10 Who did Jesus say he was?

Jesus really got up the noses of the politicians. He was very popular with the ordinary people, which caused the main group of political/religious leaders (Pharisees) to quickly see him as a big threat to their power base. His words and his actions undermined their authority. Have a look for yourself, read one of the Gospels, particularly Matthew or Luke.

The leaders tried to trick Jesus with loaded questions but every time he saw through their agenda and outsmarted them. They eventually grew so worried that they arrested him on a false charge and even paid people to lie about him in court.

At his trial, the leaders accused Jesus of claiming he was the Son of God. He acknowledged their charge. This was the most serious charge they could make against any man. To the Jews the name of God was holy. To claim equality with God was blasphemy, punishable by death.

Why did the Jewish leaders accuse Jesus of this? Because that is what he had claimed for himself all along. The Gospels tell us that Jesus said he was the Son of God, the giver of eternal life, one who forgives sins, the future judge, the saviour, and much more.

To people today, Jesus’ most controversial statement would be his claim to be the only way to God. “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me" (John 14:6).

How should we take these claims of Jesus? We have already shown that experts today accept Jesus as a real historic person. He is also acknowledged as a great moral teacher and an example to follow. He cared for the poor and needy and he was very critical of those who took advantage of them. His life has inspired millions of people through the ages. But when Jesus claims to be God, is a step too far?

C S Lewis answered this question in the following way;

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.

Lewis’ logic is watertight. If Jesus was who he claimed to be, then he is Lord and God, and that has huge implications for all of us today. Read one of the Gospels, ask me for a free copy or find one online, there are several websites.  You can download the Bible for free here