The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus

by Lee Strobel

Jesus makes the truly radical statement that it’s not what enters a person that defiles him but what comes out of his heart.

to Jesus, his miracles are a sign indicating the coming of the kingdom of God.

sees himself as the one in whom and through whom the promises of God come to pass. And

most lawyers recognize that mental health professionals offer important insights for the criminal justice system.

psychological testimony provides important safeguards for defendants.

In the preceding chapter Dr. Ben Witherington III offered convincing evidence that even the earliest material about Jesus showed he was claiming to be God incarnate.

In search of an expert’s assessment of Jesus’ mental state,

Jesus said he was God—was he crazy, too?”

Experts say that people suffering from delusional psychosis may appear rational much of the time yet can have grandiose beliefs that they are superlative individuals. Some can even attract followers who believe they’re geniuses.

“psychologists don’t just look at what a person says. They’ll go much deeper than that.

disturbed individuals frequently show inappropriate depression, or they might be vehemently angry, or perhaps they’re plagued with anxiety.

But look at Jesus: he never demonstrated inappro...

“He certainly got angry at times,”

He wasn’t just irrationally ticked off because someone was annoying him; this was a righteous reaction against injustice and the blatant mistreatment of people.

deluded people will have misperceptions,” he added. “They think people are watching them or are trying to get them when they’re not. They’re out of contact with reality. They misperceive the actions of other people and accuse them of doing things they have no intention of ever doing.

people with psychological difficulties may have thinking disorders—they can’t carry on a logical conversation, they’ll jump to faulty conclusions, they’re irrational.

We don’t see this in Jesus. He spoke clearly, powerfully, and eloquently. He was brilliant and had absolutely amazing insights into human nature.

“Another sign of mental disturbances is unsuitable behavior, such as dressing oddly or being unable ...

Jesus’ behavior was quite in line with what would...

“He was loving but didn’t let his compassion immobilize him;

he didn’t have a bloated ego, even though he was often surrounded by adoring crowds;

he maintained balance despite an often demanding lifestyle; he always knew what he was doing and where he was going; he cared deeply about people, including women and children, who weren’t seen as being important back then; he was able to accept people while not merely winking at their sin; he respo...

But what about people who were directly interacting with him? What did they see from their much closer vantage point?

The Old Testament provides numerous details about God that sketch out in great specificity what he’s like.

what his message does is transform people so they begin to love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love their neighbor as themselves.

how the Incarnation works—how Spirit takes on flesh—remained a mind-boggling concept.

There is another kind of evidence that’s analogous to fingerprints and establishes to an astounding degree of certainty that Jesus is indeed the Messiah of Israel and the world.