Who is . . . ? (Matthew 16:13-17)

Imagine you wind up on the game show Jeopardy! and your winning depends on the Final Jeopardy clue. Nervous? You should be, because today's category is Historical Figures. It isn't fair; I know. Such a vague category which could refer to virtually anyone, but you could probably assume that the featured person would be one of the more important people of all time; someone having international significance over an era of time. Hitler? Jefferson? Einstein? Finally, the clue . . .

"Um . . . you have got to be kidding", you think to yourself. Then the music begins. So you write . . .

. . . a good teacher? one of many paths? a fairy godfather? a celestial Santa Claus? the keeper of Cadbury Creme Eggs? Maybe you don't know. Maybe you don't care (or didn't care until Jeopardy! cash was on the line). Maybe you just aren't sure.

Well, in case you ever find yourself in this situation, a guy named C. S. Lewis already weighed the options in his book Mere Christianity. Almost all scholars agree on Jesus as a historical and religious figure, and most agree that his teachings are profound. According to Lewis, the key to understanding Jesus lies in his claim that he is God. This leaves us with only three options regarding Jesus' identity . . .

1. If Jesus said he was God, and he knew he wasn't, then he was a liar. Many have claimed to be a god in order to dupe followers into obedience for power or financial gain. The problem with this possibility lies with motive. Jesus did not seek, nor did he receive, money or power from his followers. In fact when the crowd realized he was not a military or political leader, they agreed to have him brutally punished and cruelly killed. So if he didn't lie . . . 
2. Perhaps Jesus was just plain crazy. A person would have to be insane to claim to be God, right? Just another nut calling himself the perfect Son of God. For this to seem plausible, you would have to accept that the teachings of a madman have guided the morality of the Western world. If you have ever seen "Jersey Shore", you might be inclined to agree, but few on that show follow Jesus' teaching. So if he isn't a lunatic . . . 
3. He must be the Son of God. The Lord of all. 

Problem solved. Even if you are not completely convinced by the ancient prophecies that accurately predicted his coming or his own assertions, Jesus is Lord by process of elimination. By now the Jeopardy! music is over and we have solved our dilemma. Clever, huh? In fact most clever people would stop here (I've never been mistaken for clever), but what about this "Lord". What does it mean?

Lord means "in charge" or "ruling over". If that's Jesus, where does that leave me? I like being "in charge". I like talking about Jesus as Savior, Redeemer and Friend, but Lord? Master? Forgiveness, grace and mercy attract many to Him, but Jesus also calls us to repentance, suffering and sacrifice. When we say He is Lord, it is not the end, but merely the beginning.

Who do you say He is?