Why isn’t it enough to think of Jesus as just a great moral teacher?

I’ve met people who, like you, have a high regard for Jesus’ teachings but don’t think He’s anything more than a great moral teacher. But here’s what you miss with this conclusion: Embedded in the teachings of Jesus is the idea that He is more than a great man.

Jesus defined true greatness as serving others, and He grounded this teaching in His own sacrificial service: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43–45). This is more than moral guidance. Jesus’ identity and His mission are foundational and clearly stated.

Teachers of the Law clashed with Jesus over His identity, particularly when He claimed to forgive sins: “He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7). Here, Jesus used the term “the Son of Man” while performing a miraculous healing to show the validity of His divine claim (Mark 2:10). “The Son of Man” was Jesus’ favorite way to talk about Himself. On one level, this was an Aramaic term for “a human person” or “someone.” But on another level, Jesus was connecting this term to a mysterious figure described as “one like a son of man” in Daniel 7:13–14, a human with divine authority to judge sins. When Caiaphas asked Jesus if He was the Messiah and the Son of God (Mark 14:61, compare with Matt 26:63), Jesus replied “I am . . . And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One” (Mark 14:62). Caiaphas cried “blasphemy” because he understood the connection Jesus was making to His divine identity and authority to judge (Mark 14:63–64).

Jesus gave His life to set us free from the power of sin and death (Rom. 6:20–22), and His resurrection proves He was not a blasphemer. His divine claims were true (Acts 2:32, 36; 1 Cor. 15:3–4). It's not enough to call Jesus a great moral teacher. He is the ultimate example of sacrificial service (Phil. 2:5). His teachings challenge us to rethink our views of true greatness. May we never miss the foundation of Jesus’ great moral teaching as we live out His definition of true greatness: His divine identity.