Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. [Matthew 16:13-17 NCV]
Jesus Christ, the most controversial person who ever lived.
The issue of his identity has been debated for thousands of years.
Most people admire him and call him a great teacher.
Some, like his disciples indicate here, consider him to be a great teacher or prophet.
And some, like Peter, have received a revelation from God concerning Jesus' true identity.
In Mere Christianity CS Lewis frames this tension like this:
"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 patronising 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."I think that their is a missing element in Lewis' trilemma.
One cannot come to the conclusion that Jesus is divine using logic.
Like Peter we need a revelation from heaven to understand who He is.
Lord, reveal yourself to me today.
... this devotion is part of the Red Letters series. Click here to read more.
I just think it is amazing that after more than 2000 years, His Name brings terror, anger, amusement, contempt, etc, to all the people that won't accept His rightful place...that of Savior and Lord.
ReplyDeleteAmen! We cannot sit on the fence. Thanks Bob :)
ReplyDelete