His friends ran away. One of them denied him. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing, the only property he had on earth. When he was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today Jesus is the central figure of the human race, and the leader of mankind’s progress. All the armies that have ever marched, all the navies that have ever sailed, all the parliaments that have ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned put together, have not affected the life of mankind on earth as powerfully as that one solitary life.

To believe that Jesus said what He said, and did what He did because He was possessed by a demon, is paramount to believing that a rotten tree could bring forth good fruit. The verses we have just studied stand as a monument to the magnificence of Jesus. Thank God that Jesus has come! I close this article with the following tribute to our Lord.

Christ has come, the Light of the world: the Revealer of the snares and chasms that lurk in darkness, the Rebuker of every evil thing that prowls by night, the Stiller of the storm-winds of passion; the Quickener of all that is wholesome, the Adorner of all that is beautiful, the Reconciler of contradictions, the Harmonizer of discords, the Healer of diseases, the Saviour from sin. He has come: the Torch of truth, the Anchor of hope, the Pillar of faith, the Rock for strength, the Refuge for security, the Fountain for refreshment, the Vine for gladness, the Rose for beauty, the Lamb for tenderness, the Friend for counsel, the Brother for love. Jesus Christ has trod the world. The trace of the Divine footsteps will never be obliterated. And the Divine footsteps were the footsteps of a Man. The example of Christ is such as men can follow. On! until mankind wears His image. On! towards yon summit on which stands, not an angel, not a disembodied spirit, not an abstract of ideal and unattainable virtues, but THE MAN JESUS CHRIST (Peter Bayne, source unknown).

By Tom Wacaster