2. 66 As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, 67 “If You are the Christ, tell us.”

3. But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will by no means believe. 68 And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go. 69 Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.”

4. 70 Then they all said, “Are You then the Son of God?” So He said to them, “You rightly say that I am.” 71 And they said, “What further testimony do we need? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”

6. Not only did Jesus clearly claim to be God in the flesh, He specifically stated that He was the ONLY way to get to heaven, John 14:6.

7. We shared 6 other scriptures clearly stating Jesus was God. Jesus claimed to be God in the flesh, His disciples affirmed it. Paul expounded it.

8. Everyone who confronted Jesus or was confronted by Jesus had to make a determination; was Jesus really the Messiah, God in physical form, and the only way to heaven as He specifically claimed? Everyone who confronted Jesus or was confronted by Jesus had to make a determination; was Jesus really the Messiah, God in physical form, and the only way to heaven as He specifically claimed? What will YOU do with Jesus? What will YOU do with Jesus? The struggle is both logical and emotional. Let’s look at the logical today and the emotional next week. The struggle is both logical and emotional. Let’s look at the logical today and the emotional next week.

10. To claim He is God means, Buddha, Mohammed, Krishna and all others are wrong. To claim He is God means, Buddha, Mohammed, Krishna and all others are wrong. To claim He is the only way to get to heaven means that no other religion will get you to heaven. To claim He is the only way to get to heaven means that no other religion will get you to heaven.

11. Pertaining to this Ravi Zacharias states “You may not agree with Him. But Jesus has made a most meaningful statement.” Pertaining to this Ravi Zacharias states “You may not agree with Him. But Jesus has made a most meaningful statement.”

12. These are extremely exclusive statements, in a culture that hates exclusivity These are extremely exclusive statements, in a culture that hates exclusivity (or put another way whose pluralism demands exclusive non-exclusivity.) (or put another way whose pluralism demands exclusive non-exclusivity.)

13. The problem with hating exclusivity is that truth is by definition exclusive.

14. The Laws of Logic – The Law of Non-contradiction. Something cannot be both A and Non-A at the same time. Opposite assertions cannot be true at the same time. The Laws of Logic – The Law of Non-contradiction. Something cannot be both A and Non-A at the same time. Opposite assertions cannot be true at the same time.

15. You cannot defeat this Law. The moment you open your mouth to argue against the Law of Non- contradiction you are proving it! You cannot defeat this Law. The moment you open your mouth to argue against the Law of Non- contradiction you are proving it! This is why the Eastern Mystic says… “He who knows does not speak. He who speaks does not know!” This is why the Eastern Mystic says… “He who knows does not speak. He who speaks does not know!”

16. “Aristotle says that without the principle of non-contradiction we could not know anything that we do know. … the principle of non- contradiction is a principle of scientific inquiry, reasoning and communication that we cannot do without.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-noncontradiction

17. Therefore to hate exclusivity is to ultimately hate both logic and truth.

18. 1. Those who say “There are no absolutes…” contradict themselves because to say there are no absolutes is an absolute! 1. Those who say “There are no absolutes…” contradict themselves because to say there are no absolutes is an absolute!

19. 2. Those who tell you “You can’t exclude people” are doing just that… they are excluding those who hold to logical exclusivity. 2. Those who tell you “You can’t exclude people” are doing just that… they are excluding those who hold to logical exclusivity.

20. 3. The contradiction of the BOTH/ AND… 3. The contradiction of the BOTH/ AND… The view of Either /Or vs. Both/And. The view of Either /Or vs. Both/And.

21. The moral of this story is that all religions are like these men. The different religions each touch a different part of ultimate reality. Therefore Christianity is arrogant to say it has the exclusive truth.

22. Did you catch the incredible contradiction? The person telling the story claims all religions are blind and only he/she can truly see! These leaders only had a small perspective but the narrator sees the whole picture… Now who is truly being arrogant?

23. Still, the real issue is not about who is arrogant, but what is actually true and real.

24. 3. You can’t use the Either/Or… you Must use the Both/And.

25. 3. You can’t use the Either/Or… you Must use the Both/And. 3. You can’t use the Either/Or… you Must use the Both/And. What is wrong with the above statement? Rephrased… “In other words I must either use the Both/And or nothing at all?” What is wrong with the above statement? Rephrased… “In other words I must either use the Both/And or nothing at all?” They are using the Either/Or to demand you only use the Both/And! They are using the Either/Or to demand you only use the Both/And!

26. Simple logic defeats all arguments against exclusivity. However, many people don’t function by logic; their lives are run by emotion. Next week we will look at how to lovingly present truth in the midst of illogical emotion.