Who Is Jesus? Liar, Lunatic, or Lord?

Jul 12, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Liar, Lunatic, or Lord: The Trilemma of Jesus’ Identity

Jesus’ bold claims about His divinity force a reckoning. A good teacher or moral example isn’t an option when He declares Himself the eternal “I AM.” Like C.S. Lewis’ trilemma, we must confront Jesus as either deceptive, delusional, or divine. His miracles, resurrection, and transformative power validate His claims. To dismiss Him as merely a wise man insults His mission. The choice shapes eternity. [27:37]

“Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I am!’ At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.”
(John 8:58-59, NIV)

Reflection: Where have you been tempted to reduce Jesus to a “good teacher” instead of wrestling with His divine claims? What evidence in His life compels you to take His identity seriously?

Day 2: Standing Among Idols: Confessing the Living God

Caesarea Philippi’s cacophony of altars framed Peter’s confession. Amidst dead gods of stone and myth, Jesus stood as the Son of the living God—breathing, present, powerful. Like Peter, we declare Christ’s lordship in a world crowded with modern idols: success, ideology, self-sufficiency. True confession requires rejecting hollow substitutes. [34:39]

“Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ 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.’”
(Matthew 16:16-17, NIV)

Reflection: What “altars” compete for your ultimate loyalty? How does declaring Jesus as the living God recalibrate your daily priorities?

Day 3: Before Abraham Was, I Am: Jesus’ Eternal Claim

When Jesus echoed God’s burning-bush name, He shattered time. “I AM” transcends prophets and patriarchs, anchoring His authority in eternity past. This claim—met with stones then and skepticism now—demands we see Jesus not as a historical figure, but the everlasting God who steps into our darkness. [40:17]

“God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: “I AM has sent me to you.”’”
(Exodus 3:14, NIV)

Reflection: How does Jesus’ eternal nature comfort you in temporary struggles? What changes when you relate to Him as the unchanging “I AM” rather than a distant teacher?

Day 4: Even Now: Trusting Jesus Beyond Death’s Door

Martha’s grief held a flicker of faith: “Even now…” Though Lazarus’ corpse decayed, she believed Jesus could rewrite death’s story. Resurrection isn’t a future theory but present power—Christ’s “I AM” invades our hopeless places. His delay isn’t neglect, but an invitation to deeper trust. [47:15]

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’”
(John 11:25-26, NIV)

Reflection: Where do you need to whisper “even now” to Jesus? How might His resurrection power transform a situation you’ve labeled “too late”?

Day 5: Choosing the Rock: Peter’s Confession and Our Response

The church isn’t built on Peter’s charisma, but the bedrock truth of Christ’s identity. Every generation must answer, “Who do you say I am?” Like the 3,000 at Pentecost, our confession leads to repentance, baptism, and transformed living. Neutrality crumbles; silence becomes rebellion. [58:05]

“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”
(Acts 2:38, NIV)

Reflection: What practical step—repentance, baptism, or renewed devotion—does your confession of Christ require today? How will you “devote yourself” to living this truth (Acts 2:42)?

Sermon Summary

Matthew 16 places Jesus and the disciples in Caesarea Philippi, a kind of Walmart of religions packed with dead idols and carved gods. In that setting, Jesus asks, Who do you say I am? Peter answers with a live-wire confession: You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Jesus blesses him and names the Father as the source of that revelation. He then promises to build the church not on Peter as a small stone, but on the massive foundation of that confession that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of the living God. In a world happy to call Jesus a good teacher, the text refuses the compliment as an insult. If Jesus claims deity and unique authority, he cannot be merely good; he must be liar, lunatic, or Lord.

John’s Gospel stacks the evidence with sevens: seven I am sayings, seven signs, and seven eyewitnesses that name Jesus as the Son of God. The sharpest line comes in John 8:58, Before Abraham was born, I am, which ties Jesus to the divine Name revealed to Moses at the burning bush. Either arrogant posturing or holy self-disclosure, those words force a verdict. Jesus also claims what only God can claim: authority to forgive sins, greatness above patriarchs, prophets, temple, and Sabbath.

John 11 answers the question why Jesus is here. He delays at Lazarus’s death and meets Martha’s grief with a claim bigger than the miracle: I am the resurrection and the life. The sign at the tomb confirms the word, but the word governs the sign. The promise reaches beyond Bethany to every believer, since Jesus’s own resurrection proves that death and sin cannot hold him. Mark records Jesus predicting in detail the betrayal, mockery, flogging, and rising on the third day. Knowing all that, Jesus keeps walking toward Jerusalem. For the joy set before him, he endures the cross, counting saved sinners as his joy.

