The Question Every Person Must Answer About Jesus
There are many opinions about Jesus Christ. Some regard Him as a great moral teacher. Others admire Him as a compassionate religious leader, a courageous reformer, or an inspiring example of sacrificial love. Even those who reject Christianity often speak respectfully of Jesus and His teachings.
But there is a problem with merely admiring Jesus: He made claims about Himself that leave us with a decision far more significant than whether He was a good man.
The Christian author and apologist C. S. Lewis famously confronted this problem in his book Mere Christianity. Lewis argued that if we take seriously what Jesus said about Himself, we cannot comfortably dismiss Him as merely a wise teacher. His claims demand a verdict.
Lewis wrote:
“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.”
Lewis’s argument, commonly called the trilemma, presents three possibilities: Jesus was a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord He claimed to be.
Was Jesus a Liar?
Consider what Jesus claimed about Himself.
In John 10:30, Jesus declared, “I and the Father are one.” His Jewish opponents understood the significance of that statement. They immediately accused Him of blasphemy, explaining, “You, being a man, make Yourself God” (John 10:33, NKJV).
On another occasion, Jesus announced, “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58). His words echoed God’s self-identification to Moses in Exodus 3:14. Again, His listeners understood the implications and attempted to stone Him.
Jesus also claimed authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:5–12), declared Himself the only way to the Father (John 14:6), and taught that humanity’s eternal destiny depended upon its response to Him (John 3:16–18).
These were not ordinary claims.
If Jesus knew these claims were false, He was deliberately deceiving those who trusted Him. He would have been a liar of extraordinary proportions, leading people to place their eternal hope in someone who could not save them.
But such deception is difficult to reconcile with the character revealed in the Gospels. Jesus consistently taught truthfulness, condemned hypocrisy, demonstrated compassion, and lived a life of remarkable moral integrity.
As theologian John Stott emphasized in Basic Christianity, we must examine not only the claims of Christ but also His character and resurrection. The evidence must be considered together.
Could the One who taught us to love the truth have built His entire ministry upon a lie?
Was Jesus a Lunatic?
Perhaps Jesus sincerely believed Himself to be God but was tragically mistaken. This is the second possibility Lewis considered.
Certainly, a person claiming divine identity without justification would give us reason to question his judgment.
Yet the Jesus presented in Scripture displays extraordinary wisdom, emotional balance, moral clarity, and understanding of human nature.
When His enemies attempted to trap Him with difficult questions, His answers repeatedly exposed their motives and silenced their accusations (Matthew 22:15–22). When confronted with suffering, He responded with compassion. When facing betrayal, rejection, and death, He demonstrated remarkable composure and obedience to the Father.
Even His opponents were astonished by His teaching. In John 7:46, the officers sent to arrest Him returned empty-handed, declaring, “No man ever spoke like this Man!”
Lewis’s argument was not that an extraordinary claim automatically proves someone’s sanity or truthfulness. Rather, he challenged readers to consider whether the wisdom, character, and conduct of Jesus are consistent with the suggestion that He was profoundly deluded.
The evidence deserves more than a casual dismissal.
Or Is Jesus Lord?
The third possibility is the one Christianity boldly proclaims: Jesus Christ is exactly who He claimed to be—the eternal Son of God, who became man to redeem sinners.
The apostle John opens his Gospel with an unmistakable declaration:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” — John 1:1, NKJV
Then John announces the wonder of the incarnation: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).
The Creator entered His creation. The eternal Son took on human flesh. The One who spoke the universe into existence walked among ordinary people, experienced hunger and weariness, wept at a friend’s grave, and ultimately suffered upon a Roman cross.
Theologian J. I. Packer, in Knowing God, described the incarnation as “the most stupendous miracle ever.”
And why did He come?
Jesus answered that question Himself: “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10, NKJV).
