I love to hear secularists talk about what a “great teacher” Jesus was. But was He? When you consider the sum total of the Nazarene’s claims and reject the idea of divinity, then Jesus was either a deceitful con man or a dangerous lunatic.

It was C.S. Lewis who famously posited that Jesus’ claims meant He could only be a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord. Jesus Himself removes the option of being a “good teacher.” He was either crazy or lying about His divinity.

Or, perhaps more troubling for many, He was exactly who He said!

There is a real-world problem for those who would relegate Jesus to the role of being a “great teacher.” It is no different, in fact, than for those who sincerely think him a liar or a lunatic. That problem, of course, is the empty tomb.

Two competing sites in Israel testify to the resurrection of Jesus, the most pivotal event in human history. Both are empty of human remains. One is the historic Church of the Holy Sepulcher, a Christian shrine since the fourth century. The other is the nearby Garden Tomb, where ancient burial places have been uncovered. Historical testimony attests to the first; vague assumptions about geography corroborate the second.

After numerous visits, my mind—perhaps irrationally—has made the two places into one. They are, after all, less than a mile from each other. I am content with the assumption that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher is where it happened. I am equally convinced the Garden Tomb gives a sense of what it was like when it happened.

But if you go looking for Jesus at either place, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Whichever place was the place is an intellectually fascinating discussion, but it is ultimately unfulfilling. It misses the most important point.

We are talking about an empty tomb. As Mary Magdalene was told that first Easter morning, “He is not here, for He has risen, as He said.”

One either believes that to be historically true or one does not. He either stayed dead or He was resurrected. It cannot be partially true. It cannot be true for one person and not for another. There can be no middle ground. There is no room for moral relativism.

Let’s circle back to that notion of Jesus being a “great teacher.” His utterances must be considered absolute rubbish if He is rejected as the promised Savior. He said of Himself, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Unless that’s true, it is really bad teaching. And the list of Jesus’ “crazy” pronouncements goes on and on.

Crazy, unless He is who He said He is.

Particularly on this day, when we observe the anniversary of His crucifixion by Roman soldiers at the insistence of Judea’s ruling elite, we must confront Him for who He was.

A liar? A lunatic? The Lord? Two places testify to one question about who He was. Maybe the tomb was empty because He was a lunatic who inspired a bunch of liars? That’s not a very good teacher.

Or, the empty tomb reveals Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Son of God, the Lord who conquered death and rose as He said. This weekend is the perfect opportunity, no matter who you are or where you have been, to consider the teachings and truth of Jesus.