Acts 2 brings the question home. God has made this Jesus both Lord and Messiah. The crowd is cut to the heart, asks what to do, and receives a concrete answer: repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Spirit. Those who accept the truth are baptized and then devote themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. The confession at Caesarea Philippi becomes the church’s life. Failure to make a choice is still a choice; the living God still asks, Who do you say I am?

Key Takeaways

1. Good teacher is not an option Jesus’s own claims shut down the polite middle. If he calls himself God’s Son, forgives sins, and stands greater than temple and Sabbath, he cannot be safely filed under admirable moralist. The trilemma presses for a verdict because neutrality is itself a decision. Respect without surrender only dodges the truth on which everything turns. [28:44]
2. Confession: Son of the living God Peter’s line lands in idol country and draws a bright line between dead images and the living God. Jesus builds his church on that confession, not on personality, pedigree, or power. Wherever that truth is believed and named, the gates of Hades lose their boast. The church’s strength is the foundation stone, not the small stones standing on it. [35:26]
3. Jesus owns the divine Name Before Abraham was born, I am is not flair; it is the burning-bush Name spoken in flesh. If that Name is on his lips in truth, then worship is the only fitting response. If it is not, then everything collapses into fraud. The difference is not academic; it is the line between kneeling and walking away. [40:17]
4. Resurrection life starts now I am the resurrection and the life re-centers the Lazarus story on a person, not just a miracle. Martha’s even now becomes a template for faith that stares at death and still banks on Jesus. His own empty tomb seals the promise that those who believe live even though they die. Eternal life begins in trusting him, not at the cemetery gate. [49:29]
5. Repent, be baptized, live devoted When Jesus is Lord and Messiah, the response is concrete, public, and lifelong. Repentance turns from rival lords; baptism names the new allegiance; devotion forms a new pattern of life. Christianity is not moderately important if Jesus rose; it is everything. The Spirit’s gift equips a believer to keep the confession with endurance and joy. [58:49]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[22:29] - Summer School Sessions recap
[24:03] - Who is Jesus, really?
[25:32] - Caesarea Philippi: the question
[26:00] - Peter: Messiah, Son of the living God
[26:24] - On this rock I will build
[27:37] - Liar, Lunatic, or Lord?
[29:45] - Idols everywhere, living God stands out
[38:26] - John’s Gospel: sevens that testify
[39:54] - Before Abraham, I AM
[44:04] - Why Jesus came
[48:22] - I am the resurrection and the life
[51:53] - He predicts the cross and resurrection
[52:29] - He keeps walking to Jerusalem
[58:49] - What shall we do? Repent and be baptized

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Matthew 16:13-16 (NIV)
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

John 8:58 (NIV)
“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

John 11:25-26 (NIV)
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Acts 2:36-38 (NIV)
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Observation Questions

In Matthew 16:13-16, what specific question did Jesus ask His disciples, and how did Peter’s answer contrast with the opinions of others?
What bold claim does Jesus make in John 8:58, and how does it connect to God’s self-revelation in the Old Testament?
How does Jesus redefine the concept of resurrection and life in John 11:25-26, and what does He ask Martha to affirm?
According to Acts 2:36-38, what two actions did Peter instruct the crowd to take in response to recognizing Jesus as Lord and Messiah?

Interpretation Questions

Why might Jesus have chosen Caesarea Philippi—a place filled with idols—as the setting to ask His disciples, “Who do you say I am?” [29:45]
Jesus’ statement “I am” in John 8:58 directly echoes God’s name in Exodus 3:14. How does this claim challenge the idea that Jesus was merely a moral teacher?
Martha says, “Even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask” (John 11:22). How does her statement reflect both faith and uncertainty, and how does Jesus redirect her focus? [47:15]
In Acts 2:36-38, why are repentance and baptism linked to accepting Jesus as Lord, and how do these actions publicly demonstrate a changed allegiance?

Application Questions

Jesus presents three possibilities about His identity: liar, lunatic, or Lord. How does this challenge common cultural views of Him as “just a good teacher,” and what steps can you take to help others confront this choice? [28:44]
Peter’s confession, “You are the Messiah,” was a public declaration in a place of competing idols. What “idols” (e.g., success, comfort, approval) might make it difficult to fully live out this confession today, and how can you prioritize Jesus above them?
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” How does believing this truth change the way you face grief, fear, or daily struggles? What would it look like to live with “even now” faith like Martha’s? [49:29]
Repentance and baptism are concrete responses to Jesus’ lordship. If you’ve already taken these steps, how can you renew your commitment to a “devoted life” (Acts 2:42)? If not, what hesitations or questions do you need to address?
The sermon emphasizes that neutrality about Jesus is a decision to reject Him. How can you compassionately but clearly share the urgency of choosing to follow Him with someone who sees faith as a “moderate” or private matter? [57:07]

Sermon Clips

56s

#DecideAboutJesus

“``It's either the most important decision you're ever gonna make or it doesn't matter at all because Jesus is a fraud. That's the choice we're faced with, every one of us. It's the choice our family is faced with, the people we love and care about. It's the choice your friends and your coworkers are left with even if they don't wanna have to make the choice. That's something we all have to choose. What do we do with this Jesus guy? Peter made a confession in Caesarea Philippi. You're the Messiah, the son of the living God. This statement has been quoted by millions since then. Even here at Lakeshore, you've heard people come up front, and I've asked them to repeat a profession of their faith. This is the profession we ask them to repeat because that is the decision you have to make if you're gonna know and follow Jesus according to scripture.”