He came not merely to teach us how to live, but to accomplish what we could never accomplish for ourselves. Through His sinless life, substitutionary death, and bodily resurrection, Jesus provided redemption for all who repent and believe in Him.
The resurrection is especially important because it moves the discussion beyond Jesus’ claims to God’s vindication of those claims. Romans 1:4 declares that Jesus was revealed as the Son of God in power through His resurrection from the dead.
The apostle Paul insisted that if Christ had not risen, Christian faith would be futile (1 Corinthians 15:14–19). Christianity therefore rests not merely upon the teachings of Jesus but upon the historical reality of His death and resurrection.
Understanding the Limits of the Trilemma
While Lewis’s argument is compelling, we should recognize what it does—and does not—prove.
The trilemma is not, by itself, proof that Jesus is God. Rather, it challenges the popular notion that Jesus was merely a good moral teacher while rejecting His claims to deity.
The argument rests upon two important considerations.
First, we must establish that the Gospel accounts accurately preserve Jesus’ claims about Himself. Some skeptics argue that Jesus never actually made these claims, but that they were attributed to Him by His followers. This objection deserves an answer grounded in the historical reliability of the New Testament, the early testimony concerning Jesus, and the credibility of the Gospel writers.
Second, the three alternatives are not necessarily exhaustive. Some critics suggest that Jesus was misunderstood, that His words were exaggerated, or that later traditions embellished His identity. These possibilities must be evaluated rather than simply dismissed.
Christian apologists such as William Lane Craig and Gary Habermas have emphasized the importance of examining the historical evidence for Jesus, particularly His crucifixion, the testimony of His earliest followers, and the resurrection.
The resurrection is especially significant. If Jesus truly rose bodily from the dead, as the New Testament declares, then His claims to divine authority receive extraordinary confirmation (Romans 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:3–8).
Lewis’s trilemma is therefore best understood as a starting point for serious consideration of Jesus’ identity, not the final word in Christian apologetics.
The Christian faith does not ask us to believe that Jesus is Lord simply because the other two alternatives seem unreasonable. It invites us to examine His words, His character, His works, His fulfillment of Scripture, and, above all, His resurrection.
The apostle John explained why he recorded the signs and testimony concerning Jesus:
“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” — John 20:31, NKJV
Ultimately, Lewis’s argument serves a valuable pastoral purpose. It confronts us with the seriousness of Jesus’ claims and reminds us that we cannot indefinitely remain neutral about His identity.
The trilemma raises the question. Scripture and the historical evidence provide the grounds for answering it. And the risen Christ calls us to respond in repentance and faith.
What Will You Do With Jesus?
When Thomas encountered the risen Christ, he responded with one of the clearest confessions of faith in Scripture:
“My Lord and my God!” — John 20:28, NKJV
Notice that Jesus did not correct Thomas, rebuke him for blasphemy, or deny the divine title. Instead, He commended the faith that led Thomas to that confession.
That moment brings us to the heart of the matter.
Jesus does not invite us merely to admire His teachings, appreciate His kindness, or acknowledge His historical influence. He calls us to repent, believe, and follow Him (Mark 1:15; Luke 9:23).
The question Jesus asked His disciples remains the question every person must answer:
“But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15, NKJV).
Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).
My prayer is that you will come to that same conviction—not simply because C. S. Lewis made a compelling argument, but because the testimony of Scripture, the evidence of the resurrection, and the grace of God have brought you to recognize Jesus for who He truly is.
He is more than a teacher to admire, a prophet to respect, or an example to imitate.
He is Lord. He is Savior. He is Redeemer. And He is worthy of your faith, your worship, and your life.
Sources for further reading: C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Book II, Chapter 3; John Stott, Basic Christianity; J. I. Packer, Knowing God, Chapter 5; William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith; Gary R. Habermas and Michael R. Licona, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus. Biblical quotations are from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.
Strengthen the resurrection evidence sectionClarify the limits of Lewis’s trilemma