Who is Jesus?
Liar, Lunatic...or Lord?
If you've spent any time around church—or even just seen a movie about it—you probably have a specific image of Jesus. Maybe He's a guy in a bathrobe with a checklist. Maybe He's just a "bloody do-gooder". Maybe He's a moral coach standing on the sidelines shouting, "Try harder! Be nicer! Stop messing up!" Maybe He's just a Barry Gibbons lookalike tossing out nuggets of wise advice.
Most of us think Christianity is just spiritual homework. We think God is a cosmic boss Who's constantly disappointed in our performance, and Jesus is the guy Who showed up to give us the "To-Do" list to get back in God's good graces. Like a referee waiting for us to break one of His precious rules so He can zap us with some bad luck.
But I've got some good news for you: Jesus didn't come to give you advice. He came to give you news.
Advice is, "Here's what you should do."
News is, "Here's what already happened."
One puts the weight on you. The other puts the weight on Jesus.
To understand Who Jesus is, you have to understand the story He's invited you into. Let me walk you through it using Ephesians 2:1-10. It's the whole Gospel in ten verses.
1. You Were Made With Purpose (Creation)
"We are God's handiwork." (Ephesians 2:10)
You were made on purpose, with purpose, by a God Who loves you.
You weren't an accident. You weren't some cosmic coincidence. God formed you from the dust of the earth and breathed His own breath into your lungs. That's Genesis 2, and it's the foundation of everything.
You were made with dignity. Value. Worth.
You're capable of great perseverance, creativity, and love. That ache you feel for something more? That longing for beauty, justice, peace, and purpose? That's not random. Those are leftover fingerprints of Eden.
The world was designed to run on trust. Humans trusting God, living unafraid in His presence.
But here's the problem...
2. We're Dead Without Jesus (Fall)
"You were dead in your transgressions and sins." (Ephesians 2:1)
Not sick. Not struggling. Dead.
We all know things aren't the way they're supposed to be. We've all tried to be the "king" of our own lives, and we've all seen how that ends.
Sin isn't just "making mistakes" or "being a bad person." Sin is living like God doesn't exist. It's saying, "I know better than You do, God. I'll run my own life, thanks."
It's treason. Insurrection against the King of the universe. And it's deserving of the ultimate punishment.
It's not just broken behavior. It's broken trust. It's walking away from the One who made us.
And here's the hard truth: our hearts are fractured. No amount of "trying harder" can fix that broken relationship.
You can't fix dead. A dead deer on the side of the road isn't gonna will itself back to life through good works. It's dead. The only "fix" for dead is resurrection.
The Fall didn't just mess up our behavior. It broke our relationship with God. It broke our relationships with one another. It broke our relationship with all of creation. We live "following the ways of this world" (Ephesians 2:2), chasing things that can never satisfy, trying to fill a God-shaped hole with everything except God.
3. Jesus Is the Hero (Redemption)
Here's where a lot of people try to play it safe. They say, "I think Jesus was just a great moral teacher. A good man with some solid advice."
But Jesus didn't leave that option open to us. He claimed to be God. He claimed to forgive sins. He claimed to be the only way to the Father.
As C.S. Lewis famously pointed out, a man who says the things Jesus said isn't just a "good moral teacher."
If He knew He wasn't God but said it anyway, He's a Liar (and a cruel one). If He thought He was God but wasn't, He's a Lunatic (on the level of a guy who thinks he's made of strawberry Jello). But if He is Who He says He is, then He is Lord.
If He is Lord, then His death on the cross wasn't a tragic accident or a legal execution. It was a rescue mission.
Listen to what Ephesians 2 says:
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Jesus lived the perfect life of obedience we fail to live. A life without a single sin.
Then He willingly walked up a hill, carrying a Roman cross. They spit on Him. Mocked Him. Beat Him. The very ones He came to save.
He let them nail Him to that cross. And He stayed on that cross. Even though He saw us at our worst. He could've called down an army of angels to wipe us all out.
Why?
Because He is love.
Because we are His handiwork.
Because somehow, in His infinite holiness, His grace is even deeper.
His love for us was a choice. It led to sacrifice. It led to Him being murdered on a Roman cross, trading His perfect righteousness for all our sin, shame, and brokenness.
And He wasn't held there by nails. He was held there by love.
And He stayed there because He knew you couldn't save yourself. Jesus isn't a coach cheering from the sidelines. Helping you get across the finish line after you run out of gas.
He's the Hero Who stepped onto the field and won the game while we were still stuck in the locker room.
He is the Judge Who stepped down from the bench and took your seat. He took the punishment you deserved so you could go free.
And then? A few days later He walked out of His own grave.
That's not "good advice". That's good news.
It's done. The saving work is done. He did it.
The question is: Do you believe it's true?
4. You Get to Live in Freedom Now (Reconciliation)
"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10)
Because of what Jesus did, the "To-Do" list is gone. The debt is paid. The score is settled.
You don't obey God so that He will love you. You obey Him because He already does.
Loved people love people. Forgiven people forgive people. Healed people heal people.
Being "saved" isn't about joining a club or "getting religious". It's about a relationship being restored. You were made by God, for God, to walk with God.
And now, because of Jesus, you can.
You get to live like who you are. God's handiwork. Not to earn His love, but because you already have it.
That's the Gospel.
So, Who Is Jesus?
He's not a coach. He's not a philosopher. He's a Rescuer.
I'm not the smartest guy in the world, (I'm not even the smartest guy named "Christopher J. Hall") and I've spent plenty of my life trying to fix myself. It doesn't work. I'm just a blind beggar who found some bread, and I'm telling you: the bread is free, and there's plenty for you, too.
You don't have to clean yourself up to come to Jesus. You come to Jesus to get cleaned up.
He meets us right where we are. And He loves us too much to leave us where we are.
So who do you believe Jesus is? A liar, a lunatic... or Lord?
Want to talk more about this? We'd love to grab a coffee with you. No pressure, no "preachy" talks. Just a conversation about the King Who has already won the battle for you.