63s

#JoySetBeforeHim

“Now knowing this, what does Jesus do? He keeps walking toward Jerusalem, knowing exactly how he was gonna be treated, how he was gonna be falsely accused, how he was gonna be beaten and spit on and nailed to a cross and placed in a tomb. He knows all of those details, and all he had to do was not go to Jerusalem. He could have avoided it all. He could easily have spared himself. Any and all of that kind of treatment being done to him. So why in the world would he keep going? Why was he so resolute about going to Jerusalem? The Bible says it was for the joy set before him that he endured the cross. That joy was you. It was me having payment made for my sins so that I could spend eternity with him. That's what brought Jesus so much joy.”

68s

#PersonalFaithChoice

“When it comes to Jesus Christ, he's either God's son who conquered death or he's a fraud. Those are the only two choices we have. He's either God in the flesh or he's a liar or a lunatic. There is no other option. He ruled every other possibility. So that leads to the final question today. I said there were three. Here's the final one. What is your response? What is your decision? You see, it all comes back to you personally to have to decide for yourself. You may have been raised with your parents' faith, but you still have to choose it for yourself. You may have been raised without any faith, and you still have to make a choice for yourself on who Jesus is. And remember, not making a choice is a choice. It's rejecting who he claimed to be. That's the choice that you make when you don't make a choice.”

49s

#ResurrectionAndLife

“Jesus made a claim, didn't he? Most people think the most important part of the story is when he said Lazarus come out, but that's not the most important part of the story. The most important part of that encounter is Jesus saying, I am the resurrection and the life. That means it applies to us too when we put our faith in Jesus. This is not just something where Lazarus can get the power that Jesus had at work for him. This is Jesus claiming, I can do this for everyone. I can give life to you. Even though you die, you can live.”

50s

#NotJustAGoodMan

“if Jesus is the son of God, then to simply call him a good man is like a slap in his face. I want you to get that. If he's really the son of god, just to say, oh, he was just a good teacher. That's a insult to Jesus to make that claim about him if he really is who he claimed to be. Because you're denying his deity, but Jesus has this curious habit of always declaring his deity. Over and over again during his ministry, he declared his deity. Now people make all kinds of outlandish claims, don't they? And the only way you know whether or not you can give credibility to their outlandish claims is you have to put it to the test.”

49s

#AuthorityToForgive

“Jesus also made other claims. He claimed to be able to forgive sins, which only god can do. He claimed to be greater than Jonah, greater than Solomon, greater than Jacob, greater than Abraham, greater than John the Baptist. He said it was greater than the Sabbath. He said it was greater than the temple. You say, man alive, that sounds pretty arrogant. It is unless it's true. It's arrogant unless it's true. If it's true, there is no arrogance there. He's just stating the facts about who he really is. You see, you can't just say, oh, I think he was a good man. Not when he made claims like that about himself. There has to be another answer. Another decision has to be made about who Jesus is.”

60s

#WhoDoYouSayIAm

“But then Jesus makes it personal, doesn't he? Let's go back. Look at verse 15 again. He says, but what about you? Who do you say I am? Jesus wants this to be personal for all of us. We have to make our own personal decision about who Jesus is. Even if you don't want to, you will do this. Because failure to make a choice is a choice. Failure to recognize who he claims to be is a choice not to believe that about Jesus. So then you're left with the other options. Either he was a liar or he was a lunatic, but you have to make a choice if you reject his claim to be the son of God. And it can't be that, oh, he was a good man, good teacher. No. Because he wouldn't have lied that whole time if he was a good man or a good teacher. That's not even an option.”

52s

#LordAndMessiah

“So that's why it comes back to the personal side. Is he my lord? Is he my savior? Is that my choice for my life? Remember last week, we looked at this in acts chapter two where Peter preaches the first gospel sermon. And in verse 36, he's finishing the sermon. He says, let all Israel be assured of this. God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both what? Lord and what? Messiah. Lord means ruler of all. It means he's he's god. He rules over all things. Messiah means savior, deliverer, the one who can deliver us from our sin and give us life when no one else can. lord and messiah.”

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