Catholic Bible Study – Lectio: The Case for Jesus

Episode: Did Jesus Claim to Be God?
Host: Augustine Institute
Date: February 19, 2026

Main Theme Overview

This episode dives into the central and most controversial claim of Christianity: the divinity of Jesus Christ. The host explores whether Jesus explicitly claimed to be God—not just the Messiah—in the biblical Gospels, particularly focusing on scholarly debates between classic apologetics (e.g., C.S. Lewis’s “Liar, Lunatic, or Lord?”) and modern skeptical scholarship (e.g., Bart Ehrman’s "Legend" option). Using in-depth scriptural analysis, the discussion defends the position that all four Gospels, not just John, present Jesus as claiming divinity, and challenges the popular argument that Jesus' divinity is a later addition or legend.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Stage: The Importance of Jesus' Divinity

• Jesus as Messiah vs. Divine Son of God ([00:02]–[02:00])
  • Being called "Messiah" in the Old Testament could refer to human kings (Saul, David, Solomon).
  • Christianity goes further, professing Jesus as "God incarnate, God made man," raising the question: Did Jesus claim to be God himself?

2. C.S. Lewis and the Classic Apologetics Argument

• Lewis’s “Liar, Lunatic, or Lord?” ([02:00]–[06:30])

  • Quote ([03:24]):

    “I’m trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about him, meaning Jesus. ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say.... He has not left that option open to us. He did not intend to.”
    — C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)

  • Lewis argues that a man claiming to be God, if untrue, must be either lying, insane, or telling the truth—no middle ground as mere great moral teacher.

• Host’s Critique and the Modern Context

  • Lewis’s argument assumes that the Gospels accurately record Jesus' words and deeds.
  • Modern scholarship (Bart Ehrman) injects a "fourth option": Legend.

3. Bart Ehrman’s ‘Legend’ Thesis and Scholarly Skepticism

• Legend as a Fourth Option ([07:00]–[10:05])

  • Quote ([08:05]):

    “Jesus probably never called himself God. This means he doesn’t have to be either a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord. He could be a first-century Palestinian Jew who had a message to proclaim other than his own divinity.”
    — Bart Ehrman

  • Ehrman argues that claims of Jesus’ divinity only appear in John’s late Gospel, not in the "earlier" synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke).

• Key Skeptical Argument ([09:40]):

  “Could anything else that he might say be so breathtaking and thunderously important? And yet none of these earlier sources… says any such thing about him.… Almost certainly the divine self-claims in John are not historical.”
  — Bart Ehrman

4. Debunking the ‘Legend’ Hypothesis: Jesus’ Divinity in the Synoptics

• Host’s Thesis: Even in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus claims divinity—just in Jewish-coded ways, not direct Greek-language assertions. ([12:00]–[15:00])

• Three Representative Cases:

  • a. The Healing of the Paralytic (Mark 2:1–12) ([15:00]–[26:40])

    • Jesus says, “My son, your sins are forgiven.”
    • Scribes accuse him of blasphemy: “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ([21:20])
    • Jesus doesn’t deny their charge; he proves his authority with a healing.
    • Insight: Jewish hearers recognize forgiving sins as God’s unique prerogative (Shema, Deut 6:4–6).

  • b. Walking on Water (Mark 6:45–52) ([26:40]–[40:00])

    • Jesus walks on (not beside) the water, evokes God’s Old Testament name—“I am” (ego eimi).

    • Old Testament echoes: God’s name to Moses (Exodus 3:14), God alone treads the waves (Job LXX).

    • Disciples’ reaction: Worship Jesus (“Truly, you are the Son of God,” Matthew adds they “worshipped” him; worship reserved for God alone—Matt 14:32).

    • Notable Quote ([33:44]):

      “I really want you to ponder the mystery of that.… Four miles over the waves before encountering the disciples and saying, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am.’” — Host

  • c. The Transfiguration (Mark 9:2–7) ([40:00]–[52:00])

    • Jesus, on a mountain, is transfigured; his face shines, clothes become dazzling white.
    • Elijah and Moses appear (those who saw God but not his face).
    • Insight: The event fulfills Old Testament longing—Moses and Elijah now finally see the unveiled face of God in the person of Jesus.
    • Quote from Catechism ([50:10]):

      “Only on the mountain of Transfiguration will Moses and Elijah behold the unveiled face of him whom they sought. God has a human face now in Jesus of Nazareth.”
      — Catechism, Vatican II

5. Conclusion: Jesus’ Claims in All Four Gospels

• Jesus’ claims to divinity are not exclusive to John; they’re embedded—though coded—in the earlier Gospels.
• The “liar, lunatic, Lord, or legend” debate cannot simply sideline Jesus’ divine claims in the synoptic Gospels.
  • “It’s not three Gospels against one. It’s four biographies, and in all four, Jesus claims divine authority.” ([54:10])
  • Choice: Reject him as a liar/lunatic, or accept him as Lord; “great moral teacher” is not an honest option.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• C.S. Lewis on the Trilemma ([03:24])

  “Let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that option open to us. He did not intend to.”

• On Jesus Forgiving Sins ([21:20])

  “Who can forgive sins but the one God?” — Scribes, Mark 2, emphasized by host.

• On Worship After Walking on Water ([38:10])

  “The Lord your God, him alone shall you worship.… And yet the disciples worship Jesus after he walks on the water. And he doesn’t say ‘Stop, I’m just a man.’ He accepts it, you see.”

• On the Transfiguration’s Meaning ([49:30])

  “Why Moses and Elijah? Because now God has a human face. And Moses and Elijah are able to see the face of God in Jesus of Nazareth.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:02] – Introduction: The question of Jesus’ divinity
• [03:24] – Reading C.S. Lewis’s argument
• [07:00] – Introduction of Bart Ehrman’s “legend” objection
• [15:00] – The healing of the paralytic (Mark 2)
• [26:40] – Walking on water and the “I Am” claim (Mark 6; cross-references to John and Matthew)
• [40:00] – The Transfiguration (Mark 9)
• [50:10] – Catechism on Moses and Elijah finally seeing the face of God in Jesus
• [54:10] – Conclusion: the case for Jesus’ divinity in all Gospels

Tone & Style

Throughout the episode, the host combines scholarly insight, theological depth, and a conversational, often humorous approach (“If Jesus didn’t know he was God by mile one, he probably figured it out by mile four,” [36:35]). The arguments are presented in a way accessible to both beginners and those more versed in scripture, with a strong emphasis on reading the Gospels “through ancient Jewish eyes.”

Summary

This episode makes a robust case—scripturally and theologically—that Jesus’ claims to divinity are present throughout all four Gospels, not just John. The classic apologetic framework (C.S. Lewis) is affirmed, but updated to answer modern skepticism. Listeners are left with a deepened understanding of how Jesus, cloaked in first-century Jewish idiom and drama, unmistakably acts and speaks with divine authority—leaving no room for the “great moral teacher only” category. The challenge stands: faced with the evidence, which will you choose?

Next episode: The crucifixion—if Jesus was God, why did he die on a cross?