Matthew 16:15-16, John 20:28, Mark 2:5-7
The Question That Cannot Be Avoided
Jesus asked His disciples: "Who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15). It is a question that will not stay historical. Every person who encounters Jesus in the Gospels must do something with Him — and the options are more limited than popular culture suggests.
The Claims Jesus Made
Jesus claimed to forgive sins — a prerogative belonging only to God (Mark 2:5-7). He claimed authority over the Sabbath — "the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:28). He accepted worship (Matthew 14:33, John 20:28). He claimed pre-existence before Abraham (John 8:58). He claimed to be the resurrection and the life (John 11:25). He claimed that to see Him was to see the Father (John 14:9).
These are not the claims of a merely good moral teacher. They are the claims of either a divine being, a deluded madman, or a deliberate deceiver.
C.S. Lewis's Trilemma
C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity, argued that the popular position — "Jesus was a great moral teacher but not God" — is not actually available:
"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 a 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."
Lord — the claims are true; He is who He said He was.
Liar — He knew the claims were false and made them anyway; He was a deliberate fraud.
Lunatic — He sincerely believed the claims but was deluded; He was not in His right mind.
The "great moral teacher" option collapses under the weight of the actual claims.
The Evidence Points to Lord
The resurrection, the fulfilment of prophecy, the transformation of the disciples, the coherence of His teaching, the historical reliability of the Gospel accounts — all of this evidence points in one direction. The conclusion Jesus invited is the conclusion the evidence supports: "My Lord and my God." (John 20:28).