Matthew 16:13-20
Who Do You Say Jesus Is
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
C. S. Lewis wrote, in his book Mere Christianity, about a trilemma with believing in Jesus as an apologetic argument traditionally used to argue for the Divinity of Jesus by postulating that the only alternatives were that He was evil or mad or our LORD...Lewis answers the question Jesus ask His Disciples, "Who do you say I AM?...
Lewis wrote: “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 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...A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher...He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell...You must make your choice...Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse...You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call Him LORD and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher...He has not left that open to us...He did not intend to...Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God.”...
The statement by C. S. Lewis saying "Jesus was either a liar, a lunatic, or our LORD" is a complex one that has been debated for centuries....Lewis' statement presents a stark trichotomy, leaving no room for nuance or alternative interpretations...
Jesus lived in a time of great social, political, and religious upheaval....The Roman Empire occupied Israel...And His teachings and claims challenged the established order of the current Jewish belief, which led to conflict and ultimately His crucifixion...
Early Christian writings and authors have offered various perspectives on Jesus' identity, His ministry, and His deeds and actions...Some authors emphasized His teachings and His ethical principles and His moral Teachings, while others focus on His miracles and Divine nature...
If one believes that Jesus lied in who He was, which is the Son of God then much if not all of His Teachings and the Gospels are of little worth...This interpretation assumes Jesus deliberately deceived people about His identity and His mission...The liar interpretation is often rejected by Christians who believe His Teachings and actions were sincere and truthful...
The second of Lewis' statement was -was Jesus a lunatic...This interpretation suggests Jesus was mentally ill or delusional, believing Himself to be something He was not...It is generally considered disrespectful and insensitive, and many find it incompatible with His Wisdom, Forgiveness, His Mercy, and Compassion that was His Character...
If Jesus is Truly Divine, then He is our LORD...This term signifies Jesus' Divinity and Lordship, placing Him at the center of Christian faith and practice...That He is LORD is a core belief for Christians who view Him as the Son of God and savior of humanity...
Some try to get out of this interpretation and say other things about "Who Jesus is"...So some avoid Lewis' argument and say that Jesus was just a Prophet or Reformer...Some see Jesus as a social and religious reformer who challenged the status quo and advocated for justice and compassion...Others say Jesus is just a Teacher and Philosopher...Others focus on His ethical teachings and their relevance to human life, regardless of His Divine status...Some view Jesus primarily as a historical figure who had a significant impact on the development of Christianity and Western culture...These people have avoided the argument that Jesus has to be a liar, a lunatic, or our LORD by what He did and say the above different things...
Ultimately, who you say Jesus is is how you see and explain the Liar, Lunatic, or LORD statement about Him is a personal choice and belief...It depends on your own beliefs, values, and understanding of history and religion...I must agree with St. Peter and Mr. Lewis...It seems obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a liar: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is our LORD and my God...